- About MCS
MCS ranks among the top independent secondary schools, and in 2024 was awarded Independent School of the Year for our contribution to social mobility. - 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
In 2023-24 MCS received over £448,000 in donated funds. 70% was spent on bursaries, 17% on partnership activities and 13% on pupil activities.
In 2023-24 MCS received over £448,000 in donated funds. 70% was spent on bursaries, 17% on partnership activities and 13% on pupil activities.- About MCS
MCS ranks among the top independent secondary schools, and in 2024 was awarded Independent School of the Year for our contribution to social mobility.
- 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
In 2023-24 MCS received over £448,000 in donated funds. 70% was spent on bursaries, 17% on partnership activities and 13% on pupil activities.
The inaugural Oxford Festival of the Arts took place in June 2009, from the idyllic setting of the Junior School gardens on the banks of the River Cherwell. It was a modest affair with a couple of dozen events but even in its first year some of the highlights included talks by leading theatre director John Caird (OW 1966) and MP Tony Benn and a new commission written exclusively for the festival by composer Cecilia McDowall.
Over time the festival has grown its scope, duration and artistic aims, and is now a well-established highlight in the Oxford cultural calendar, bringing to the city world class performances such as Julius Caesar by Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in 2022.
Each year the festival offers a broad programme of events, embracing music, theatre, talks, comedy, film, literature, dance, art, photography and more. OFA celebrates Oxford’s diverse communities, and offers something for everyone irrespective of age, background or artistic experience. It is a testament to the success of the Festival that it attracts nationally and internationally renowned artists and performers, and acts as an incubator for new works and arts-based initiatives.
The Festival works extensively with cultural partners across Oxford and further afield. Recent collaborators have included Asylum Welcome, the Bodleian Libraries, Christ Church Cathedral, Dancin’ Oxford, Jesus College, Magdalen College, Modern Art Oxford, New College, New Theatre Oxford, the North Wall Arts Centre, Oxford Botanic Garden, The Story Museum, SJE Arts, the Ultimate Picture Palace, the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, and many more.
Oxford offers many historic buildings and beautiful performance spaces and the Festival is able to use these to create unique experiences for audiences.
The Festival Director, Dr Michelle Castelletti, particularly enjoys being able to juxtapose art and performances and special places, such as one of the highlights of the 2022 Festival – the breathtaking earth art installation Gaia by Luke Jerram, in the atmospheric setting of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin. During the installation there was a performance of Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks by the Academy of Ancient Music and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
The festival turned digital during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 and the performances from this time can still be enjoyed on the OFA YouTube Channel and on the archive page of the OFA website.
OFA 2022 made the most of being able to perform live again, celebrating at the Oxford Playhouse with the world premiere of Bob Chilcott’s spectacular musical Birdland, and Leave it to Puck, both MCS new commissions.
Since 2021, historian, author and broadcaster Dr Janina Ramirez has been their Patron. Janina appeared in the 2022 speaker series, in a discussion with fellow historian Dr Peter Frankopan. Other illustrious festival speakers over the years have included Brian Blessed, Darcey Bussell, Emelia Fox, Sam Mendes, Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, the photographer Rankin, and Sally Wainwright.
Like our rich, diverse, multicultural and fascinating city, the Arts are for everyone and I hope to keep growing the festival’s commitments to widen participation and embrace new challenges.
Dr Janina Ramirez, Honorary Patron, Oxford Festival of the Arts
The two weeks of the Festival are simply the pinnacle of OFA’s activities, partnership projects run throughout the year.
In 2021 over 100 budding young writers took part in the OFA short story competition. Together with the MCS Partnership Co-ordinator Mrs McDonough, OFA produced 150 Summer Holiday activity bags for 7-11-year-olds which were given out at Rosehill Community Larder and Blackbird Leys Larder. In partnership with Oxfordshire Artweeks OFA hosted an online gallery featuring over 50 entries from adults and children, amateurs, and professionals who responded to the OFA phoenix-themed art project.
To keep up to date with all things OFA subscribe to the Festival Newsletter.