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Best primary schools in Oxford
Best primary schools in Banbury and Bicester
Best primary schools in west Oxfordshire
Beware tiny village schools, where year groups are mixed. It’s not a problem, especially if teaching staff are experienced, until your child’s already limited peer-group start leaving for prep schools at which point things could get claustrophobic.
Many primary schools – more than 100, across the county – are Church of England, but you don’t usually need to be an active churchgoer and these schools will take children of all faiths or none. Read admissions policies carefully, though, as sometimes having an active role within the parish is one of the criteria that will get you to the front of the queue.
Traffic ensures that families don’t stray far: if you can’t bike there, it’s not viable. In leafy north Oxford, St Philip and St James’ (Phil and Jim) is where academics’ children go; most live in catchment for The Cherwell School afterwards (though many put their politics to one side and go private from year 7). Nearby St Aloysius' Primary is Catholic, attracting a more European crowd. In Headington, Windmill Primary or St Andrews are where those brainy doctors send their kids. With a three-form entry, Windmill is bigger than most. St Andrews is split across two sites, with reception at Headington Quarry.
Best state secondary schools in Oxford
Best private schools in Oxford
Great Tew County Primary, conveniently placed for your post-drop cappuccino at Soho Farmhouse, is the glossy posse’s destination of choice; super SATS results to boot. Many rent nearby to secure a spot. Mixed-age classes from year 1; one or two arrive on ponies. It’s too cosy for some, who fly off to prep schools from year 2 onwards. Dr Radcliffe’s Church of England Primary continues to be oversubscribed – maybe because the playground opposite is the best in the area? You’ll need to live within two miles to be confident of a place, but Deddington Primary, up the road, provides another excellent option with more outdoor space than most.
Best state secondary schools in Banbury and Bicester
Best private schools in Banbury and Bicester
Best nurseries in Banbury and Bicester
Beautiful Kingham Primary is nestled between village green and open countryside; Daylesford is to Kingham what Soho Farmhouse is to Great Tew, so expect some shiny cars. You’ll need to be within four miles for a fighting chance of a place. Great Rollright and Chadlington Church of England primaries are highly thought of and tiny, with intakes of 15. Children at Woodstock Church of England Primary enjoy gazillions of extra-curriculars and their own woodland area, in a residential part of town away from the Blenheim busloads.
Best state secondary schools in west Oxfordshire
Best private schools in west Oxfordshire
Best nurseries in west Oxfordshire
Most children with special needs attend mainstream schools in Oxfordshire, some of which have a specialist base. St Nicholas Primary School, in Marston, has a resource provision for children with autism and another for children with hearing impairment. Secondary schools which offer integrated classes for children with specific needs include The Cherwell School (autism resource provision and hearing impairment resource base) and The Marlborough School, Woodstock, which supports students with physical needs and autism in the purpose-built Ormerod hub, with regular physio, OT and speech and language input. The Warriner School, Bloxham, has its own hub for students (11-16) with communication and interaction difficulties in a therapeutic environment.
Special schools throughout the county tend to be through-schools to the age of 18, eg Mabel Prichard School (Blackbird Leys) and The Iffley Academy (Oxford). John Watson School (Wheatley) and Frank Wise School (Banbury) support severe, complex or profound learning difficulties.
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Need help? Perhaps you suspect your child has some learning difficulty and you would like advice on what you should do. Or perhaps it is becoming clear that your child's current school is not working for him or her, and you need help to find a mainstream school which has better SEN provision, or to find a special school which will best cater for your child's area of need. Our SEN consultancy team advises on both special schools, and the mainstream schools with good SEN support, from reception through to the specialist colleges for 19+. Special Educational Needs Index
Find top international, British, IB and American schools in over 40 countries. The Good Schools Guide International publishes impartial and forthright reviews of international schools across the world.
We examined the value-added from KS2 to GCSE for 2022 to see which state selective grammar schools added the most value to their offspring. A note of caution - the more highly selective a grammar school, the less scope there will be to add value.
Grammar schools are state-funded, academically selective senior schools. The education a child receives at grammar school is paid for by the state unlike at private schools which provide education for a fee. There are currently around 163 located in 36 English local authorities, with around 167,000 pupils between them. Northern Ireland has a further 67 grammar schools, but there are none in Wales or Scotland. A word of caution: there are private schools that have the word 'grammar' in their name but this is purely for historical reasons.
At specialist music, dance or performing arts schools, the arts aren't optional extras. They’re intrinsic to the school curriculum. Students are expected to fit in high level training and hours of practice alongside a full academic provision. It's a lot to ask any child to take on, but for those with exceptional performing ability this kind of education can be transformative.