Crime & Safety
Award‑winning Cotswolds private school named among UK’s best
Windrush Valley Prep School in Ascott‑under‑Wychwood, between Burford and Chipping Norton, is an independent primary school for boys and girls aged three to 11.
The school, which was founded in 1951, currently charges around £3,200 per term as of 2026, but prices vary depending on year group.
It is registered with the Department for Education, the Independent Schools Council and the Independent Schools Association, and is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate.
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On its main homepage, Windrush Valley states: “The school is ranked in the top 30 independent preparatory schools in England by the Sunday Times.
“Earning it the prestigious accolade of Best Prep School in Oxfordshire.
“The school has also received an Award for Excellence by the Independent School Association.
“Small class sizes, highly experienced teaching staff, affordable fees, and a focus on academic excellence are the fundamental tenets of the school.”
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The school’s “Successes and Accolades” section and historic news items record that it has appeared in The Sunday Times Best 100 Schools league table multiple times.
This includes being ranked 21st in England in an earlier edition, which it says made it the highest‑ranked prep school in Oxfordshire at that point.
Recent data compiled by education platform Think Academy, which uses SAT-based outcomes to produce a 2026 top 50 prep‑school table, places Windrush Valley around 26th nationally.
This is consistent with the school’s description of itself as a top‑30 independent preparatory school.
The 27-year-old farmhand from Chipping Norton shot to fame for featuring on the hit Amazon Prime TV series.
It follows life on Jeremy Clarkson’s 1,000 acre farm between Chadlington and Chipping Norton named Diddly Squat.
Over the weekend, father of three Mr Cooper helped out with the charity car wash at Chipping Norton fire station.
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A spokesman for the station said on Sunday: “A huge thank you to all the very generous attendees of our car wash today.
“Chipping Norton – you came out in force to support us – as always – and a whopping £1856.10 was raised for the Fire Fighters Charity.
“A massive thank you also to Kaleb Cooper for joining us for the event and also to members of our senior leadership for joining us and getting stuck in.
“We were so busy we didn’t manage to get a crew photo, so here’s a terribly merged set of photos from the day showing us all. Brilliant day all round.”
The Fire Fighters Charity provides specialist health and wellbeing support for serving and retired fire service personnel, their spouses and dependents.
It provides tailored, lifelong support including mental health, physical rehabilitation and financial assistance to the “fire family”.
Mr Cooper often helps raise money at Chipping Norton’s fire station, taking part in previous car washes.
Nathan Wilkins is wanted in connection with a ‘rape’ in Banbury that happened on March 29 this year.
The 35-year-old is described as a white man, 5ft 7ins tall, with brown hair, an unshaven beard and a slim build.
He is known to frequent shops in Banbury and the Kings Sutton area.
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Investigating officer detective constable Matthew Leney said: “We are appealing for the public’s help in tracing Nathan Wilkins.
“If you see him, please do not approach him, instead call 999.
“However, if you have information as to his whereabouts then please call 101 or make an online report, quoting reference 43260137796.
“Or if you do not wish to speak to the police you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, who will take your information 100% anonymously.”
Southerndown Care Home in Chipping Norton hosted a special police surgery with PCSO Wesley Smith and Lisa Lavington.
The visit focused on local crime challenges and scams.
Subra, general manager of Southerndown Care Home, said: “We know that crime is a concern for us all and scammers particular as they often target the elderly because they can be more trusting.
“We wanted to use the session to make sure our residents as well as friends from within the community were better informed and to know that support is always here at Southerndown Care Home as well as with the local police.”
The session educated attendees on the various ways scams can be disguised, including in-person approaches, phone calls, post, emails, and social media.
Residents, families, and friends took part in the conversation, with some sharing personal experiences and the recovery strategies they found effective.
Southerndown care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals.
It provides residential care, nursing care and dementia care from respite care to long term stays.
The home regularly holds events and activities for its residents, relatives and surrounding neighbours.
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