Cheney/Cherwell Schools Oxford - thoughts?

[Cabbage4eva]

I have two boys coming up in age for secondary school. We are in East Oxford and in catchment for Cheney School. Boys are very academic and I'm wondering whether we should look into moving into the Cherwell School catchment area. We absolutely love our community in East Oxford and I would hate to uproot the younger one from his primary school where he is very happy. But thinking long term maybe it is worth it? I can't get a clear read on Cheney from friends as their children are very different to mine. Now asking the internet!

@Cabbage4eva I don’t know the schools but I can read the government data. The two are not hugely different. Cheney have some good outcomes and clearly bright dc are there! I would probably base this on ethos. I don’t think it’s the strict school! It’s also not worth dc leaving their schools to go elsewhere but obviously you could move and commute dc to primary school. It does get a positive progress 8 for high achievers but exams taken seems to be lower. I’d dig into how the curriculum is organised. Would it suit dc’s strengths?

Great analysis, @TizerorFizz. I thought that Cherwell was markedly better than Cheney due to the richer catchment area, but your analysis is making me question that assumption. If it's not a large difference then I would favour staying put as we are all happy here.

@Cabbage4eva Yes. Cherwell is “better” but not overwhelmingly so. Do have a look at the compare site on the government web site. Cherwell is better progress 8 and dc are well above average. Cheney is above average. Yes, overs dc don’t achieve as highly but that doesn’t mean brighter dc are not well catered for. Cheney doesn’t do as well for its disadvantaged or low achievers and results for middle achievers could be better but for high achievers it’s good. Progress 8 for them is better than Lord Williams in Thame.

Obviously keep an eye on government data, but I’m not sure I would go through a lot of upheaval to get Cherwell if your dc is a high achiever.

Have you considered trying to get support to go private?

https://www.mcsoxford.org/admissions/scholarships/

@WhiskerPatrol Vat has reduced bursaries. MCS will have dc tutored to within an inch of their lives and no one living in Oxford would not be aware of MCS. It’s a risky option.

I didn't say it should be the only option! But might be worth a try.

@WhiskerPatrol“ A go” would probably depend on extensive tutoring and loss of time for hobbies and other activities. It’s a massive commitment. That’s inevitable. No one gets shed loads of money off fees by just applying for it and casually having a go. MCS will expect beyond NC. Competition would be fierce because bursaries are now reserved for very very bright dc.

I have DC at Cheney. Would rather not out myself too much but I know a lot about both schools. PM me for more info!

I do know how it works thanks @TizerorFizz, but OP says her boys are very academic and if there's time to prep, they shouldn't rule this out. MCS obviously very competitive but there are other options too.

My children are not yet secondary age, but oldest is now Y5 so we are thinking about it, and we know people with children at both schools.

I know people who have moved to get into the Cherwell catchment, but if you take that route, bear in mind that you must be close enough to the school to be sure of a place as just being in catchment is not enough. My impression is that while Cherwell has a more affluent demographic on average, the two schools are not hugely different. Cherwell does better overall but has more kids who would have done better regardless of where they went to school. Cheney has more kids with tough backgrounds, which is reflected in its results, but it also has academically aspirational kids who do very well. Given the huge cost of moving house (which once you factor in stamp duty, legal fees etc, would pay for several terms of private school!), and the fact that we'd have to downsize significantly to be in Cherwell catchment, we haven't considered going that route (and anyway, like you, we like our house and area)

The other impression I get about Cheney is that it is such a huge and varied school that people's DC have wildly different experiences. It depends on the DC's personality, and also random luck of who is in your form and so how significant the behavioural issues are.

Happy to chat further over PM!

Isn’t Cherwell bigger?

Yes it is bigger but it is much less varied demographically (it encompasses the wealthiest parts of Oxford, housing owned by Oxford colleges and so rented to academics who couldn't afford to buy in that area, and the 'rough' bits of catchment are not nearly as rough). So emphasis on the 'varied' part of 'huge and varied'.

Apologies for the late reply here. Thank you for these thoughts!

@WhiskerPatrol we've thought about MCS but it's my younger one who probably has the best shot at a bursary. Older one is very strong but it's not effortless for him the way it is for the younger one. I might feel like I had short-changed my older one if only my younger one goes to MCS.

@TizerorFizz Thank you for the analysis. I will read up on Progress 8 as I'm not too familiar with it and did not know there was a breakdown for high achievers. I'm trying to figure out how large the cohort of high achievers is - are there enough for them to form a group in every class - and whether they are challenged outside of maths.

@oxfordbumble and @Arcadia - thank you - will PM!

@Cabbage4eva You would have to ask the school about sets. Usually a school does some subjects in sets.

The school could have 2 forms or sets of high achievers. The p8 is good enough to suggest they aren’t getting it wrong.

Have you considered the Swan School on Marston Ferry?

If they are in catchment for Cheney they will not be in catchment for Swan so would still have to move house. People used to get in to Swan from out of catchment but it is more popular now so your chances are not so good.

You can still get Swan from a long way out on the re-offer in May.

Okay, that’s useful to know, thanks. I wasn’t sure it was worth us even bothering to look at Swan given that last year no one without a sibling got in from out of catchment.

The Swan is very marmite of course so it’s how you feel about that style.

Hi @Arcadia - do you mind if I PM you to ask for a bit more info about Cheney? I'm currently choosing a secondary school for my DD, and Cheney is on my list.

Hi all,
My son will be starting secondary school next year, and our catchment school is Cheney. I’ve read through all the comments, but I’d really appreciate it if you could share your thoughts or experiences with this school.
Thanks so much!

@Arcadia would it be okay if I PMed you too?

Cheney is definitely ‘on the up’ nowadays. Great leadership team and head. Good results. Good staff retention. Behaviour under control. Very happy with it.
my daughter is in year 11 now.
Yes feel free to PM me @oxfordbumble

My eldest who has now finished Cheney didn’t do as well as we had hoped. However my daughter in year 9 is happy and thriving.

My youngest is about to go into year 7, and I am uncertain which school would be best for him (considering his older brothers results). I feel as though there is a gender related difference when it comes to accademic performance , without sounding sexist.

My daughter is so much more focused as are other girls in my family (who attend different schools) but the boys are easily distracted. When they once were high achievers (scoring 95% in their SATS) their ability has taken a turn. Is that down to the school, the new demographics they find themselves amongst, or is just down to the child? I have no idea…

I really do like Cheney, the facilities, teachers, the ease of getting there from where I live. To struggle with getting my youngest child to Swan (Cherwell too far out), only to find he would have performed the same at Cheney, makes me wonder is it worth it?

The school performance tables have been published for 2025. Out of the three schools discussed, The Swan has the highest percentage of pupils entering for the full suit of EBACC (English, maths, a foreign language, science and a humanity) and scores best for English and Maths passes at grade 5 plus; Cherwell does best on A8 and Cheney just exceeded the Oxfordshire average, but GCSE attainment was not as high as The Swan or Cherwell. There are no P8 scores this year.