Bucks &amp; Oxon

WHAT? WHERE?&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="668" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/12/Carrdus-Front-of-School.jpeg" alt="school exterior" class="wp-image-153899" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/12/Carrdus-Front-of-School.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/12/Carrdus-Front-of-School-800x534.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/12/Carrdus-Front-of-School-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/12/Carrdus-Front-of-School-786x525.jpeg 786w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Carrdus School is an independent co-ed Prep school for pupils 3-11, set in 11 acres of countryside on the Oxfordshire, Northants and Warwickshire borders and owned by nearby girl’s senior school Tudor Hall (read our review <a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/tudor-hall-2/">here</a>). There are 113 pupils at Carrdus, 12 of whom are in the Nursery, and with maximum class sizes of 20, with the children taught within Carrdus’s central building Overthorpe Hall, a handsome Victorian honey stone mansion house that maintains a homely feel with its fireplace in the entrance hall (lit in winter!), and Chesterfield sofas. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="752" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/12/thumbnail_IMG_4361.jpg" alt="school entrance with cosy sofas" class="wp-image-153904" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/12/thumbnail_IMG_4361.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/12/thumbnail_IMG_4361-800x602.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/12/thumbnail_IMG_4361-400x301.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/12/thumbnail_IMG_4361-698x525.jpg 698w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Classrooms are light and spacious, and the tranquil grounds and facilities circle the house, giving the school a contained, safe feel. The school has admitted boys since 2019, so the lower half of the school feels more cohesively co-ed – Year 2, for example, is a 50/50 split and in Nursery the boys outnumber the girls.&nbsp; &nbsp;



FACILITIES



SPORT



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Compared to some independent schools with their golf courses and climbing walls, Carrdus&#8217; facilities are more modest, though it&#8217;s hard to complain too heavily about an outdoor heated swimming pool in a walled garden where the children from Nursery upwards swim an impressive four times a week (open April – Oct). 



The size of Carrdus dictates that the children all get involved in sport – the year groups combine from Y3-4 and Y5-6 to put out teams – and sport is well catered for here, with a modern multi-use sports hall, netball and tennis courts, a cross country course, plus regular access to the full-size floodlit astro at Tudor Hall. The Lower School (Reception to Year 3) tries out all kind of sports, from tag rugby to cricket and tennis, while the Upper School main sports (Year 4-6) are hockey, netball and swimming, though cross-country is well supported here too. Carrdus added a football pitch&nbsp; in 2021 which it’s put to regular use with school sports fixtures.&nbsp;



ARTS



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There&#8217;s good music provision here, with a dedicated music room, and over 70% of kids learning an individual instrument at school and all instrumental requests catered for – that’s on the higher end of what I usually come across at this age. Clearly the small number of children makes an orchestra a challenge, but there are junior and senior choirs, plus a wind band, string group and a recorder group. There’s a lovely ‘barn style’ art room with its own ceramics department with kiln, and enthusiastic Head of Art, Nicole Thurgur. &nbsp; There’s no stand-alone drama facility at Carrdus but perhaps no need either, as the pupils put on performances at Tudor Hall’s modern drama studio (opened in 2016). Years 3-4 and 5-6 put on shows together each year.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="750" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/forest-school.jpg" alt="forest school" class="wp-image-154892" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/forest-school.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/forest-school-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/forest-school-400x300.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/forest-school-700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Carrdus has its own dedicated science lab, plus the usuals of library and computing room. Your kids will be more excited by the lovely outdoor play areas, including a treehouse designed by the kids, a bell tent for Forest School and a natural play area where they can climb trees (within reason!), get acquainted with mud, and zip around the grounds. Forest school happens every week all year round, which is why a permanent Forest School classroom is now in the planning stages, a reflection of the holistic direction of travel. As an accredited Eco school, there’s also a gardening club.&nbsp; &nbsp;



ACADEMICS



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Strong. There are specialist teachers from Reception onwards here teaching weekly sessions in Music, Art, Drama, Computing and Sport. French is taught from Reception and Latin is introduced in Years 5 and 6 so there’s a traditional base of subjects taught here, though there is talk of introducing Italian and Spanish on rotation for the older years also which would be a great addition DT starts in Year 3, with the kids using the specialist teaching and facilities over at Tudor Hall. 



