Schools in Oxfordshire, Wallingford or nearby towns?

[londonkids]

I'm thinking of moving from London to Oxfordshire with DS, who's due to start primary school this september and DD a baby. I want to find out what areas are best for primary and secondary schools as I don't really want to have to move again for secondary schools. Looking to move next year so I'll be trying to get a place for DS in yr1. I've seen previous info on MN about St. Nicholas school in Wallingford - are there any other good schools or just that one cos I need an area with more than one good school as I'll be looking for a child leaving a school to get a place in Yr1. Does anyone know what the secondary schools are like in Wallingford? My children are baptised Catholic and we go to Church so I'd be open to an RC or CofE school too. Does anyone have info on Abingdon schools or any other areas in Oxfordshire nearer to London rather than further away. Thank you!

My friends rate all the Abingdon secondaries highly, and they aren't hard to get into. Mind you, that could change before your dc are secondary-aged. Haven't heard anything about primary schools there.

Thanks, my DH is now saying that Abingdon is just a bit too far away and wants to be in Oxfordshire but slightly nearer to London still.

There are only two infants/juniors in Wallingford - St Nicholas for infants, Fir Tree for juniors, and St Johns for infants/juniors. One secondary - Wallingford school.

Most of the surrounding larger villages have infants/junior, but there are few secondaries within range - the only people I knew who went elsewhere was to Didcot where there are single sex secondaries

I grew up in Wallingford, and my parents still live there (mum taught at St Nicholas for 30 years)

You'd have to not be in Oxfordshire to get any closer to London tbh !

Ok, get the tip on my geography! Are both St. Nicholas and Fir Tree good? Could you recommend any other nearby larger villages that have good primary schools? Can Wallingford School cater for all the kids, I'm guessing it does manage to cater for Wallingford and the surrounding villages, I don't mind lack of choice but if it wasn't very good I wouldn't want to be left with only private schools - I'm guessing you went to Wallingford secondary...? If most of the areas nearby have infant and junior schools maybe moving around the time my DS1 is 6yrs is a better time to move into a junior school - what do you think? Thanks

also wanted to say is St johns considered the same standard as St. Nicholas?

just looked st johns and fir tree and st nicholas up for sats results but they all boycotted it so your opinion would be greatly appreciated!

The following is based on gossip, rather than having read the reports etc (but even retired teachers keep connected). St Nicholas has traditionally done better than St Johns - I think their last ofsted was outstanding, but Fir Tree has had its problems. Not sure of the current state there.

Yes, I went to Wallingford - it was OK, and its had its ups and downs, again, not sure of the current state.

Unless you go into Abingdon or Oxford, you won't get much choice of secondary school, if any tbh. Thats the downside of living in a more rural area

Personally I would be looking at Reading grammar schools rather than Oxfordshire comps.

thanks very much - all very useful - I'm trying if possible to avoid the grammar thing as everyone seems to get caught up in so much coaching at primary and everything get extremely competitive - it seems harder to get into them than private schools, but I understand it may be unavoidable.

"Thanks, my DH is now saying that Abingdon is just a bit too far away and wants to be in Oxfordshire but slightly nearer to London still."

Is he going to be commuting into London from your new home? Does he want to get the train or drive? It's true that Abingdon is less handy than other nearby towns for either.

There is a train station in Cholsey or Didcot, so easy commute to London. St Nicks is a lovely school, but you need to remember that it is only an Infant school and it would be very hard for an Infant school not to be lovely! Fir Tree was turned around by the last Head and became an excellent school. There's a new Head there now and she is rated very highly. St Johns is still a good school as well - slightly better catchment area, but no playing field on site.
Cholsey, Crowmarsh and Brightwell all have primary schools - all good schools.
Reading Grammar schools - not really a feasible option from Wallingford, although there are 2 or 3 children that do it. Wallingford School has improved a great deal over the last few years under a new head. I know several people who teach there and they are all happy to send their children there.

Thanks, that's all very helpful - DH not commuting to London but west of London, will check out Cholsey, Crowmarsh and Brightwell too.

You mentioned Montessori primaries on another thread. There is one in Elsfield just east of Oxford. www.oxfordmontessori.co.uk/ It's quite near to the A40, so could be good for driving towards London. I think the school has just decided they don't fit the criteria to become a free school and will remain independent.

However, many people don't have a high opinion of any of the state secondary schools round there (East Oxford or Wheatley). Actually, come to think of it the Montessori do have a senior school also now, a very tiny one.

Saracen - that's very interesting - I'll look into that - thank you very much - I had no idea there were any Montessori senior schools, and with DH wanting to live in Oxfordshire that could tie both ideas together. Thank you

At the risk of hijacking this thread - what do people know about the schools in Didcot? I'm trying to find out about primary schools at the moment, but it might also be interesting for the OP since by far the easiest way to get into London is from Didcot on the train (about 40 mins to Paddington).

The thing is, with any school, a change of Head can make a huge difference in a relaatively short space of time. With your DC being so young, there's no saying which will be the best secondary schools by the time you need them. All sorts of changes could have happened.
I have been told by someone who should be "in the know" that
the whole of Oxfordshire underperforms in the state secondary section.
Depends what you want really. The best, or ok.
Most of the primaries are good I think.

Just re-read my message - Of course you want the 'best' for your children, I didn't mean it to be condescending, just that I'm not a fan of any of the secondaries round Oxfordshire! Hope I didn't offend.

Woodcote has an OFSTED outstanding secondary, Langtree. Also has a primary, rated good I think. Its about 5 miles from Wallingford, towards Reading.

Whitchurch on Thames has absolutely Outstanding (Ofstead) Primary and is in a firm catchment of the Outstanding Langtree secondary school. I know because my friend keeps bragging about it

Have you considered Henley?

Whitchurch on Thames - I'll check it out. Henley is lovely - would love to live there - but I think it's expensive - maybe out of our budget and a friend of a friend lives there and she seems to be doing loads of coaching for grammar and private schools so was wondering if there aren't too many non selective good secondary schools - although primary is the priority for now.

Come and live in Goring! It's lovely. Very good primary school, then in catchment for Langtree in Woodcote. And it has a station for London - much easier than Abingdon or Wallingford.

Whitchurch is very nice too - and 5 mins closer to London - but it's teeny tiny. There's nothing much apart from the school in Whitchurch itself. It's a short walk to Pangbourne, but it's rather an awkward walk with narrow pavements. Families I know who've lived in both find Goring has a friendly community than Pangbourne/Whitchurch.

However, either would be more expensive than Abingdon/Wallingford, mainly because of the stations.

attethersend - you wouldn't want to live in Didcot if you could afford not to. You'd want to live in one of the surrounding villages, most of which have good primary schools of their own.

The Didcot secondaries are supposed to be quite good - but single sex.

Second irregularegular on the fabulousness of Goring and Streatley - still miss living there after nearly 20 years!

Watlington Primary is excellent, really outstanding. M40 to London right there, also good bus and train options. Not sure about the secondary school in Watlington.