WHAT? WHERE?

You’re not going to find a school more central in Oxford! Christ Church Cathedral School (CCCS) is literally 200 metres from Carfax and directly across the road from Oxford University’s Christ Church.

A boys’ Prep day and boarding school that also includes a Nursery and Pre-Prep, it’s just announced plans to take girls until end of Year 2 following lobbying by parents. It currently has girls in Nursery only, but will take them until age 7 from Sept 2024. Otherwise, there’s 140 boys, 20 of them Cathedral Choristers, who – literally – sing for their supper, boarding full time from Year 5 and performing at Christ Church, along with up to two rehearsals a day. The school’s roots come from Henry VIII’s 1546 commandment for a place to educate boy choristers when he founded Christ Church and its Cathedral, whilst the Nursery nestles in the 16th century building where Cardinal Wolsey sketched the plans for his college. Portraits of both hang in the original building, No. 2, which just oozes Tudor history and sets the tone for this utterly unique and historic school.

Unsurprisingly, the school has a Christian ethos, but welcomes children whatever their beliefs.

Set across three buildings in all in Brewer St, Christ Church Cathedral School is compact and homely and ‘lived in’ – there’s nothing spangly or shiny or polished about it, it may even be scuffed in places, but it has a kind of likable, intellectual energy about it. It almost feels collegiate rather than a prep school, though does so without taking itself too seriously: there’s a sense of fun and the kids look like they’re having a blast. One class I peeped into went entirely off-piste when I came into the room, with the boys laughing and chatting, meanwhile in the library/English room, boys lounged on beanbags reading while the teacher held a small group discussion with the others.

FACILITIES

This is an inner-city school so you’re not going to find an expansive site at CCCS, but there’s space enough. The modern Walton Centre which is a bit flashier than the higgledy, stained glass and turned wood Tudor building, houses the hall, home to more informal music performances and assemblies, plus Reception and Year 1 downstairs and Years 2-4 upstairs. The rooms are light, bright, immaculately tidy, and in the younger years have plenty of activity areas, while as the boys get older they’ll be expected to sit more traditionally in rows. They’ll do most of their learning here with specialist teaching in music (of course) as well as sport, DT and Art, then from Year 5 they’re more peripatetic, moving to lessons in Science, English, Maths and so on in dedicated classrooms and setted in groups that can be as small as three but no bigger than 10.

Outside there are two playgrounds for Pre-Prep and Prep that will get a much-needed refurb this year, then an impressive ten acres to boast of, including Christ Church’s famous plush meadow for bombing about in – spot the blue jumpers popping up here and there – and a woodland forest school. Excitingly, the school has just secured planning permission to build a new Sports Pavilion in Christ Church Meadow. This will enable it to host more sporting tournaments with several schools at the same time, as well as opening its doors to more community philanthropy and host social events and outdoor lessons in the fields overlooked by Merton’s pretty stone facades.

In terms of academic facilities, there’s a large DT/woodworking area and specialist teaching rooms in ICT, Science and Art. When the pavilion facilities take the pressure off storage and changing facilities in school, a dedicated library will open, much to the delight of the many bookworms here.

Much is made of the school’s urban location and nimble size, with regular trips out to town thanks to the plethora of museums and galleries within walking distance. A minibus ride away is the arboretum, Rectory Farm and Science Oxford – other popular destinations.

SPORTS

Limited facilities within the school itself, with squash courts on site and a couple of goals for break-time soccer on the prep playground. By contrast, the facilities on the doorstep are extraordinary. Straight across the road through the Narnia-esque named ‘The Keyhole’ gate, boys play cricket, rugby and football on the pristine pitch overlooking Christ Church, Corpus Christi, and Merton colleges – you have to see it to believe it (and you probably have seen it, it’s on a million postcards). Coming soon is the Pavilion and outdoor multipurpose facility for sport, outdoor learning, and social events with two changing rooms, kit storage and terrace with spectator seating. There are real tennis courts a few minutes walk away (because of course the boys would play this archaic sport beloved by Henry VIII and with only 28 courts in the country).

