Appointment of an Incumbent for the Benefice of Woodstock & Bladon and Area Dean for the Woodstock Deanery

Parish Profile

https://woodstockandbladon.com

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Foreword by the Bishop of Dorchester

7th February 2019

Even if you take away the Rectory, with its wonderful views across the Blenheim Estate; the opportunity to be Area Dean of an interesting, developing Deanery; the two vibrant congregations in Bladon and Woodstock respectively; the newly refurbished and reordered Church at Woodstock; the three excellent Church Schools; and the life of these communities in which the Rector has a significant role to continue to play, this post would still be one to consider carefully and prayerfully given all the opportunities it presents.

Rather than listing the many good things that are already going on in the benefice and deanery let me outline some of the priorities as I see them. The first thing to say is that these are parish churches with their own identities linked to the communities of which they are a part. Physically the buildings are well placed, and will continue to be even with the large new housing development in Woodstock itself. In terms of their churchmanship they are fairly ‘central’ and would not want to become ‘party’ churches (there are plenty of those a few miles away in central Oxford), but they are willing to look at doing things in new ways, and will be looking for a Rector to help them explore these, particularly in relation to children and families.

Secondly, I have already mentioned the new housing which is a characteristic both of this benefice, but also of other communities in the deanery. Here there are opportunities for creative thinking and shared working which will develop over the next 10 years, and the deanery has a cohesion, historically, which could help this to happen.

Finally, I would stress that these are places where prayers have been said for centuries – and it shows. Whoever is appointed needs to be someone who takes the ‘Contemplative’ strand of the Diocesan ‘3Cs’ (Contemplative, Compassionate, Courageous) very seriously indeed.

It would be untrue to say that there are not some challenges ahead. As you will see numbers did go down during the period of Woodstock church’s refurbishment and have not recovered since – but the opportunities are all there and I warmly commend this post to you.

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From the Area Dean

Woodstock Deanery is a varied Deanery and includes some significant communities, especially in Yarnton, Eynsham and Woodstock which are all in the South of the Deanery. Most people live in the south of the Deanery and the north is reasonably rural. The Deanery encircles Blenheim Palace, includes Oxford Diocese's Church House and borders Oxford Deanery. The Deanery consists of only 8 Benefices with a variety of church tradition and theology among churches. However, despite our variety, our Deanery functions well, and the clergy and lay people get on well together. We have some gifted priests and lay people within our Deanery who want to see the church flourish.

We currently have an agreed Deanery Mission Action Plan and an agreed formula for sharing Parish share across the Deanery. You will find a very supportive Lay Chair in Liz Whittle and all Deanery posts are filled.

I am currently acting as Area Dean, due to the previous Area Dean (and indeed Rector of Woodstock and Bladon) leaving our Diocese for another post. I was previously Area Dean for 5 years and took it up temporarily to cover the interregnum. As I recently was appointed Assistant Archdeacon of Dorchester, I will be pleased to hand over the role of Area Dean, to someone with sufficient time to do the job well.

If you would like to know anything more about the Deanery please do give me a call on 01993 881270.

You will be assured of a warm welcome to our Deanery, and we very much look forward to welcoming you as our next Area Dean.

David Tyler Current Area Dean of Woodstock

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The Diocesan Perspective

The Diocese of Oxford is the Church of England in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.

Together, we are the Church, called and sent by God as disciples of Jesus Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit. We are a living, growing network of more than a thousand congregations, chaplaincies and schools.

Together, we are called to be more Christ-like: to be the Church of the Beatitudes: contemplative, compassionate and courageous for the sake of God’s world.

Together, we work with God and with others for the common good in every place in one of the great crossroads of the world.

Together, we are called to proclaim the Christian faith afresh in this generation with joy and hope and love.

Together, we are called to dream dreams and see visions of what could be, and see those visions come to birth.

The common vison focal areas currently are: Making a bigger difference in the world and serving the poor Growing new churches and new congregations Serving every school Putting discipleship at the heart of our common life Sharing faith - catechesis Children and young people

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Introduction

The Benefice of Woodstock with Bladon comprises the Parishes of St Mary Magdalene, Woodstock and St Martin’s Bladon. We seek a new Rector who will also be Area Dean of the Woodstock Deanery. The benefice is in the Dorchester Archdeaconry and the Bishop of Dorchester’s Episcopal Area within the Diocese of Oxford.

