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Every boarding school on this patch takes day pupils too, so we’ve mentioned them above. Most preps accommodate weekly or flexi. Winchester House and Beachborough offer boarding from year 3 though at Winchester House you’ll need to board weekly from year 7. Kitebrook offers weekly, flexible or occasional boarding, ‘to suit the needs of today’s busy families’, as does Hatherop Castle, though the latter has a handful who full board too.
In town, the majority of boys at Summer Fields board, with boys coming from London and overseas. Locals use ‘day boarding’ (regular nights) or ad hoc flexi-boarding at The Dragon to avoid the traffic; weekly or full boarders come from further afield. Saturday school at Summer Fields and The Dragon make them good choices for full boarders. Christ Church Cathedral School offers flexi-boarding to day boys; all choristers full board.
At senior level, most offer full and weekly boarding. Burford School is unusual in being a state boarding school: prospective boarders interviewed to assess suitability; priority to forces families. Apply early because places are in hot demand. Boarding kicks in at both Sibford School and Tudor Hall from year 7, though at the latter girls are full boarders with no weekly option. In nearby Bucks, Stowe School picks up lots at 13+ from Winchester House, Beachborough, The Dragon and Kitebrook. Kingham Hill attracts international boarders (due in part to offering the US curriculum) from 11+.
Of the city senior schools, Headington School (soon to be Headington Rye Oxford) and Wychwood School are the only ones that offer boarding to girls from 11+. St Edward’s is increasingly hard to get into – families from London and the home counties are keen as mustard for the new regime. The majority at St Clare’s board, from year 12; mainly from overseas. d’Overbroeck’s offers unstuffy boarding for sixth formers, now with more beds for year 13s (who have hitherto lived with host families).
Bruern Abbey and Swalcliffe Park take boys as boarders, offering safe, stimulating, loving environments for those with additional needs. Kingham Hill and Bloxham School offer a mainstream boarding setting with a limited number of places for students experiencing specific learning difficulties.
Boarding schools near Oxford and north Oxfordshire
Families look towards the Midlands and across the south and south-west for further boarding schools. Read our guide to South Oxfordshire for the low-down on those options, including Radley College, Abingdon School, St Hugh’s School and Cothill House. Girls may go to Cheltenham Ladies College, Downe House or Wycombe Abbey; their brothers to Eton College, Winchester College or Harrow School. Wellington College, Marlborough College and Bradfield College are the co-eds that Oxfordshire families will travel for, offering bells and whistles and a hot social scene. Those avoiding the London sphere of influence may look to Cheltenham College, Rugby School or Oundle School.
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