Moving to Oxford from Australia

[JudithOx]

Hello, I am considering moving to Oxford for postgraduate study with a 14 year old boy. I'd appreciate some advice as to where to live in Oxford with a teenage boy, which schools you would recommend for him, and any advice you may have for my son to have the best transition. I've studied at Oxford University before, but travelling back and forth, and now, as a mum, I'm very worried about the impact of the move on my son. He is very sporty, a soccer lover but also first in his Sydney class academically. Any help is very much appreciated!

14 isn’t a great age to move at, so firstly I’d consider whether you could wait a few years. If you do decide to then The Cherwell School is the school to aim for and you can Google the catchment area for it. Houses within the catchment area are more expensive to rent/buy. Personally, I’d live outside of Oxford where prices are cheaper and send him to Bartholomew School in Eynsham. The commute into Oxford isn’t great but presumably you wouldn’t be travelling in every day?

Thank you so much for your answer. Yes, I know that moving with a 14 year old is not ideal -- it would be for one school year only, then back to Australia for him to finish high school here, unless he loves it over there and agrees to stay. (I could finish my degree in part- time mode, travelling back and forth, which I would definitely do if he is certain he wants to move back to Sydney after a year). It's more of a trial run, as I adore England and would love to settle over there - but my son' s happiness is paramount. I will research your suggestions, thanks again!

A different school to consider is Europa School in Culham. It's a state school with a focus on European Language. The advantage would be that the students have very diverse backgrounds and are used to kids coming and going, so easy to integrate for a short period. But language is important and humanities are taught in a second language. They study the IB, so it would be the IB middle years curriculum. There is an admission node in Oxford with school buses, otherwise a local catchment area and one other node (can't remember where) but worth a phone call to the school to check if in year spaces.

I know the area well. I would choose somewhere like Thame to live, it's got a good school and you can catch the bus straight into Oxford. Oxford is a big no no for car drivers.

How are you finding this? Where will you be living?

I meant FUNDING!

Seconding the idea of Eynsham or Thame and commuting into the city. House prices really are horrendous in North Oxford now, in The Cherwell School catchment area.
Best of luck

Eynsham is a great place to live and house prices seem to be going down a lot at the moment. Rental might be harder, but still... Excellent everyday shops, loads of buses into Oxford (and Witney). Really nice to be walking distance to countryside while having easy access to the city facilities and the Cotswolds. Highly recommended.

Europa School sounds like a great option. My son is bilingual from birth (Spanish- English) and quite fluent in French. I will certainly do some research on it, thank you so much!

It's a great option, thanks! I will do some research on Eynsham.

Great, Eynsham and Thames both look lovely. Thank you so much!

Self-funded. We've got a two-storey house in Sydney that we will rent out (Sydney prices are very steep at the moment) and my husband and I will be able to work in UK as well. As for my postgraduate studies, I've been saving for years and have a small scholarship as well.

If you’re visiting Eynsham, look at Witney too. It’s a lovely market town just another 10 minutes up the road. My sister lives there and we love visiting. My sister’s children take the bus from Witney to Bartholomew School in Eynsham.

I certainly will drive around these lovely towns near Oxford in my next visit, before we move in next year! Thank you x

One thing about Witney is that it's outside the 6-mile radius where students have to live while keeping terms; Eynsham is within it. I'm not sure, though, what the rules are for post-grads but it's an important point to check.

Won’t your college provide housing? Mine did when I was a postgraduate at Oxford. Spartan, but adequate flat near the railway station.

I'm sure you already have this in hand, but make sure you are aware of the tax rules re working in the UK (for your husband)

Very useful information, thank you! We will definitely rent in the catchment are of the school my son gets into.

Not sure about this... I've been in college accommodation before at the university, but I was on my own then....

No, I haven't looked at that yet. Taxes are incredibly high in Australia anyway, so we are used to it :)

Just one thought. Check with your college that you are allowed to live outside Oxford. There used to be a regulation about having to live only a certain distance from the city center.

Oh, that's great to know. Thank you! So many things to learn, much appreciated.