Our church life is in the mainstream Anglican tradition. We value our liturgical and musical tradition and we are always willing to explore new forms of liturgy. The clergy are appropriately robed for all Eucharistic and formal services. Our congregations are, on the whole, well-educated and liberal in theological outlook and include people at different stages on the Christian journey. We enjoy an intelligent and well-argued sermon, sometimes accompanied by visual aids.

St Mary Magdalene, Woodstock, was re-ordered in 2017 so that we now have a building that is fit-for-purpose. With no major church building issues for foreseeable future, we can focus on the mission of the church. Mission  To proclaim the good news of Christ  To consolidate and grow the church  To nurture and grow in our faith in ways that resonate in our daily lives  To serve God and one another and to be deeply rooted and involved in the local community – reaching out to all our neighbours and beyond Person Specification

 A strong personal faith and commitment to personal spiritual growth with sound theological and biblical knowledge.

 Enthusiasm for communicating the word of God engagingly and intelligently to people who are at different places on the Christian pilgrimage and who have different levels of understanding of the Christian faith, with a view to consolidating and growing the Christians in our churches and in our wider community.

 A leader who will work closely in collaboration with clergy and laity alike to encourage and inspire their gifts and talents who is able to minister pastorally to people from a range of backgrounds.

 Comfortable with different styles of worship within the Benefice and in the wider Anglican Church; sensitive to liturgy; appreciation for and engagement with our churches’ choral and musical traditions

 Willing to try new ways of relating worship to children and young people and developing their spirituality. Committed to the safeguarding of children and

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vulnerable adults. Able to strengthen links with the three church schools within the Benefice

 A commitment to sustaining our churches as an Inclusive Church

 Willing to be a visible presence in both our communities.

Woodstock & Bladon

Woodstock and Bladon are about 9 miles north of Oxford and 7 miles from Witney. The Blenheim estate lies between the two parishes. The current estimated population of Woodstock and Bladon is 4,208 of whom 26% are estimated to be 65 or over.1

The area is beautiful and the housing is expensive (even compared to surrounding area) which means that the average age of the population is higher than national average with many retired people and with a much higher level of professionals.

Woodstock

Woodstock is a small town but has the amenities of a Co-op, dentist, opticians, doctors’ surgery, primary and secondary schools (both church schools) an open-air swimming pool, museums and numerous pubs, coffee shops, restaurants and hotels. Supermarkets are in Kidlington and Witney and Oxford is a good shopping and cultural centre.

A Farmers Market is held on the Town Square on the first and third Saturdays of the month.

Woodstock has good transport links. There are frequent bus services between Woodstock and Oxford (many running via Oxford Parkway station) and to Witney and Burford.

Hanborough station, about three miles away, has regular services to Oxford, London, Worcester and Hereford. Oxford Parkway station about six miles distant has a regular fast service to London Marylebone. Oxford station has services to London Paddington and cross-country services to the South Coast and to the Midlands, North of England and Scotland.

There are major housing developments around Woodstock and Bladon. A further 900 dwellings are planned for Woodstock alone (with probably more after that). Plans for additional housing have been contentious in the local community, but it is clear that the parishes will be growing significantly in the coming years with all the attendant opportunities for mission.

There is some employment in the town, particularly at Owen Mumford a major manufacturer of plastic components and medical devices. Blenheim is a major employer. However the majority of the working-age population commutes to Oxford,

1 2015 estimates taken from West Oxfordshire Datapack, February 2017

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Witney and other employment hubs in central Oxfordshire. Some people commute to London.

Blenheim Palace is a World Heritage Site and attracts almost a million visitors a year. Despite the numbers, only two or three Blenheim events each year cause any major disruption locally. Most visitors to Blenheim do not spend time in Woodstock or Bladon. The Cotswolds on our doorstep are also a major tourist attraction. Bladon churchyard has the grave of Sir Winston Churchill which is visited by many people. Woodstock is home to the Oxfordshire Museum, the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum and is a destination for eating and sociable drinking outside of Oxford.

Woodstock has a trade organisation called Wake up to Woodstock (www.wakeuptowoodstock.com) who organise events in and around the town including a music festival and a craft fair towards Christmas. Woodstock Church is a member. There are number of clubs and societies such as Brownies and Guides, a Youth Club, Stroke Club, History Society, Natural History group, Rotary, Probus, Women’s Institute, etc

Bladon

Bladon has the church, a pub, and a Church primary school. Public transport links are good. There is a half hourly bus service from Woodstock through Bladon past the railway station at Hanborough to Witney and Burford. The road through Bladon is extremely busy and will become even more congested as new housing is built in the area. Bladon itself has had some infill building by the Blenheim estate and we have welcomed some of the newcomers to our congregation. There is potential for encouraging further Church membership from the young families moving into the area.

