- About MCS
MCS ranks among the top independent secondary schools in The Sunday Times Schools Guide 2024, placed seventh nationally and third in the Southeast. - Admissions
Approximately 1 in 10 pupils receive a bursary or scholarship. We are committed to ensuring an MCS education is open to the brightest pupils, no matter their personal circumstances.
- Junior School
“The Junior School is a very busy and happy school and here, a smile goes a long way.”
MCS ranks among the top independent secondary schools in The Sunday Times Schools Guide 2024, placed seventh nationally and third in the Southeast.
- Senior School
28 of our pupils achieved 10 or more 8 or 9 grades in 2024. - Sixth Form
Over 25% of our Sixth Form pupils take up places at Oxford and Cambridge every year.
- Supporting MCS
Your donations contribute over £150,000 a year to bursaries as well as building an endowment to fund bursaries for the future.
28 of our pupils achieved 10 or more 8 or 9 grades in 2024.
Your donations contribute over £150,000 a year to bursaries as well as building an - About MCS
MCS ranks among the top independent secondary schools in The Sunday Times Schools Guide 2024, placed seventh nationally and third in the Southeast.
- Admissions
Approximately 1 in 10 pupils receive a bursary or scholarship. We are committed to ensuring an MCS education is open to the brightest pupils, no matter their personal circumstances.
- Junior School
“The Junior School is a very busy and happy school and here, a smile goes a long way.”
- Senior School
28 of our pupils achieved 10 or more 8 or 9 grades in 2024.
- Sixth Form
Over 25% of our Sixth Form pupils take up places at Oxford and Cambridge every year.
- Supporting MCS
Your donations contribute over £150,000 a year to bursaries as well as building an endowment to fund bursaries for the future.
On Friday 11th October, OWs and current students took to the MCS Dining Hall floor to battle for the annual Gambiteers’ match. Among their ranks were Peter Watt (2012), and current Head of School James Bridson.
James writes:
“I was playing in the annual OWs vs Pupils chess match last week (my last time playing for the school) and in the second round, I thought I vaguely recognised my opponent. He was Peter Watt, OW. I faintly remembered a ‘Pete’ teaching me chess when I was younger, so I asked him whether he’d coached chess when he was in 6th Form and he had!
Peter’s CSO placement in Lower 6th was coaching after school chess at St Joseph’s in Headington, where I was a 9 year old Primary School Pupil at the time. Chess was such a large part of my life, and Pete’s coaching helped me to go on and play for the U9 Oxfordshire side, where I met loads of MCS pupils and Mr John Place — after that I couldn’t not end up at Magdalen!
The value of MCS pupils coaching chess at St Joseph’s has been incredible – the after-school club fostered a remarkable culture of chess, and my brother (now in Lower 4th) actually went on to captain the St Joseph’s team that became the first state school winners of the Oxfordshire Schools Chess League in 17 years:
In a nice sort of circle, I went back to St Joseph’s to coach chess as my CSO last year.
It was just a very nice chance encounter that reminded me of how great an impact CSO (and chess!) can have (although Pete did beat me in our match, so clearly he wasn’t that good a coach!)”
The Waynflete Office sends their thanks to John Place for organising this event, and to all the current students, MCS teachers and OWs who took part.
