Didcot Girls' School

{{Infobox school

| name = Didcot Girls' School

| image = Didcot_Girls_School_logo.png

| image_size =

| coordinates = {{coord|51.606769|-1.253976|type:edu_region:GB_dim:100|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| motto = Committed to Excellence

| established =

| closed =

| type = Secondary school

| religious_affiliation =

| president =

| head_label = Headteacher

| head = Georgina Littler

| r_head_label =

| r_head =

| chair_label = Chair of Governors

| chair = Ruth Elliot

| founder =

| address = Manor Crescent

| city = Didcot

| county = Oxfordshire

| country = England

| postcode = OX11 7AJ

| local_authority = Oxfordshire County Council

| ofsted = yes

| urn = 138490

| staff =

| enrolment = 1562 students{{Cite web |date=19 January 2023 |title=School inspection |url=https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50205420 |access-date=18 February 2025 |website=Ofsted}}{{Rp|p=4}}

| lower_age = 11

| upper_age = 18

| houses = 7

| colours =

| publication =

| free_label_2 =

| free_2 =

| free_label_3 =

| free_3 =

| website = {{URL|https://didcotgirls.oxon.sch.uk}}

}}

Didcot Girls' School (also known as DGS) is a secondary school with academy status for students in Didcot, Oxfordshire and the surrounding rural area. The school was awarded Language College and Enterprise College status in 2006.{{cite news|last1=Bardsley|first1=Fran|title=GCSEs 2013: Blog of results, updates, reaction, pictures and tweets|url=http://www.heraldseries.co.uk/news/10627868.GCSEs_2013__Blog_of_results__updates__reaction__pictures_and_tweets/|access-date=12 January 2015|work=The Didcot Herald|publisher=Newsquest (Oxfordshire) Ltd.|date=22 August 2013|ref=heraldgcse}} The mixed sixth form, known as Didcot Sixth Form, is shared with St Birinus School. The current headteacher is Georgina Littler, having been appointed in May 2020.

General information

The school is made up of seven houses which are named after famous women who are considered potential role models for the students. These are Adie House, Bussell House, Ennis House, Greenfield House, Kennedy House, MacArthur House and Wilson House. Each house group has a different colour; red for Adie, pink for Bussell, orange for Ennis, yellow for Greenfield, purple for Kennedy, navy for MacArthur and green for Wilson. There were eight houses, but Roddick House and Plazas House were removed in September 2010 to make six. In September 2012, following Jessica Ennis' success at the London 2012 Olympics, Ennis house was created, bringing the number of houses to seven.{{cn|date=February 2025}}

The school has four main building blocks; St. Frideswide's (also known as Frids), Austen, Sherwood (formerly New Building) and Cockcroft. A large, modern sports hall is sited next to St. Frideswide's, and the canteen in St. Frideswide's is rated five stars.{{cn|date=February 2025}}

The "Friends of Didcot Girls' School" charity was registered formally in 2020 to raise funds for the school.{{Cite web|title = Friends of Didcot Girls' School - Didcot Girls' School|url = https://www.didcotgirls.oxon.sch.uk/287/friends-of-didcot-girls039-school|website = www.didcotgirls.oxon.sch.uk|access-date = 2024-02-14}}{{Cite web |title=FRIENDS OF DIDCOT GIRLS' SCHOOL - Charity 1192666 |url=https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5172332/governing-document |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=prd-ds-register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk |language=en-GB}}

History

The school was created by the merger in the early 1970s of the former St. Frideswides secondary modern school and adjacent Didcot Girls' Grammar School.{{cn|date=February 2025}}

Notable former pupils

File:Maryvonne Dupureur, Ann Packer, Marise Chamberlain 1964b.jpg

Henrietta Knight (racehorse trainer), trainer of Best Mate (1995-2005 racehorse) {{citation needed|reason=linked article does not mention this school|date=April 2018}}
Jasmine Lowson, TV presenter {{citation needed|reason=linked article does not mention this school|date=April 2018}}
Ann Packer MBE, middle-distance runner who, at the 1964 Summer Olympics, won gold in the 800 metres (in a world record) and silver in the 400 metres; she held the women's 800 metres world record from October 1964 to June 1967
Summer Watson, opera singer and recording artist

References

External links

[http://www.didcotgirls.oxon.sch.uk/ School website]

Category:Girls' schools in Oxfordshire

Category:Secondary schools in Oxfordshire

Category:Academies in Oxfordshire

Category:Didcot