Cothill A GSG School

What The Good Schools Guide says

Headmaster

Since September 2023, George May, previously senior housemaster and drama teacher at Radley College. Educated at Aysgarth Prep and Eton College and has a first-class degree in architectural history from Edinburgh. He then spent two years at LAMDA and has performed on radio, stage, TV and film. Joined Radley in 2006.

Parents have noted a ‘subtle rebalance’ on his appointment with an increased focus on the arts in a place where sport had been king. One told us he was ‘a breath of fresh air and understands education must be heart, body and mind. We’ve found him to be enlightened and approachable.’ Parents also like his connections to a more senior Oxford academia, encouraging Cothill pupils to go to lectures, debates and plays. One parent said, ‘Their world has opened beyond the comfort of the Cothill bubble. They see the road ahead.’

Head’s pitching vision was to bring girls into the fold – seismic given Cothill’s 150-year single-sex history. A father of three daughters and a son, he says, ‘Family is the Cothill way but you can’t have a family and exclude the girls.’ Additional demand came from national trend for co-ed prep and from parents of sons who wanted daughters to attend. Girls will be admitted from 2025 in both flexi and full-boarding capacity, starting with years 3-5 (Cothill started accepting year 3 pupils in 2023). Plans are being formulated for their provision – more of which later.

Head’s study is akin to spacious drawing room with sofas, fireplace and large windows with view of idyllic cricket field. Framed posters showcase the wide-ranging and ambitious plays he put on at Radley (some he starred in and great clips on YouTube!) Enormous oak desk in the corner was a gift from his wife, Emi-Lou, a picture book writer. A very present figure, she does ad hoc teaching in nutrition and crafting, and gives support to staff and pupils alike. There’s a strong sense of teamwork in the family.

Besides the four children, they have two black Labs, Fig and Chilli. Head is a Newcastle United supporter, enjoys outdoor pursuits and family holidays in Northumberland and north Cornwall. Something of a Renaissance man, he also paints watercolours en plein-air.

Entrance

Gentle admissions process is one-to-one with strictly no tech (a Cothill USP) designed to put children at ease and draw out their best. It’s ‘broad entry, tight exit’ and whether place offered depends largely on character and fit. A good level of English is required.

From September 2025 girls will be admitted in years 3-5 as both flexi and full-time boarders. The school expects to have girls in all year groups from September 2028.

Exit

Everyone leaves at 13 for the big boarding schools, including Eton, Radley, Oundle, Harrow, Winchester and Stowe. Strong scholarship record year on year – six in 2024 (two King’s scholars to Eton; academic exhibitions to Winchester Marlborough; sports scholarships to Oundle and Sherbourne; and a drama scholarship to Stowe).

Our view

On the edge of Cothill village, site is secluded with a low-key entrance – it’s a school which doesn’t feel the need to shout. In 25 acres of playing fields and over 200 acres of woodland, you might easily forget it’s so close to Oxford as well as a good handful of other indies. The Edwardian manor house and main building sits beside the cricket pitch and thatched pavilion. Reception is straight out of House and Garden with William Morris wallpaper, ceramic lamps and squashy sofas. The vibe is unpretentious and relaxed with a lived-in elegance. Many of the classrooms in Complex (the main classroom block) have single wooden desks but also sofas and house plants. While it gets the academic results, Cothill is generally perceived as less pushy with fewer sharp elbows knocking about than its nearest competitors. Though no-one is running around looking frantic, committed teachers wear a few hats, teaching a main subject and an additional one, as well as helping with clubs, sports and pastoral duties.

Small number of students means teachers not only know the boys by name but also what makes them tick. Relationships between children and staff are natural and the balance between camaraderie and respect is just right. We loved seeing pupils playing with homemade aeroplanes, getting them stuck on the roof and hurling up tennis balls to get them down. Yard games are a long-established Cothill tradition. Uniforms askew, scraped knees and scuffed shoes are marks of a break time well spent. Treetops wooden playground is popular with younger year groups. There’s supervision, good-natured reprimand if needed but it’s not smothering.

Older pupils hang out in the well-stocked library or the new hangout space with club chairs, colourful Pooky lamps and wooden kitchenette rather like a mini Soho House outpost. To one corner, a game of chess was being fought on a beautifully carved Alice in Wonderland themed board. Nearby is a huge competition snooker table donated by an ex-pro parent.
Academically, its small classes (about 14) and pupils are expected to participate in each lesson, which might not suit wallflowers. One teacher said, ‘They’re encouraged to ask questions and they do!’ Setting in maths and English right from the beginning, allowing for escalated as well as supported learning. The standard is high (fierce even for the scholars’ group) but not at the expense of mental health. Curriculum is under review in preparation for girls. Expect tweaks such as more texts with female protagonists, a revised PSHE course and more games options.

Experiments and dissections are popular in the recently refurbished science block. Though no personal devices, there’s a large, modern computer suite with an archaic computer from the ’90s on show (how to make someone feel old!). Pupils in the top two years have Chromebooks which are strictly for schoolwork. A parent said, ‘The tech policy is a big draw and is very wise. Children escape a lot of modern angst this way.’

Music is run by a passionate department whose curriculum embodies a stroll through musical history. Tuition offered in many instruments and in year 5 pupils try out orchestral instruments to uncover hidden talent and interest hitherto undetected. Orchestra, jazz and brass bands, and lovely that junior and senior choirs sing in church each Sunday. Three exceptionally gifted musicians miss Saturday school to be taught at prestigious London music schools.