The parish has a population of about 800 people. From the 2011 census of the West Oxfordshire area, in which Bladon is situated, there was a similar proportion of young people under 16 as the national average. There are however, a slightly above average number of people aged 65 or over. The area has a relatively low proportion of residents from ethnic minorities.

Bladon people work in Oxford or in the local Business and Science Parks. Some employment is provided by the nearby airport which mostly operates with private jets. The younger people tend to be professionals, house prices are high in this area, in Oxford it is estimated that the average house is 16 times the average salary. Unemployment in West Oxfordshire was below half the national average at the time of the 2011 Census and this has continued.

A lot of effort goes into creating a feeling of community in the village. The Church Room, which is owned and managed by the Church, is the only village hall at the moment. The former village hall was taken down some years ago because it had asbestos in it and was dilapidated. This old village hall had been a gift from the Blenheim Estate. A Village Hall Committee was formed and recently this group has gathered the funds accumulated from the old Hall and spent it on creating a playground and a community garden.

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Bladon Parish Council writes:

“We take great pride in this unique village which runs alongside the southern boundary of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Blenheim Palace. The village itself is a mixed community of all ages and socio-economic profiles. The Parish Council has done much to support the present and future generations by working tirelessly to provide a large recreation and meadow area (opened in 2017) as well as urging any building developments to ensure affordable housing provision is secured for young people with local connections.

The Parish Council prioritises maintaining the natural beauty and monuments of the village by organising regular volunteer weeding parties, repainting street signs and generally keeping the village tidy despite the high numbers of visitors to Blenheim, parking difficulties and heavy commuter traffic; they coordinate opinion about the volume of traffic passing through the village and have worked to install pedestrian traffic lights outside the popular village primary school. The service at the village cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday is organised by the Parish Council and they run and maintain the Parish Cemetery which was opened after St Martin's churchyard became full and closed.”

There is a clear desire for the new Rector to actively engage with the diverse village community and to help prioritise the benefits of unity, particularly for the younger residents. Open and energetic engagement will enable more residents to flourish and support one another in faith, and in participation towards a strong and cohesive community. It is hoped the new Rector will have a close, active, relationship with the Parish Council, and the villagers in general.

In summary, Woodstock and Bladon are both active communities and the quality of life is excellent even with future population growth.

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Ministry Team & Worship

Curate The Reverend Alice Dell-Venning Associate Minister The Reverend Dr Shaun Henson Hon Associate Priest The Reverend Dr Stephen Pix

Licensed Lay Ministers Mrs Gail Ward Dr Ben Knighton Lay Pastoral Assistant Mr Mark Smith

Churchwardens Bladon Woodstock Mollie Hance Chris Wallworth Malcolm Sydenham Ruth Sutherland

Sunday Worship Average attendance

8.00 am Woodstock Holy Communion (BCP) 15

9.30 am Bladon Sung Eucharist (Common Worship) 40 Family Service (3rd Sunday) 30

11.00 am Woodstock Sung Eucharist (Common Worship) 80 Family service (1st Sunday) 60

4.00 pm Woodstock (4th Sunday) Young Families Tea Time Service 27

5.30 pm Spencer Court Service (led by Churches Together in rotation)

Weekday Worship

9.05 am Daily Woodstock Morning prayer 3

10.00 am Wednesday Woodstock Holy Communion (BCP) 12

6.00 pm 3rd Saturday Woodstock Encounters Youth Service 10

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Baptisms, Weddings & Funerals

Baptisms Weddings Funerals Woodstock Bladon Woodstock Bladon Woodstock Bladon 2016 29 6 13 6 26 2 2017 7 4 3 8 12 9 2018 5 8 9 3 10 10

Woodstock church was closed for re-ordering from May to November 2017 so the number of Occasional Services during 2017 is unrepresentative.

Churches Together

Both Churches are part of a local ecumenical organisation Churches Together in Woodstock and Bladon which offers a weekly service on Sundays at 5.30pm in Spencer Court, our local Residential and Nursing Home. Woodstock has Roman Catholic, Baptist and Methodist Churches as well as the Anglican Church. This means that each Church leads approximately one service per month.

Aspirations for the future

To see the Church in Woodstock & Bladon grow in numbers and faith

To communicate who we are and what we do, both to our own members and to our communities.

