Address: 3 Brewer Street, Oxford OX1 1QW
Website: ccs.org.uk
Founded: 1546
Pupils: 150
Ages: 2+ to 13
Termly Fees: Nursery: from £3,693; Pre-prep: from £5,910; Prep, day: from £8,810; Cathedral choristers, boarding: from £5,660
Head Teacher: Richard Murray
Religious Affiliation: Church of England
Entrance Procedure: Subject to satisfactory taster day in nursery and pre-prep; entrance to prep will require English and maths assessment as well as taster day; cathedral choristers require a voice trial and sleepover trial
Contact: Lisa Johnson, registrar; [email protected]
School Visits: Open events and nursery stay and plays throughout the year; individual visits by appointment
The Curriculum
The Montessori-inspired co-ed nursery prepares boys and girls for the school’s early years and pre-prep setting. For boys in years three to eight, the Christ Church Cathedral offers a rich and challenging curriculum with first-class teaching and small class sizes. Staff aim to ensure every child gets the best from each lesson and prepare them for entry to a variety of senior schools.
Games & the Arts
Mixed sports include tag rugby, bikeability, football and swimming. A range of clubs are offered, including chess, robotics, movie-making, life skills essential for modern life. The school provides choristers for three choirs: Christ Church Cathedral, Worcester College Chapel and Pembroke College Chapel. With over 150 music lessons every week, there are a large number of instrumentalists who achieve high grades.
Pastoral Care
Staff are proud of the warm and nurturing ethos of the school. Every child is noticed and feels part of the CCCS family. The tutor system ensures that each prep boy has someone looking out for him over and above the care he receives from every staff member. The pastoral team includes learning support, a full-time school matron, and a qualified school counsellor. The headmaster’s door is always open.
Recent Scholarships
Christ Church Cathedral often sends boys to as many different senior schools as it has boys, having worked with the family to identify the very best destination for their child. As a result, many pupils achieve scholarships to their destination schools, and in 2025 these included the King’s Scholarship to Eton, a golf scholarship to Harrow and music scholars to Harrow, Abingdon and St Edward’s.
Head Teacher’s Philosophy
We have high expectations of our pupils; to take any other approach is an insult to those in our care. Our teachers are exceptional, it is their inspiration which sows the seeds of a love of learning. Good manners are seen as the outward sign of kindness, thoughtfulness, and self-confidence.
Outstanding Characteristics
Being part of 500 years of Oxford history, the school’s cathedral choristers are a familiar sight in the city centre in their Wolsey caps and gowns. But all pupils, young and old, are known for their polite manners, open-mindedness and readiness to help others.
