Oxford News
UK private school announces expansion in “significant moment”
St Helen and St Katharine school, the girls’ day school in Faringdon Road, has announced it is investing in a newly expanded junior department, which is to be known as St Helen and St Katharine Prep.
From September 2027, the school will extend its junior provision to include Years 3 and 4, enabling girls to begin their time in classes from the age of seven.
READ MORE: Abingdon girls’ school ranked highly for sports
To reflect this expanded provision, the junior department will become St Helen and St Katharine Prep, encompassing Years 3 to 6.
This “significant moment” for the school has been carefully considered by governors and senior leaders.
Headteacher Sarah Rollings said: “For more than 30 years, our junior department has provided an exceptional start to a St Helen and St Katharine education for girls in Years 5 and 6.
“From the outset, they will benefit from the rich and distinctive St Helen’s experience, combining academic ambition, outstanding pastoral care, exceptional opportunities beyond the classroom, and a strong sense of belonging that inspires girls to thrive.”
From September 2027, students in SHSK Prep will be educated in a dedicated new home, created through the redevelopment of the former Sixth Form Centre, next to the playground.
Designed specifically for Key Stage 2 students, it will provide an environment tailored to their needs while keeping them closely connected to the wider life of the school.
Students from Years 3 to 6 will benefit from the expertise of primary-trained staff, while also accessing additional specialist teaching in areas such as sport, music and art.
Chair of governors Sara Benbow said: “Throughout its history, St Helen and St Katharine has evolved to meet the needs of successive generations of young women while remaining true to its founding purpose.
“At a time when girls’ education remains as important as ever, the creation of St Helen and St Katharine Prep represents the next step in that journey, reinforcing and extending the reach of our mission.”
The school said in a statement it is “excited about what lies ahead”, and looks forward to enabling even more girls and young women to benefit from the education, opportunities and values that have defined St Helen and St Katharine for more than a century.
At the end of last year, the school was ranked just outside the top 50 nationally as well as the ‘top school in Abingdon’ in The Times Parent Power 2026 guide, which assesses schools nationwide based on academic performance.
Last year, School Sport Magazine highlighted St Helen’s sports teams and sporting achievements, placing it 20th overall in the country.
The UK’s Met Office has revealed the storm names for 2026/27, selected from more than 40,000 public suggestions.
The scheme is run in partnership with Met Eireann in Ireland and KNMI in the Netherlands, and the list starts each year in September to reflect the beginning of the autumn storm season.
This storm season includes names such as Austen, Boelo and Chloe and each has a story behind its nomination.
Staying safe during a thunderstorm
Names were submitted in honour of children, pets and even characters like Shaun the Sheep, as well as in memory of loved ones and meteorological trailblazers.
Under naming conventions used for storms in the North Atlantic, the list runs alphabetically, missing out Q, U, X, Y and Z.
Chloe, the third name on the list this year, was nominated more than 120 times.
One suggestion came from the mother of a five-year-old described as being “fascinated by the weather” who can also “create a storm by herself” when tired.
Other names have similarly personal backstories.
Finn was put forward for a two-year-old described as “wild and a force to be reckoned with”, while Ivy was nominated in honour of a nine-month-old Labrador puppy affectionately called “the absolute destructor”.
Nicola was suggested as a tribute to a mother who has “weathered many a storm and only come out stronger”.
Some names reflect a wider cultural reach.
Shaun, selected following a public vote, was included as part of a collaboration with Aardman, the studio behind Wallace and Gromit, to help raise awareness of storm preparedness.
Scattered showers moving eastwards this afternoon, some heavy and perhaps thundery ☔
Turning drier and fresher in the west, with sunny spells ⛅
Cloud and rain returning to the northwest later 🌧️ pic.twitter.com/0s2Je7rraP
— Met Office (@metoffice) August 31, 2026
The list also honours figures in meteorological history.
Met Eireann chose Austen in tribute to Austen Nagle, the first director of the Irish Meteorological Service as it marks its 90th anniversary.
