Hello,
We are returning to Oxford from abroad with two boys aged 9 and 5.
We are renting a place in North Oxford, Cutteslowe is the catchment primary but we could go on the waiting list for Wolvercote.
I'm very confused as work have offered to fund school fees for 3 years max. By this time, my oldest would be at secondary.
If we did accept the support for fees, we'd miss out on a place at Cherwell which is why we chose the area and the crazy high rent!
Also am concerned about travelling across Oxford for school and not meeting local parents. The private schools we would consider would be Chandlings and d'Overbroecks.
We could afford to keep them at private school once the employer support ran out, but it would be a stretch and at the expense of a bigger house, decent holidays, university savings etc.
I'd be very interested to hear from people with kids at Cutteslowe, Cherwell, Chandlings and d'Overbroecks about your experiences. Just trying to balance settling in locally and long-term finance concerns with the benefits of going private.
Thanks for your help!