East Oxford's hillside village — the Shark House, Brookes University, and the John Radcliffe Hospital.
Headington sits on a hill east of the city centre and feels like a separate small town rather than a suburb. It has its own high street, its own character, and one of Oxford's most photographed landmarks — the Headington Shark.
The Shark — a 25-foot fibreglass shark embedded nose-first in the roof of 2 New High Street. Installed in 1986 by Bill Heine as a protest against nuclear weapons and Thatcher-era politics, it survived multiple attempts by the council to remove it and is now a listed landmark. You can't miss it.
Headington Quarry — the old quarrying village, now a quiet residential area with the Holy Trinity Church where C.S. Lewis is buried.
Oxford Brookes University — the city's modern university, whose campus dominates the Headington Hill area.
Suburban and independent. The high street has a mix of local shops, cafes, and restaurants, plus a large Sainsbury's. It has more of a self-contained village feel than most Oxford suburbs.
Frequent buses from the centre (the 8, 9, and Brookes buses). It's uphill from the centre — a 30-minute walk, or a sweaty cycle.
A highly oversubscribed state school on Marston Ferry Road — strong results within a comprehensive framework.
A large girls' school in Headington — boarding and day, from age 3 to 18.
Oxford's modern university — career-focused courses, strong in architecture, planning, and health sciences.
A small Catholic girls' school in Headington — nurturing and community-minded.
Just east of Oxford — a village comprehensive with a strong community identity.
A proper village pub in Headington Quarry — the kind of place C.S. Lewis would have walked to, because he did.
Headington's comprehensive — inclusive, improving, and proudly comprehensive.
Oxford's newest state school — purpose-built, oversubscribed, and still finding its identity.