St Edward, Cokethorpe or other Oxford Schools

[Dinkydoos]

Hi there

I am helping a friend relocate to oxford with her children. They are hopefully going to The Dragon but my friend is unsure where they would go after. The eldest girl would much prefer a co Ed school but they mostly seem to be Boarding options like St Edwards. Her daughter wouldn’t mind Boarding a couple of nights a week but not really beyond that! Is there a big divide there does anyone know between Day pupils and boarders?
Cokethorpe is an option as can offer flex boarding but some of what we have heard isn’t that positive although it does seem like a nice school. Anyone got any recent experience they can share?
Any advice on other options would be great!

Abingdon often crops up on MN. Depends where in Oxford they will live as to how accessible it might be.

It would depend on how academic they are. Cokethorpe isn't selective but St Edwards is.

Cokethorpe and St Edwards are very, very different. How academic is their daughter?

Thanks for responses!
She’s probably mid table in Academic terms tbh
Pastoral prob more important. Don’t want a ‘hot house’ environment really.
Isn’t Abingdon a boys school?

Cokethorpe would be the better of the two then. Is D’overbroeks smaller than they’re after?

Our Lady's in Abingdon is a mixed private school. DD has a few friends there and they seem happy.

I’m Not sure we have heard of that one namechange. How is it?
Is Cokethorpe well regarded as seen positive and negative posts on here but they are all fairly old and schools change fairly quickly!

I thought Our Lady's Abingdon was also selective?

Sorry if this a crazy question, but how ‘selective’ is St Edwards for eg? She would stay at Dragon prob till 13 ( or is that an issue?) then go. Do only a small percentage get in?
Only slight issue with OLA is they did want to try and avoid a very Catholic school, do not sure how religious it is?

Cokethorp is lovely

I say about D’o because I know quite a number of kids who have moved there from
Colethorpe recently. It’s small but very good academically from what people say and the children who I know who have moved are loving it.

Cokethorpe is a beautiful setting. I think some year groups recently have been tricky, particularly the girls but I don’t know if any schools can avoid that entirely. think the consensus on here is that it’s not the place for very bright kids necessarily. Their facilities are great though.

Cokethorpe is fabulous. My son loved it, so did I, pastoral care is second to none.

D’overbroek looks interesting actually, will look further. Anyone have children there?
Also Anyone know much about St Edwards and whether Day pupils are very much a minority?

Whirlygig There is an entrance exam but everyone from DD's primary who sat it got in. They certainly weren't all "top table" kids. There are two very selective indies in Abingdon so if the school became too fussy I can't see how it would have a market.

I don't think the school is excessively religious - again, I don't think it would have a market if it was.

I wouldn't choose it myself - DD is at a fabulous state school and I can't see what the kids get there that my DD isn't getting at her school- but DD's friends who go there are all nice and seem happy.

Ah thanks HPFA I didn't know it wasn't as strict in selection. My dd was in a fabulous state school too, probably the same as yours.

I know St Helens & St Kats is stricter on entrance exams so I probably assumed.

My DD is at St Edwards. It's approx 85% boarders and 15% day. If you're day, especially as you get into the upper years you'll be doing long days as prep is until 9pm. However, you have a room allocated where you can rest, study and keep some personal things. My DD says you hardly notice the difference between day and boarders.

DD is there on a music scholarship so entry requirements may be different, but if you want to know what her minimum entry requirements were/what grades she achieved, please PM me. There are some very bright kids there, but like every school, they have different abilities.

St Edwards are very approachable, and down to earth. Moving out of our area and from state school, it took DD a while to settle in, but she loves it there now, in fact, she didn't want to come home for the holidays.

Don't be afraid of phoning/emailing with any queries. My DD attended an open day and she also visited again as we don't live locally.

Our Lady’s got a new Head in about 2012 & the school has become more Catholic since then. I know some atheists who took their kids out for 6th Form. Catholic friends are v happy with it though. Easy bus travel to/from Abingdon from Oxford.
D’Overbroeks is really worth a look. Happy, academically good, selective but not the hardest tier of Oxford school to get into.
Cokethorpe is quite a way out of Oxford so travel needs more consideration and is less academic that D’Overbroeks.

Cokethorpe has a good bus service.

These are all very helpful thanks!
Sounds like all have differing strengths to consider.
State schools are definitely worth looking at I think, but they seem already overwhelmed with it all already!

It is a bit overwhelming. But Oxford is the best place to live- they won’t regret it!

Whirlygig Could well be. If you had a DS would they have been able to go to that school?

I think OLA have marketed sensibly - it seems like they sell themselves as a "posh comp with no rough kids". A perfectly pleasant place for your kids to spend their school years and get their exams but I just don't really see the point when there are good state schools available.

DD does a sport mainly done by private school kids so has a lot of friends that go to OLA, St Helens and ABS but she never seems envious of them, which is reassuring.

Dinkydoos if your friend's DCs go to the Dragon they will be given very experienced advice on the best fit senior school for the individual DC. It is unusual for pupils to move before year 9.
Although St Edwards is a boarding school quite a few of the local Dragon pupils go there and seem very happy as day pupils if they enjoy the full week timetable that is part of the boarding school package. . The pretest is in Novemberof year 7.
Headington is a girls' school but is another popular choice for those living in Oxford itself and wanting a school for their DDs which provides lots of extracurricular activities and takes a wider range of academic abilities than OHS.

Personally I would never send my children to Cokethorpe. Has a reputation locally as somewhere people with more money than sense send their not very bright children. For the same money there are much better options locally.

@chadlingtonchadders when you say better schools locally than cokethorpe what schools are you thinking of in comparison?