For the first time in over 160 years, there are no Our Lady’s Abingdon pupils to be seen. The school closed suddenly over the summer, leaving families to seek new places – some already starting in local state schools, others still searching.

The closure also leaves behind a large site close to the town centre, including Barton Field, the school playing fields. With so many new houses being built nearby, there may well be debate about whether part of the grounds could still serve an educational purpose.

Our Lady’s Convent history stretches back to January 1860, when Sister Mary Elizabeth Rigby and two nuns from the Sisters of Mercy in Bermondsey came to Abingdon at the invitation of parish priest Revd Dr John Paul O’Toole. They were supported by Reverend Mother Clare Moore, recently returned from work with Florence Nightingale in the Crimea. The Sisters began in a Northcourt cottage, Joymount, then moved into villas on the current site in 1862. The first pupil enrolled in 1865, and in 1867 Sir George Bowyer gave land to allow the school to expand. By 1877, classrooms, music rooms, a dining hall and dormitories were in place.

For many years the convent was run by the Sisters of Mercy, remembered today in the churchyard of Our Lady and St Edmund Church.

In 2007 Our Lady’s Convent became a charitable company limited by guarantee and changed its name to Our Lady’s Abingdon School. Two years later, boys were admitted to the Senior School.

Now, as the new term begins without OLA, its long story has reached an abrupt halt.

Our Lady’s Abingdon (OLA), a private school near Abingdon town centre that has served the community for more than 160 years, has closed with immediate effect after governors said they had “exhausted every possible option to secure the school’s future.”

Students were warned at the end of term that the school might not be there after the holidays and that they might need to start looking elsewhere, but many still hoped it would survive. Two sixth formers I spoke to believed closure might come within the next three to five years — not so suddenly.

Both said they had enjoyed a wonderful education at OLA and, thanks to scholarships and bursaries, had been able to attend a school that would otherwise have been beyond their reach. They were expecting their A Level results in three days and expressed sympathy for fellow students and staff whose futures are now uncertain.

They estimated that around 20% of the sixth form came from Abingdon, with an even higher proportion in the lower years, meaning the closure will likely put additional pressure on local state schools.

In a statement, the governors said:

“It is with our deepest regret that we inform our parents, students, staff, and local community that the Governors have taken the heartbreaking decision to close the school with immediate effect… The spirit of this community, and the values it upholds, will endure long after our doors close.”

The statement said falling pupil numbers and rising costs linked to VAT on school fees, higher National Insurance contributions, the end of business rates relief for independent schools, and general inflation as key factors in the decision.

Have you joined the Summer Reading Challenge yet? There’s still time! It’s free to join the library, get your Story Garden booklet, and take part.

From now until 6 September, students aged 4 to 11 can take part in this year’s challenge, called Story Garden. All you need to do is read six library books — any kind you like: stories, facts, picture books, joke books, audiobooks or e‑books. Every book gets you a sticker for your booklet, and when you finish, you’ll earn a medal, a certificate, and a chance to win a prize!

Why does an elephant use her trunk as a bookmark?
Because she nose where she stopped reading!

There’s also a Mini Challenge for under-4s, with their own sticker folder.

At Abingdon Library, older readers aged 11 and up — including local secondary school students, town councillors, and other volunteers — are helping at the desk, handing out booklets and stickers and cheering readers on.

The Summer Reading Challenge runs in libraries all over the UK. Last year, nearly 600,000 children took part.

And if you’re over 11, you can still join the library and read books for your own enjoyment — you won’t need stickers.

Builders are adding a new part to The Unicorn School in the old Premier Inn on Marcham Road in Abingdon. The Unicorn School helps students who learn differently, like those with dyslexia.

There is scaffolding outside the old hotel and builders are working inside, changing the hotel rooms into classrooms. They are putting in strong supports made of wood and steel, and adding a lift.

The Unicorn School, across the road, is already full and has 120 students. Lots of other students want to go to the school. Every year, 350 families ask for a place, but there are only 20 places.

The school bought the old Premier Inn and restaurant after the hotel moved to a new building near Tesco in Abingdon.

The building work will happen in two stages:

Stage 1 (Premier Inn changes – £2.4 million): This will add new classrooms for 120 more students. These classrooms will be ready for students to use in September 2025.

Stage 2 (Ock Mill changes – £2 million): This will add places for students over 16 to learn job skills. These places will be ready in 2026 and will help another 100 students.

If you want to know more about the new building and how you can help? Go to the website: https://www.unicornoxford.co.uk/support-us/ockmill/