Other sports on offer include weekly swimming for boys in Years 3 and 4 at the University swimming pool, use of the University’s running track at Iffley Road, and hockey which is played on Christ Church’s astroturf, plus tennis in the college’s courts.

With a school of 140, all boys are able to play in teams against other schools and CCCS does compete successfully against other small schools and has its fair share of high achieving sports stars. Football is the most popular sport over winter with fixtures over the last few months against Manor, Abingdon Prep and Dragon Schools. Cricket is the undoubted passion over summer months and the team punches above its weight here. Two of the current boys play in the Oxfordshire County team, plus there’s a county tennis player among the ranks. When the girls join in Sept they’ll do all of the same disciplines as the boys – with sports like dance, gymnastics and cross country already included in PE, plus cricket, football, hockey and tennis. With a decent six periods a week given over to sport it hogs the most weekly periods in the timetable, so it’s a reassurance that these high achievers are still getting plenty of fresh air and exercise.

THE ARTS

Clearly music is a huge calling card at CCCS, though the school is emphatic that you don’t have to be musical to enjoy yourself here (and there’s plenty else on offer). On the basis of my look-around — my third time at the school in five years — I’d say that’s probably true, though there’s no question that music permeates every pore here, with the whole school acting as one huge musical rehearsal space. The norm is that most kids learn two instruments and most of the staff are musical in their own right. Pianos pop up in virtually every room including common rooms, double bases rest on landings, tubas sit ornamentally in fireplaces. This is a school where the Pre-Prep holds its own recitals with the children playing cello, flute, bassoon and even double bass, and the house music competition – in the cathedral no less – is a notch above your average school affair.

This love of music does create a cultured, creative atmosphere. The Christ Church Cathedral Choir is internationally renowned (every year they record CDs and tour the world) and there’s a second choir of 20, the Worcester Choristers, that sings twice a week in Worcester College Chapel and a third group, the Pembroke Choristers, that sing in one service a week. All boys sing in morning assembly, and more music lessons take place each week than boys who attend the school.

The weekly assemblies are at the jaw-dropping Christ Church Cathedral itself (parents are free to attend), and playing instruments, appreciating and performing music is part of the culture, and feels totally normal here. You can practically hear the camera shutters clicking as the boys make their way to assembly, taking the hallowed route across Christ Church quad past the fountain while mere mortals watch from the sides.

Drama also gets decent attention – there are two performances put on across the school each year – the first written by the head of classics with parts designed for the talents of specific boys, then a Shakespearean production in the summer. Last year’s Mid Summer Night’s Dream saw Puck and pals flitting about the school’s woodland area amid cow parsley. Dreamy.

LITTLIES

It’s a Montessori philosophy in the Nursery, so it’s very gentle and nurturing (and tidy!) with kids able to flow freely between the rooms with art, brick building and messy play available for their every whim. The kids have weekly yoga sessions, have an outdoor ‘Mud Kitchen’ and climbing frame and visit Christ Church Meadow for Woodland School as well as getting out and about in Oxford for mini trips. All that said, the Infant Nativity for Pre-Prep and Prep involves foreign language and two-part harmonies, so even at this age there’s a musical and intellectual ethos at play and a lot of attention given to the ten or so registered kids.

