Oxfordshire independent schools

[BrandyM]

Hi all, I'm after some advice please! I'm looking for a good school for my DD in and around the Oxfordshire area. I have started doing some research but not getting anywhere as most of the schools that meet our criteria seem to be boys only until at least sixth form (e.g. Abingdon and Magdalen College School).

Our DD is still very young (just under 2) but looking to make some decisions early regarding a high achieving “through” school or a good pre-prep/prep school that feeds into high achieving senior schools.

We are not massively high earners but willing to make some significant sacrifices to afford up to £20k a year towards her education. Since it’ll be a struggle to stretch that much, we want to make sure we get her into the right pre-prep / prep from the get-go. We have already ruled out Cokethorpe as it’s not an academic hothouse and although she’s very young and we won’t know if she’ll be academic vs sporty etc we want to go ahead with one that feeds into an academic hothouse and if she’s not a high achiever, then at least the transition to a slightly less academic school will be easier than the other way around?

I’ve already gone to an open day at cokethrope and ruled it out so now I’m unsure which schools to book an open day with as I’m struggling to actually find one that is Co-ed or girls only but is also academically high achieving?

Any advice massively appreciated.

Doesn’t exist. The “go to” high achieving girls schools are St Helen and St Katherine (but only from y4), Oxford High and Headington. Boys are MCS and Abingdon.

Most academic of the all-through co Ed in your price range is probably Cranford House, but its not on the same league as the above.

To be honest though, your child will almost certainly want a change at some point, so you’re much better with a good co Ed prep and trusting them to get your child into the right senior. For which the Manor or Chandlings are obvious choices.

Having just been through this, and not being a super high earner either, can I make a suggestion. In Oxfordshire (unlike London) many children get into the top secondary, independent schools, from state primaries. Many! If they are bright enough for the turbo charged academic schools (partic MCS and Oxford High - though the girls schools are very similar in an “achieving” sense) then a little bit of coaching will do the job. You also dont want to “force” them through into these highly competitive environments if they need coaching all through however. They will be miserable.

My child did very well at a good inde school here - but the sacrifices we made going though (there is a social sacrifice too which isn’t very obvious ) were probably not worth it with hindsight. My friend’s kids who went to state schools, did not do quite do well at GCSE and A Levels, but were bright and most still got into Oxbridge and top Russell Group, as they are given contextualised offers (a lot of us don’t know about this until they apply for uni in lower Sixth) They are also very rounded, confident young people. Added to the current political drive from both sides to increase state school entries into the top Uni’s and it gets harder for inde kids every year (sort of fair enough imho)

This is just a post offering what I didn’t know/think about when we gave up holidays/days out/luxuries for 14 years. You may still feel it’s worth it, but the goal posts have shifted significantly in the last five years. Hope that gives you food for thought. Good luck.

P.S My child is happy he went to the schools he did so I don’t write this from the perspective of “failure”!

First time I'm reading someone wanting their child to go to an 'academic hothouse'. What on earth for? surely they can do just as well if not better at a school that gets the balance just right.

I think there's 3 ways you can do this. You could start your DD in an all through school like Oxford High or Headington at their nursery/reception year. Headington is all through but I am under the impression that Oxford High makes their prep students apply to their senior school. There's also Carrdus which feeds straight into Tudor Hall and they're not too bad (but pricey). Or you could try going to a small prep and then applying to senior schools. St. John's Priory School in Banbury is quite good and not very expensive. Some kids have gone on to Headington and MCS, although many go to Bloxham and Warwick. I think it packs a pretty good punch considering it's size and price. You could ask around at your local preps and find out where their students went for secondary. Or your third option would be to start off at a local primary school and move them at some point (often it's around Yr3 or 4) to a prep school. The biggest downside to this (in my book) is that your DD will move schools and if they're settled and have friends then it's not nice for them. But I think that's the cheapest way, and it'll give you some time to build a little savings because it does all add up.

We have family friends who are loyally generation-after-generation pupils at St Edwards school which is co-ed and 13-18 - fees somewhat above your stated budget but preps usually lower so would average out over the years. I know that those in my generation loved it there (I tried to get a place there to join them but would have only been possible with a scholarship, which I didn't get) and now their own kids are loving it there too.

I know less about how enthusiastically they would recommend it, but for a prep would suggest you look at St Hugh's.

The main feeder for St Helen and St Katherine's used to be The Manor in Abingdon. They used to send 3/4 of the class to St H&St K before they went co-ed. It seems a lovely school with a long history of preparing girls for selective senior schools. Otherwise, Oxford High has a junior school. But 2 is very young to plan that far ahead. Being highly selective does not necessarily mean it is a very good school and that girls at that school would do better than at any other school.

So you want an academic prep that could feed into big possibly hothouse senior schools:
St Hugh's Prep
The Manor Prep (not sure if this is still regarded as academic now)
OHS Prep
Don't forget that St Helens Senior starts at Y5 though. So you could do primary plus tutoring, then St Helen's for y5.

Stay far away from OHS our DD is now in Yr11 at Cherwell (local state school) and loves it! I would do anything to go back to reception and stick with state school! Our experience with private schools has been awful, throughout primary school we were told she was not good enough and that she would not go far In life, instead of making her into an academic, thriving and independent girl she felt anxious and very self conscious. Even she has told us that she wished she had gone to state school! The quality of education is not worse, you are just surrounded by a broader range of individuals and saving a lot of money. I have also heard of similar experiences with Headington.
my advice is stick with state school until year 6 then you can see if private school will suit you daughter and her particular strengths, although I have heard that Rye St Antony is a very nurturing independent primary and secondary school!! So I think it’s worth looking there