Evelyn was selected in honour of Evelyn Murphy, the first woman to present weather forecasts on Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTE.
Why are storms named?
The scheme began in 2015 and aims to improve public awareness and response in the face of severe weather.
Last year, four names were used from the list, reaching Storm Dave in April.
The UK was also affected by three additional storms named by other European meteorological services: Benjamin, Claudia and Goretti.
The Met Office said names are reviewed for pronunciation, potential meanings across different languages, connections to public figures and any risk of controversy.
When is a storm named?
A storm is named when it’s expected to cause medium or high impacts in the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands.
Wind is the primary consideration, but significant effects from rain or snow are also taken into account.
Met Office confirms storm names for 2026/27
This year’s names, and the country they came from, are:
- Austen (Ireland)
- Boelo (pronounced Boo-loh) (Netherlands)
- Chloe (UK)
- Dano (pronounced Dah-noh) (Netherlands)
- Evelyn (Ireland)
- Finn (UK)
- Gwendolyn (Netherlands)
- Heather (Ireland)
- Ivy (UK)
- Jade (Netherlands)
- Kilian (Ireland)
- Laoise (pronounced Lee-sha) (Ireland)
- Miriam (Ireland)
- Nicola (UK)
- Olaf (Netherlands)
- Phelim (Fay-lim) (Ireland)
- Ruban (UK)
- Shaun (UK)
- Theo (UK)
- Vesna (Vehs-nuh) (Netherlands)
- Wende (Vhen-duh) (Netherlands)
Holly Clements, Met Office head of warnings and guidance, said: “For more than a decade, storm naming has helped us communicate the risks from severe weather more effectively.
“A named storm provides a clear focus for forecasts and warnings, helping more people understand the potential impacts and take action to protect themselves, their families and their property.”
Recommended reading:
Eoin Sherlock, Met Eireann head of forecasting division, said: “We know that naming storms makes it easier for people to track important and up-to-date forecast and safety-related information as we can see from the levels of traffic and activity through our website and across social media platforms during storm events.
“2026 marks the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Irish Meteorological Service and we are proud to be able to recognise some of the significant contributors to our history in the list of storm names this year.”
Which names would you add to the list of storm names? Let us know in the comments below.
Charlie Matthews appeared at Oxford Crown Court on August 27.
The 25-year-old is charged with two counts of rape.
The allegations are said to have taken place in Oxford in April and October 2021.
READ MORE: Oxfordshire data centres call to ‘pause’ expansion
The complainant for both counts is the same woman.
Matthews, of Langney Road, Eastbourne, pleaded not guilty to both counts.
A trial date, with a time estimate of four to five days, was set for August 21, 2028.
Judge Ian Pringle KC said that this is some seven years after the offences are alleged to have taken place.
The judge said: “Unfortunately, that’s the situation.”
Matthews was released on bail, with the condition not to contact the complainant.
Islandfarm Viscount is a 13-year-old gelding from Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell near Wallingford.
He took the top title at the 2026 Donkey Breed Society National Championship Show, held on August 22 at Pickering Grange Equestrian Centre in Coalville.
He is the offspring of East Lodge Bryony, a donkey left to the sanctuary by the late Alex and Sue Horn.
Mr Horn was a respected figure in donkey showing and won numerous awards during his lifetime.
Viscount has built an impressive record of his own, with championship wins at the Mid Somerset Show and the New Forest and Hampshire Show.
He was named Reserve Champion at the Ellingham and Ringwood Show, placing just behind stablemate Perehill Magical Moments.
Both donkeys qualified for the national finals, where Viscount claimed the Senior Gelding Class and went on to be named British Champion Gelding for the fifth year in a row.
He then competed against other class winners and took home the Supreme Champion title and trophy.
Perehill Magical Moments earned her place at the finals after wins at the Heckinton Show and Ellingham and Ringwood.
At the national event, she won the Senior Mare class and was named Reserve Mare Champion.
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