ACADEMICS

There’s a dedicated member of staff in charge of admissions to senior schools and academic scholarships which should tell how seriously they take academics here. Class sizes are kept deliberately small to focus on the individual needs of each child. For Maths and English from Year 5, boys are streamed into two ability groups with year groups never more than 22. French and Latin are set in a similar way for Years 7 and 8. I was really impressed by the teachers here – passionate about their subjects, but unstressed and benign in how they deliver it and with a cordial and grown-up rapport with the boys. There was classical music playing in a couple of the classrooms I walked into and an easy (though respectful) child/teacher entente, and the whole package feels very relaxed but also academically stretching for the boys. The school has its own scholarship programme – unusual for a prep and with up to 50% off fees – and these boys can expect tutorial style sessions as well as access to visiting speakers and library trips to Christ Church to get a taste of undergraduate reading material (and why not get them accustomed?). Links with the college have really stepped up in the last two years with lecturers coming to speak at school as well as initiatives like tours for the boys and gallery evenings for the parents.

If your child is in the Christ Church Cathedral School Choir he’s almost guaranteed a scholarship onto other highly regarded schools – most years, every single chorister is snapped up, and around 60% of all students gain scholarships, which is pretty amazing, with the majority musical but also several scholarships for academics, sport and even art. The boards in the quaint Victorian-era dining room with its benches and high windows tell you what you need to know – gracing the names of scholarships won each year to most of the leading schools in the UK: Eton, MCS, Abingdon, and St Edward’s just to name a few. Not bad!

Extra curricular clubs also show a widening of outlook, with the current list including Cooking, Film-making, Scalextric, K’Nex, Sewing and Squash clubs aside the more dusty Backgammon, Bridge, Chess, Greek and Philosophy clubs. This is set to change this year with the clubs put into a double period in the timetable to allow greater immersion and trips into town for clubs like ‘Getting to know Oxford’.

SEND

Boys with particular needs are offered one-to-one sessions with experienced learning support staff in addition to in-class help from the teaching assistants.

PASTORAL

No afterthought, here — Christ Church Cathedral School knows how important pastoral care is, and keeps it as a priority. A school counsellor comes once a week for the boys to talk to. They can drop in for a chat without appointment, then there’s the weekly pastoral staff meetings where concerns about any pupil are raised and the information is disseminated as widely as to office staff and chefs, who know all the boys by name and are part of the wider support team.

BOARDING

Until last year boarding was limited to the 20 full time choristers, but flexi boarding has been introduced to non-choristers over 8 (Mon-Fri for £63 a night), which might appeal to those who can’t get to school for pick up or who frankly want a night off. We’ve all been there. The dorms are in the main school building, and are light and bright with four beds per dorm.

HEAD TEACHER

Richard Murray has been in the hotseat since 2014, having previously been a House Master at St Edward’s School. He has a friendly academic air and a charmingly messy office, with its Morris Minor car wheel and organ against the wall but can still level with the children – he reads every week to the Nursery children including doing the voices and sound effects much to the delight of his audience, and has been known to dress up for World Book Day, famously as ‘Awful Aunty’.

Murray is utterly in keeping with the intelligent, tolerant, rarefied surroundings of the school and has been responsible for upping the academic rigour over recent years. His genial approach has also strengthened the parental involvement and support that is so vital to a school of this size. He meets parents from the school’s Parents’ Association to discuss their ideas, invites them to all weekly assemblies and music performances whether or not their child is involved, then there are regular events that make use of CCCS’s VIP access to Christ Church College – a private tour and tasting of the wine cellar or a visit to the Upper Library and its rare books among previous events.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

Strict! Boys are expected to hand in phones at the beginning of each school day, and there are firewalls to stop them from accessing social media at school.

ISI REPORT

Read the latest reports here.

WRAP-AROUND CARE

If you’re a chorister it’s a gruelling schedule, but for day boys the days are relatively short with school starting at 8.55 and ending at 3.20 pm for Pre-Prep, and 8.25 am to 3.25 pm for Form 1 and 3.30 pm for Form 2. There is, however a Breakfast Club from 7.45 am to 8.15 am and After School Club through til 6pm depending on age. After School Club costs £11 per hour for Pre-Prep and for the Prep children it is free.

TRANSPORT

Being so utterly central, biking and walking are popular but there’s also a school bus from and to North Oxford.