Light-filled studios for art, pottery and DT which are equipped with everything you’d expect in a senior school. The Cothill key is creative freedom, particularly in DT, which is taught by the legendary ‘PC’, an ex-policeman who has been at Cothill 40 years and taught the previous head. Pupils ‘can make anything they want,’ he laughs, ‘as long as we can get it through the door, which can be the challenge.’ These studios are open most of the weekend and students love going.

We imagine, with new actorly head, drama only going to get bigger. Recent productions for senior school have been Oklahoma, Mary Poppins and My Fair Lady. For juniors, Sherlock Holmes, Pirates of the Curry Bean and Yee Ha. The new girls might have competition for the female parts which are historically most popular(!).

Sport is still top notch. Main games rugby, football, hockey and cricket but there’s lots of other options including polo (ponies borrowed from local stable, not kept on site), golf, yoga, athletics and rock climbing. The ski team is the IAPS champion two years running while the LTA support tennis provision and five Oxfordshire-area coaches run lessons. Special provision is made to support exceptional talent. The pinnacle of excellence is winning your colours by final year and with it the kudos of sporting the multicolour striped tie. A year 8 climbing enthusiast chatted to us at lunch (French-themed and delicious) about his ambition to become the first student to be awarded it for climbing prowess.

Sports and leisure facilities include an incredible £6.4 million sports hall with squash courts, climbing wall (specialist teacher comes weekly), viewing gallery/events space, gym and table tennis space. Yoga, gymnastics and dance are on the curriculum which is under review to prepare for co-ed – expect netball and hockey. School plan to make a dance studio which could prove popular with incoming girls. Football is competitive but cricket is star of show and the immaculately kept cricket pitch is hallowed ground. The evening before our visit boys watched an evening fixture in their pyjamas – dreamy. Exciting that new large screen scoreboard can moonlight as an outdoor cinema. There’s also a 20-metre indoor pool, six all-weather tennis courts, a nine-hole golf course (and an agreement with nearby golf course). Cothill Fen conservation is nearby and used for outdoor learning.

School supports students with a range of neurodiversity and six per cent are on the SEN register. Support is given two or three times per week, one-to-one or in groups. There’s also maths extension to stretch whizz kids. A newly appointed school counsellor offers tailored one-on-one or group support in a wellbeing area – another place where pupils can go for time out or to escape playground hubbub.

There’s a relatively large international intake with 20 percent from abroad, mainly China, Thailand, Spain, Nigeria and Russia. Forty-three per cent of pupils are non-Caucasian. EAL provided for non-native English speakers. The initial language requirement, the age of the children, the ‘have a go’ mentality all mean there’s genuine mixing. Children of the same nationalities are spread out in boarding to avoid cliques.

Parents, though well-heeled, are not the bodyguard brigade. One parent told us there’s little showiness or ‘up-mum-ship’. Another said, ‘The kids couldn’t care less about any of that, which matters most.’ Most of the parents we spoke to are supportive of the move to go co-ed but some feel it isn’t what they signed up for. Head understands this and has held meetings for parents so concerns can be addressed. One parent told us, ‘While it isn’t what we picked, we see the reasoning. We’ve been reassured the school will retain its special culture and charm. Time will tell.’

Discipline is structured in rather PG Wodehouse-esque terminology of ‘bishes and bad marks’. It’s a yellow and red card system with a gradient level of consequence. The award system runs in reverse with good points. These are totalled as ‘weeklies’ and everybody’s scores are pinned up in Complex, which might feel exposing for the less able or confident. For excellence there are merits and distinctions which equate to yellow, red and green ‘V badges’ (metaphorical these days). Confused with the lingo? Don’t worry, there’s a dictionary on the fantastic website.

Misty-eyed pupils in year 8 tell us their best memories of school will be of Sauveterre, Cothill’s French château near Toulouse. All year 7s spend half a term immersing themselves in French language, culture, food and sunshine. We spoke to parents who felt their children came back ‘taller, more engaged, eager for what life throws at them’.

Boarders

Main building houses all boarding apart from years 4 and 5. Year group dorms (around 12 in a room, mixed up termly) are organised in a quirky Monopoly board coloured system. They compete for the weekly tidiness award which keeps a tight ship.

Girls will be situated in a separate wing next to the san and matron’s office as it can be closed off but will still make them feel part of school and not hidden away. Head stresses girls will be very much a part of school from the outset and in no way an ‘add-on’. He says, ‘The girls will be very welcome.’ Some families signed daughters up as soon as they could.
Lucky years 4 and 5 are housed in Bowlers, the fanciest boarding house on the other side of the cricket field. With smart commons rooms and balconies looking over grounds, it’s all rather lovely. Except, perhaps, the mountain of lost property in one corridor. One parent said, ‘My child always comes home with things missing and then other things that don’t belong to him but it’s a small gripe.’

Homesickness is managed humanely with calls home, reassurance and buddying systems. There are now additional ‘floating’ options for weekends at home alongside the timetabled exeats. Lots of activity and 20 minutes of reading means they drop into bed at night.

Money matters

A 25 per cent reduction in fees for parent in the Forces. Means-tested bursaries are also available.

The last word

A leading prep boarding school that is familial, quirky and unashamedly traditional. Confident and well-adjusted pupils work hard, play hard and jump at the many, varied opportunities on offer. Limited tech, larking in the fresh air, the beautiful setting and first-class education are all key elements in arcadian Cothill. We’ve no doubt the girls will love it just as much as the boys.

Special Education Needs

Cothill has an exceptional SEN department with two full-time and three part-time staff. Provision is made for boys who have mild to moderate learning problems in English and the school also provides both extension and support classes in maths. Touch typing has been a recent school-wide enhancement and is routinely taught to all boys in year 5 in preparation for their year 6 pre-tests and as an essential skill for life.

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