To build up our ministry to children and young people, strengthening the work of our young worship team and the Woodstock Youth Work Trust (see page 25)

To begin a healing ministry in the Benefice.

To rejuvenate the musical life of the Church and to develop a junior choir in Bladon

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St Mary Magdalene, Woodstock

As a building the church includes work from several different periods. Originally the church was built at the end of the 12th century (Henry II);what is now the south-east corner of the Nave. It was rebuilt in the 14th century and the chancel and first Tower added later.

The south door (external) is a fine example of Norman design; the font can be dated to the early 14th century and was restored to the church during the Victorian restoration-it was discovered being used as a bird bath in a local garden. There are carved capitals on the south aisle pillars depicting real people from Woodstock in the 14th century and possibly earlier.

The west tower was built in 1784-86 replacing an earlier tower which had collapsed. It houses a peal of eight bells (recently reframed) and a clock mechanism dated 1792 with a celebrated carillon playing popular tunes from the late 18th century.

A major restoration took place under architect Blomfield in 1877-8 when the north aisle was added together with the chancel arch and north nave arcades, all at a cost of about £7,000.

There are many stone memorials in the south aisle, a number of which are of interest, including one to Dr William Mavor (Rector 1810-1837), adjacent to the south door and another to Captain James King, Rector 1777-1801, who accompanied Captain Cook on his global circumnavigation. There are two notable brass monuments, firstly to Richard Bailey (d. 1461) and secondly to Jerome Keyt (d. 1631), fellow of St John’s College.

All of the stained glass (save for a 14th century fragment reset in the vestry in 1884) is 19th century and is of local interest. The west window is a gift of Dr Mavor and the east window (Burlison and Grylls) is the gift of the 8th Duke of Marlborough in 1883 and commemorating the ministry of Arthur Majendie (Rector 1876-1895).

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The later 20th century has seen the creation of 3 rooms and a lavatory in the far east of the north aisle replacing the old vestry and organ chamber. In addition the chancel screen was moved to the west end of the nave in 1999.

In 2017 the church was closed for 6 months and major refurbishment was completed costing £600,000. This work included new electrics, lighting, heating, toilets, seating, audio visual systems and complete redecoration. WiFi is available throughout the building. This work enables the church to be a wonderfully flexible space for worship and in addition is a community hub hosting events of every kind, including the Harvest Lunch pictured above. Many people gave generously towards this project, in particular the Blenheim estate who made a substantial donation and loaned £80,000 interest free. About £60,000 of this loan is still outstanding.

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St Martin’s, Bladon

There has been a Church on the site since the 11th century but the present Church was rebuilt in 1891. The weekend closest to 10th June, the date when the new Church was dedicated, was designated as the Bladon Feast weekend for many years and even now we have a Bladon Feast in June, but not always the weekend closest to the 10th June. Last year the Feast was held in the grounds of Blenheim Palace. There were races for the children and a bouncy castle. The Friends of St Martin's provided cream teas and there was music and dancing on Saturday evening. On Sunday morning a Feast breakfast was served in the school grounds and a Church service was held celebrating the event.

The toddlers group which meets weekly in term. This group is really appreciated in the village, but the numbers attending fluctuate wildly, from 2 to 9 families. St Martin's do not charge for the hire of the Church Room and a huge store of toys is kept there for the children. Every summer the toddlers group finance a trip to the Cotswold Wild Life Park for the families. Coffee, tea and biscuits are served to the carers, financed from the £1 per family which is charged. There is a rota of helpers, not all of whom are Churchgoers, although the organiser is a Churchgoer.

Toddler Group is informal Christmas Lunch 2017

The Lunch Club has been in existence for many years. It is held on the first Tuesday of every month. We charge £3 for a main course, slice of home-made cake and tea or coffee. Numbers vary from around 15 to over 30 during the year and the Christmas lunch usually sells 40 tickets at £6 each.

The Friends of St Martin's Bladon was started in 2001 and is a separate registered charity. An important aim of the Friends is to provide a link between the Church and people in Bladon who, although interested and supportive of the Church, do not come to services regularly. Events are held about twice per year. One of the events is a supper to mark the Patronal Festival in November, but these events can include celebrating the Queen's 90th birthday with a tea or a lecture, concert or film show. Trips to the theatre and the home of Sir Winston Churchill in Kent have also been organised by them. They have contributed several thousand pounds to the maintenance of the Church, paying for notice boards, cupboards, a carpet and

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replacement heating in the Church and the Church Room as well as renovation of the lych gate and several other projects. They have reserves of around £9,000.