QUIRKS

The choristers wear the famous ‘Wolsey’ hat and gown in black when they sing – they’re draped on coat hooks nonchalantly at school during the day. I haven’t come across a school barber before so that’s a new one for me – a clipper cut is £10 if you’re interested! The teachers are performers in their own right – the Boarding Master regularly performs piano recitals around the country meanwhile, a couple of years back, when oboe teacher Jessica Mogridge performed with the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall the music programme also included William Walton – an old CCCS boy. During my recent visit, head of music Sophie Biddell, was in Antigua and Barbuda conducting its Youth Symphony Orchestra as part of the school’s philanthropic work, which is cast wide and generously. Kindness is a key value at the school and is constantly reinforced through dedicated days. Choristers regularly perform in local schools and the school has recently begun an initiative with the Oxford Mutual Aid food bank, not just with weekly donations but visiting speakers and workshops, which goes way beyond paying lip service to charitable causes.

While many schools aspire to a family atmosphere, few nail it but CCCS has it in spades. From the inter year-group friendships, to the Aussie gap student big brother types larking in the playground, to the chorister camaraderie, there’s a genuine family vibe here, right down to the leavers photos in the dining hall – it’s a right of passage that you can choose your outfit, props and setting for your photo which will grace the walls for the year after you leave.

FEES

Fees are on par for local prep schools in the area. Reception and Year 1 costs £4625 per term; Form 2 £4856; Form 3 £6385 per term and Form 4-8 £6896. The fees include morning snack, lunch, all standard textbooks and exercise books. However, there are whopping bursaries for anyone in the Cathedral Choir to cover much of the fee. Full boarding is £4350 per term for a Chorister, and £4815 for a Probationer (basically a chorister in training in Form 4, before ‘graduating’ in Form 5). Music lessons cost £410 per term.

CCCS has an Academic Scholarship Programme, with a 33% – 50% fee discount (applicable until Year 8), designed to reward excellence and celebrate exceptional talent. Applications are open to boys joining Years 3 and 4. Selection is by academic test followed by an interview with the Headmaster. To apply, contact Laura Kemp: registrar@cccs.org.uk

WORD ON THE GROUND

Tolerance, friendliness, and a non-Alpha male environment are the USP here and of course, academia (the general knowledge quiz, French spelling bee and poetry recitation contest are among the yearly highlights). The opportunity to be a cad, bully or a show-off in the school is small, and the kids are nurtured and supported. They talk highly of their much-adored teachers, with French’s Mme Loyer, Science’s Mrs Simkins and Maths’ Mrs Schiller among the favourites. Lack of space is always an issue and parents and children are excited about the development of the Pavilion. Parents rave about its family-friendly atmosphere, as do the boys who feel comfortable in their own skin and rate the relaxed vibe and even the food – with a choice of hot meals as well as a salad bar and daily pud.

At this point girls look unlikely to go beyond Year 2 owing to the choristers role being limited to boys. It would take a centuries long tradition to overturn to change that.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Lovers of music (or sons of lovers of music!). Children who thrive on attention and nurture and are open to the arts and a thoughtful approach to education. The vibe here is holistic not hothouse. And don’t discount CCCS if your child isn’t a Grade 8 child prodigy, there’s much to recommend the school ethos beyond the stave and clef.

Not for: The school does well to offer its wide sports provision, but the physical confines of the school might not fit with the rural idyll pictured by some parents. Kids who are resolutely uncurious or cynical about culture will struggle.

Dare to disagree?! Let us know below and go see it for yourself – the next Open Morning is on Saturday 12th October 2024, but you can request a tour and meeting with the Headmaster at any time. There are also regular Stay & Play events, book here for all Open events or contact Laura Kemp: registrar@cccs.org.uk

Christ Church Cathedral School, 3 Brewer Street, Oxford, OX1 1QW. Tel: 01865 242 561. cccs.org.uk

Christ Church Cathedral School, Oxford

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