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Your children will learn via the Carrdus Pathway which is all about helping the kids develop 6 key attributes &#8211; confidence, resilience, independence, empathy, creativity and aspiration &#8211; in the classroom and beyond. The children earn Pathway points where the teachers see evidence of these traits, culminating in a Head’s Commendation Award. About a third of the girls leaving in Year 6 will continue to Tudor Hall, but there’s a healthy mix of other Senior school destinations also, including Rugby, Bloxham, Headington Rye, Wycombe Abbey, Warwick School and Oxford High.&nbsp; &nbsp;



PASTORAL&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/Carrdus_2022-00692.jpg" alt="classroom" class="wp-image-154901" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/Carrdus_2022-00692.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/Carrdus_2022-00692-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/Carrdus_2022-00692-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/Carrdus_2022-00692-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Pastoral care is the trump card at Carrdus, and all the easier to play in such a small setting. Its reputation is strong here, but even so there have been some developments including new software in place to track the pupils, keep learning plans, and flag up any problems, with a parent login so that there’s greater transparency and communication between the school and parents. Every child knows their five trusted adults that they can talk to if necessary – at school and also at home. The Deputy Head is also the safeguarding lead, and there is also a school counsellor. &nbsp;



HEADTEACHER



Samantha Bagshaw joined Carrdus in July 2023 from Nord Anglia’s Chinese International School Shanghai where she was Head teacher for just shy of two years, having previously worked as Deputy Head in Dubai. Young, friendly and open, she’s already a hit with parents and pupils and has introduced Forest School from Nursery through to Year 6 rather than stopping at Year 2, and she&#8217;s improved the enrichment programme &#8211; a huge 70% increase in options for the kids to choose from.



 SEND is well catered for at Carrdus, with a fully qualified specialist Head of Learning Support as well as a dedicated SEND teacher within the school itself. Around 16% of the school accesses SEND care, primarily for dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD and autism, with as much assistance given within the class environment as possible though, not unusually, if your child needs one-to-one teaching, be aware it’s an extra cost. &nbsp;



QUIRKS



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If anything, Carrdus is unquirking. The no-uniform years are over, with a gender neutral uniform introduced in 2022. The school has moved to co-ed, and sport is now high on the agenda. That said, the school retains its informal, homely atmosphere, which is very much part of its charm.&nbsp;



FEES



Less expensive than its local counterparts by quite a stretch and good value. Reception – Y2: £4,775 per term, Y3-6: £5,350 per term. Nursery: Extended morning with lunch (5 days per week including Early Years entitlement) £1,200 per term; Full day £2,175. 



WRAP AROUND CARE



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This is an area that is earmarked for extension – working parents like early drop offs! The doors open at Carrdus at 8am for Breakfast Club and various before-school clubs such as karate, table tennis and Computer Club before the school day starts at 8.45am. School ends at 3.40pm but can be extended to 5.30pm with a wide range of traditional-to-wacky school clubs – the likes of Lego, canoe and kayak club, roller skating, and chess club. There is provision for the older children to do their prep in a quiet side room.&nbsp;



LITTLIES



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The Nursery is a lovely, light space with the usual free flow indoor/outdoor areas, mud kitchen, and a dedicated enclosed playground. A big plus here is that the littlies can take advantage of the Carrdus swimming pool, with lessons every week in the Spring and Summer months. The nursery kids have their own sweet Carrdus uniform – practical and designed for bombing around outside. Currently with 12 children in Nursery, it’s an ideal scenario of enough children for socialisation and small enough for real care.&nbsp; &nbsp;



ISI REPORT&nbsp;



The <a href="https://www.isi.net/school/carrdus-school-7106" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">most recent routine inspection</a> is from 2023 where the school met all ISI criteria.



TRANSPORT&nbsp;



There are three bus routes that feed the school, starting from Deddington and Croughton, with more bus routes to be added in the near future.&nbsp; It’s a joint bus with Tudor Hall so anyone with children at both schools can rest easy. &nbsp;



WORD ON THE GROUND



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Nurturing, friendly, effective. The parents I talked to love the fact that the children are allowed to stay young here and can roam the woodlands. There’s a sense of renewed ambition for the school too with the new head and plans to grow the Nursery, sport provision and outdoor learning (Forest School) has been made part of the curriculum through the whole school now.



THE MUDDY VERDICT&nbsp;



GOOD FOR: Those looking for a ‘family’ atmosphere and strong pastoral approach in addition to strong academics. The use of Tudor Hall’s impressive facilities nearby is a massive advantage and so are the reasonable fees, particularly with VAT likely to be added in 2024. &nbsp;



NOT FOR: Those who like the &#8216;grandness&#8217; of country private schools – the school works cleverly with its 11 acres but it’s definitely on the compact side. Also, though didn&#8217;t bother me, you can hear the motorway in the distance when the wind blows the wrong way.&nbsp;



WANT TO SEE FOR YOURSELF? Be my guest! You can book a personal tour via the Registrar by contacting admissions@carrdusschool.com or calling the school on 01295 263733.



<a href="https://www.carrdusschool.com">Carrdus School</a>, Overthorpe Hall, Banbury, Oxon, OX17 2BS. Tel: 01295 263733. &nbsp;

Carrdus School, Banbury

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