move to oxford - need primary school recommendations (sp?)

[Bexybear]

Its just been confirmed that DPs job is moving to Oxford uni in October.... and i've just discovered that the deadline for primary school applications in Oxford is November - DS turned three in August - which gives us not very much time to decide where to live, find a school, move house, and put in the application. We currently live in london so i'm unshockable in terms of rental/house prices but still, we're not loaded.

Feeling slightly overwhelmed by the task ahead...Any advice on areas/schools to think about/avoid would be really really helpful...

Cheers

If you can help it avoid the estates at Barton and Blackbird Leys, also Osney Island and New Hinksey (the latter two not because they're not nice - they are - but because they're the bits that flood). Sandhills and Green Ridges look good on paper but are a loong way out of town.

Summertown and Jericho are the chicest areas, and the most sought-after state primaries are Wolvercote, Cumnor and St Philips' & St James' ('Phil & Jims').

Not sure re the school in Headington but it's certainly a v nice place to live.

Good thread here also.

Thanks Mrs Badger

Useful info and useful thread..

several people who hardly know Oxford recommended we avoid blackbird Leys!

Summertown, Jericho and Wolvercote all look very nice but they never come up when i do my frantic Rightmove searches based on our price range for buying or renting. I think that probably rules out all the good schools on your list...

The places that do come up are east oxford, Cowley, Iffley road, Headington and Botley. Really hard to tell what these are like.. ive just started reading ofstead reports for schools in those areas but its quite depressing...Not that i had very high expectations for DS's primary education...we currently live in Hackney!

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oh, of those I love Headington - real town-within-a-town - useful shops, pubs, restaurants etc without having to schlep into Oxford itself. Might be a bit of a rubbish journey for DH though, depends where he's working - horrid cycle back up the hill in the evenings.
Iffley Road is nice too, similarly has useful shops etc.

Strangely enough we moved from Hackney to Headington too, but property prices meant we have since gone S into the Oxford commuter belt...

oh, but make sure it is central Headington, not Northway or New Marston (significantly more remote and less nice).
Good way to do it is use the postcode of the Chancellors estate agents' in Headington and keep the Rightmove search within half a mile (or max a mile) of that.

Cumnor is a village just up the hill from Botley so, if you moved to botley you might get a place there! I think its probably in the catchment area for North Hinsky school though have allways though it looked nice I work close by. best thing to do is look at Ofsted reports etc. Do you particularly have to be in Oxford itself there are lots of fairly good schools in surrounding towns and villages as you probably know by now central oxford is quite pricey.

Finally if finding the right school is the deciding factor for you then pick a couple in your affordable areas and arrange a visit most schools are happy to oblige even if they don't have any places - failing that turn up at going home time and see if the kids coming out and the parents look like your kind of people.

Just to put another spanner in the works we chose our current location and primary school based on the secondary school dc's will eventually go to at primary school a lot comes from what you put in at home.

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Thanks all... im working my way through those ofsted reports...currently considering New hinksey, st swithans in kennington, East Oxford primary and st mary and st john. maybe Cumnor... its a bit far out and i'm still kidding myself that i will be able to communte to my job in central london

Mrs Badger i'd ruled Headington out as being too far to cycle from the uni but there are lots more rental properties there than other areas so reconsidering.. Its looks really big, which roads are in the good bit? where were you in hackney? do you miss it?

Jellybrain, agree re all your hints.. will definatley be visiting the schools and secondary is much more important than primary but im slightly in denial that we will still be in Oxford when DS gets to secondary age...Think we will be the only parents ever to move back to Hackney for our childrens education!