Not all Friends' events are serious

We have a team of bellringers, not all of whom are Churchgoers, and we have an experienced robed choir of 12 adults who lead the sung Eucharist on 2nd and 4th Sundays as well as on festivals. Coffee is served after all Sunday services in the Church Room.

A major feature of our Church is the Churchyard, which was closed to new burials in 2005. We have the grave of Sir Winston Churchill as well as the graves of many members of his family. Visitors from all over the world come to the graves and we try to make the visit as meaningful as possible by supplying information about the Churchill family and also providing material to remind them that our main mission is to worship God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We see an opportunity for evangelism that could be developed with our visitors.

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Organisation and Finance

The two churches within the benefice operate separately with some shared facilities and activities. When joint decisions have been needed between the two parishes over many years they have been agreed amicably. The Clergy work together across both parishes and the three schools in a flexible way.

Shared

We have a part time Clergy Secretary (15 hours a week) who works in the church office in St Mary Magdalene church in Woodstock. Her role is to be the first point of contact regarding bookings (weddings, baptisms, funerals and hire of the church) and anything else. She is responsible for the email list, coordinating the weekly news sheet, printing service sheets and general admin. She completes all the quarterly returns etc required by the Diocese.

There is a house for the curate in Bladon where the Associate Minister currently resides and the Diocese rents another house for the curate.

Woodstock

PCC and volunteering

The PCC has 11 members and meets at least 6 times a year for 90 to 120 mins. Meetings are good, productive and amicable but with challenge and rigour. The two Churchwardens are invaluable and provide significant support. There is one subcommittee, the Finance committee which has 5 members. There are five teams (for each Sunday of the month) that assist at the 11.00 am Sunday service by providing welcomers, sidespersons, reading, intercessions and refreshments after the service. There is a rota for opening and locking the church and volunteers look after other aspects of running then church, including free-will offering envelope and gift aid, cleaning and maintaining the churchyard. Our Lay Pastoral Assistant is currently exploring a call to ordained ministry, and assists with services and in a pastoral role in the parish. We have a trained pastoral team to visit those in any need.

Like most churches, we need to persuade more people to help so that the necessary work is spread more evenly across the congregation.

Finances

The budgeted income for 2018 is £97,000 of which 76% is planned giving, gift aid, a lease and fees. Total expenditure is about the same, including the parish share and share of fees to the Diocese which together amount to 66% of our outgoings. The Blenheim Estate gave us an interest free flexible loan of £80,000 (together with a substantial gift) for the reordering of the church. £20,000 has been repaid to date (within less than a year since completion of the re-ordering) and the aim is to pay off the balance within 5 years. The quinquennial inspection has just been completed and has given the church building a clean bill of health. The 2019 the parish share is

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due to increase substantially and we are negotiating the exact amount with the Deanery.

After three years of fund-raising for the re-ordering of the church, we now plan a campaign to increase giving in early 2019. We have noticed a fall off in cash collections due to a reduction in congregation size attributable to the current interregnum. We are confident that this will reverse once a new Rector is appointed.

Bladon

Bladon PCC has a membership of 14 including two Deanery synod representatives. This number includes the Curate, Associate Priest and Churchwardens. The PCC meets 4 to 5 times per year. Meetings are generally good natured and quite often papers are circulated prior to the meeting so that everyone is well prepared to discuss any issues. Meetings are usually over in less than 2 hours. There are no sub committees and the Standing Committee has not met for several years. All members of the PCC act as welcomers. The Churchwardens set up the Church weekly for services and organise a rota of readers and intercessors.

Finances

Bladon's finances are healthy. The Parish Share presents no problem at the moment and is paid in full. The Church Room and the Church Cottage next door to it are owned by the PCC. These properties were bequeathed by the family of the Rev'd Arthur Majendie, the Rector who, at the end of the 19th Century, renovated the Church. An additional house, 19 Park Close, Bladon was bought by the PCC, largely from funds donated after the burial of Sir Winston Churchill in our Churchyard.

Church Cottage is occupied by Miss Marenka Roseby, who pays rent and also opens and closes the Church for us as well as frequently acting as verger for weddings, funerals and christenings. She is on the PCC and is our Deanery Synod representative. The other house, 19 Park Close, is occupied by the Rev'd Dr Shaun Henson our Honorary Associate Priest.

