MCS OXFORD

[abitrag568u]

Hi all,
We’re starting to seriously consider secondary schools for our DS, who is currently in Year 6, and I’d really appreciate any thoughts on Magdalen College School (MCS) Oxford.
DS is extremely sporty – football and cricket are his main passions, and he plays at a strong level for both. He’s the kind of child who is always outside kicking a ball or organising a game. He definitely thrives in busy, active environments with a strong team spirit.
Academically, he’s bright and curious, and does well at his prep (currently in the top sets), but I wouldn’t call him a classic high-flyer or especially "academic" in the MCS sense – probably upper end of average compared to his peers. He enjoys school and works hard, but isn’t the sort to be reading philosophy for fun or winning national maths competitions!
We love the look of MCS – the facilities are amazing, the sport looks strong (though I know it's not Wellington levels!), and we like the Oxford location. But we're a bit unsure how well a boy like DS would fit in academically, and whether he'd be supported and stretched appropriately without being overwhelmed.
Would love to hear from anyone with DCs there or who knows the school well – is it a good fit for someone more well-rounded and sporty than super-academic? Or is it more tailored to the very academically driven?
Thanks so much in advance.

My daughter went to MCS for sixth form and loved it. She's highly academic in maths/science and enjoyed the very intellectual and challenging environment. I'd describe it as quite geeky, quite pressured to achieve top grades (which is what she wanted, and they delivered) and there are a lot of exceptionally high-achieving academic kids there. It's also not boarding, and the traffic in Oxford is a nightmare. My son goes to Shiplake College, Henley, as a weekly boarder, which is boarding and extremely sporty, less strongly academic, but fantastic grounds on the river, also great food! (My daughter was less keen on the food at MCS). Both excellent schools in very different ways!

Academically it sounds like your son would be a good fit for MCS.

I would urge some caution on the sports front though. MCS have a bit of reputation with the other Oxford area schools they play against for cancelling fixtures at the last minute, especially those involving their lower (B and C) teams. Their A team standard is good but it seems they struggle to get enough players willing to come in on a Saturday to play. I guess the fact the school is a day school with no Saturday morning school and a wide catchment area (i.e. longer distances for players to travel) does not help. Also as @keverne said, the average MCS pupil is quite geeky so sport may not be their priority.