A prestigious independent school will admit girls for the first time in 700 years in a bid to 'be reflective of today's society'.

Abingdon School in Oxfordshire charges £49,800-a-year for its full borders and has only enrolled male pupils since it was founded in 1256.

But it will soon become a co-educational along with Abingdon Preparatory School in a change that was 'driven by the belief that the best preparation for young people is to educate them alongside one another'.

The school - whose former pupils include the members of Radiohead, the comedian David Mitchell and actor Tom Hollander - said it was 'delighted to announce that both its schools are to become co-educational'.

It becomes the latest school to move towards the co-educational model, a shift which has garnered popularity in Britain's private school sector amid rising costs.

Abingdon School (pictured) in Oxfordshire charges £49,800-a-year for full borders and has only enrolled male pupils since it was founded in 1256

Tom Hollander (left) and David Mitchell (right) are two of the school's former pupils 

The members of Radiohead also met at Abingdon School, which will soon become a co-educational along with Abingdon Preparatory School

In a statement, the school, which also charges £24,000-a-year for its day pupils, said: 'We want education to be reflective of today's society - one where equal opportunity for the sexes is promoted and in which both girls and boys should be able to be as ambitious as each other and be in control of their own future success.

Abingdon School: Elite institution dates back to 1256 with Radiohead's Thom Yorke among its alumni

Abingdon School, in Oxfordshire, is the twentieth oldest independent school in Britain.

It dates back to 1256, when the earliest surviving reference to the school was found, but some believe it may have been established prior to the 12th century by the Benedictine monks of Abingdon Abbey.

The school previously claimed it was founded by English mercer John Roysse in 1563.

This led to an unusual circumstance in which the school celebrated its 400th anniversary in 1963, then its 750th in 2006.

Abingdon currently has around 1,040 pupils aged 11–18, of whom 135 are boarders.

Notable alumni, or Old Abingdonians, include writer and art critic Anthony Fawcett, actor Tom Hollander and musicians Andy and Thom Yorke.

Comedian David Mitchell and Harry Potter voice actor Toby Jones also attended Abingdon.  

'We believe that the life skills of teamwork, emotional intelligence, mutual understanding and the ability to relate to others are better fostered in a co-educational environment and one which more closely mirrors the conditions of real life.

'Our values of intellectual curiosity; a balanced education; and outstanding pastoral support will remain the core of all that we do and we believe a stronger and better Abingdon will emerge as a result of this move.'

Abingdon Prep School will admits girls to its pre-prep from September, and to Years 3 to 6 from September 2025. The Senior School will admit girls to Year 7 and Sixth Form from September 2026.

Mike Windsor, the head of Abingdon School, said the school had been considering the decision for around a decade as 'we recognise the traditions of the school'.

He told the Telegraph: 'The school has always been prepared to change as society has changed and I think we need to recognise that society today is one where women and men study and work side by side and ultimately we feel that our key task is to prepare students for that,' he said.

'We talk a lot about making our school available to as many people from different backgrounds as possible and we thought, well, at the moment we're only able to offer our education to 50 per cent of the population.'

A number of independent schools have recently moved towards a co-educational model to help tackle the growing number of wealthy parents who are set to quit paying for private schools, due to being unable to stomach the already-increasing cost of fees.

According to a report by the ISC published last week, the number of children enrolling at private schools has also fallen by the largest proportion in more than a decade.

Many of these independent schools are also potentially facing a further financial headache if Labour win the next election, as Sir Keir Starmer's party plans to add 20 per cent VAT onto fees. 

The school (pictured) becomes the latest school to move towards the co-educational model, a shift which has garnered popularity in Britain's private school sector amid rising costs

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The move has led many head teachers to fear that smaller private schools will shut as families become unable to afford the higher fees, sparking an influx to state schools.

Earlier this year, the £18,000-a-year Bickley Park prep school in Bromley announced it was shifting from an all boys school to a co-educational 'in line with current market demands', while the Westminster School revealed that it planned to become fully co-educational by 2030 - having been a boys' school for centuries apart from its sixth form.

Furthermore, fewer than 100 fee-charging boys' schools are now registered with the Independent Schools Council (ISC) in Britain, half that of 30 years ago.

However, leading private schools such as Eton, Harrow, the City of London School, the City of London School for Girls, Wycombe Abbey, King's College School and King Edward VI High School for Girls. have held firm on their single-sex status.

Prof Mike Stevens, Abingdon School's chair of governors, said: 'I am very excited by what this development will mean for the Abingdonians of the future.

'The Abingdon I have known has always been open to the opportunities that change can bring and our decision has been driven by what we think is best for education today.'