London to Oxford. Witney/Banbury?

[TakingTheStairs]

DH has been offered a fantastic job in Enstone and we're looking at moving within a 20-30 minute commute to there.
We'd like a four bed house with a garden for around 550k but apart from the house, I'll more than likely be a SAHM so I'd like somewhere that has activities and facilities for DS aged 1 and a potential newborn too. Playgrounds, soft play that sort of thing.
Oh and decent schools too (state or independent). I don't have much to ask do I?

Banbury and Witney both look good online but I was hoping some wise MNetters might have some advice or suggestions.

Just came back on to say Woodstock is lovely! And saw someone had got their first. It's quite small, but lots of lovely shops, cafés and restaurants, and a good state secondary. And Blenheim Palace.
Looking at Oxford, I would look at either Headington (handy with the shops and restaurants etc, contains nice Old Headington, bit more affordable), or North Oxford which is lovely but £££.

Wantage?
Didcott?
Villages around there are lovely

Voice of experience, look at secondary schools and work backwards so you don't have to move again. I realise it's early days but even so. Oxfordshire performs surprisingly poorly relative to similar counties so worth choosing an area around that unless you'll definitely go private. So Woodstock, Eynsham, Witney and parts of Oxford itself have outstanding/well-regarded sec schools, for example. Other areas not so.

Really helpful thread. We're considering a move to Banbury or Woodstock. We get more for our money in Banbury but a better commute from Woodstock.

School information would be useful. It seems if we live in Banbury itself we get more house for our money but are looking at the Banbury Academy, which doesn't look great. The Warriner School if we go out of town a bit - is that decent? And we like the look of Malborough if we end up near Woodstock. Are those our state options?

Personally wouldn't touch the Banbury Academy with a barge pole - but am aware that this might be my historic prejudice -it may be great.
The Warriner is a lovely school -has the advantage of having the farm attached, so the kids can go over and plait the cows' hair at lunch times, etc. generally just a lovely environment.
And Marlborough in Woodstock is a great school, from all I hear. Seems a lovely environment too (my friend and I went to some adult ed classes there), and the reputation is good.
These are just my views as a local person, based on hearsay -I'm not sure how the schools look results-wise, and may be being unfair to Banbury.

I don't think Banbury Academy has changed much - it doesn't have a great reputation.

I am, however, prepared to be corrected.

Thanks, that's helpful. It's obvious that you pay a premium for the Warriner catchment but coming from London, I'm used to a mindset of hoping to be in any catchment at all, so I never know if it's just that at work outside the city!

I know someone who teaches at Marlborough who is great, and informally reckons there'd be space for our child if we moved, which is a big factor in our thinking. Any idea how easy year 8 places are in general to get hold of in the area?

Am of behalf of my dds for lost chance to plait cows at lunch time . Never knew it had a farm but also heard good things about Warriner. In the county, locals tend to think Banbury schools are "bad", no idea of substance to this.
A teacher wdnt know about places, call the council and the school admissions to check.

Oh, it was only informal. Just in a 'are you always rammed in year 8 or do spaces open up?' type way. It's too far off for anyone to have any idea at the moment I'd assume.

Don't discount the primary schools in Banbury - there are some great ones (like the one my son attends ).

I used to work at Enstone and lived in a village a few miles away. For an easy commute and somewhere with a bit of life, I would look at either Woodstock or Witney. I'd avoid Oxford and stick to West Oxfordshire, it's lovely.

Can I ask where you ended up living as I also been offered a fantastic job in Enstone