For the year ending 2017, our accounts show that we had a net income of £8,176 from the sale of cards etc and donations from visitor. Our reserves, which are invested, were valued at £22,856 at 31st December, 2017. We had a quinquennial inspection in 2018 and the Church, which is a grade II building, is in good repair needing little to be done. However, we are aware that our heating boiler is old and have been told by the engineer that parts are no longer available for it, so we must renew it. Our organ is a fine pipe organ from 1906 but there has been no significant work done on it and we would like to have it renovated as soon as possible. The Churchyard was closed in 2005 and West Oxfordshire District Council contributes £2,000 per year to its upkeep whilst the Churchill Trust contributes £1,000 annually.

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Music at St Mary Magdalene’s Woodstock

Woodstock Church has an active musical life and has benefited from its association with Bladon Choir and with Woodstock Music Society and Chamber Orchestra, which holds a series of concerts in the church during the year. The combined choirs participated in events organised by the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum in 2014 and 2016 to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of World War 1 and of the Battle of the Somme, respectively.

Since the re-ordered church re-opened, frequent concerts and musical events have taken place in the new space, enhanced by greatly improved acoustics and lighting and by the flexible seating. Performances have ranged from song and instrumental recitals to Gilbert and Sullivan.

A longer term project is the replacement of the current digital organ with a pipe organ. An initial donation for this has already been received.

There are a number of challenges which will affect the future of the use of music in our services. The choir has gradually reduced in numbers and vocal strength over the past two years, especially during the period when the church was closed for reordering. A choral Eucharist is still offered each Sunday but a fresh approach to music during the Sunday services may be warranted. Music at St Martin's Bladon

At St Martin's we are fortunate in having a director of Music Mr Tom McCoy who is a fine musician. The choir is very experienced but could benefit from some new members. There are 12 regular singers, 3 tenors, 3 sopranos, 4 altos and 2 basses who sing at services on 2nd and 4th Sundays. We have well attended candle lit carol services at Christmas and on occasions we have had "sing ins" of The Messiah at Christmas and Stainer's Crucifixion at Easter. Beyond our parishes Charities

Among the charities and organisations we support are:

North Oxfordshire Food Bank – there is a collection box for food donation sat the back of Woodstock church.

Goodwill Children's Homes which provides funding to give long-term care and education to destitute children in South India.

Samaritans

Woodstock Youth Work Trust

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Our twin parish in Sweden

Over recent years Woodstock has created a link with the Parish of Gränna-Visingsö in Sweden. This has created a welcome friendship between the two parishes. There have been several exchange visits which has included our previous Rector, regular Church worshipers and the Church Wardens. The visits have enabled us to see the attractive town, meet local people and of course join in their church services. We would very much like this exchange to continue, strengthen and flourish. Swedes speak excellent English so knowledge of Swedish is not required.

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‘

’ Detached rectory 2 bathrooms

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Drawing room Large garden Hall, study Stunning views 4 Bedrooms Ample parking Kitchen Period style features Utility The Rectory, Woodstock, is a substantial detached modern home, built in a traditional Cotswold style and set in a low maintenance garden overlooking Blenheim Estate and with a view from the garden of The Grand Bridge and surrounding grounds designed by Capability Brown. Lord Randolph Churchill (father of Winston) called the view of the Palace across the Great Lake from the Woodstock Gate, the 'finest view in England' when he first saw it in 1874.

The house is a short walk from the Church and all the shops, restaurants and amenities of Woodstock and the fabulous country walks available to residents through the estate.

Property details provided by Flowers Estate Agents

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Our Schools THE MARLBOROUGH CHURCH of ENGLAND SCHOOL

Shipton Road, Woodstock, Oxon OX20 1LP

Telephone (01993) 811431 Fax (01993) 813530 email www.marlborough.oxon.sch.uk

The Marlborough Church of England School has a distinctly Christian ethos, informed by our central belief that every individual child is unique and valued. This belief is confirmed in our Christian vision and value statement, which shape and influence all policy and practice in our school.

The life of the church and that of the school are closely entwined as we serve the same community. As a Church of England School we have benefitted from a close relationship with the Church in Woodstock for a number of years. This has included regular visits by the Rector to lead Collective Worship (Whole School Assemblies) at key times in the Anglican Calendar – Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter and Pentecost as well as providing a strong Christian presence at the school’s annual Remembrance Assembly. We also have student-led services in the school that are the highlight of our Christmas celebrations. We also hold the Year 13 Leavers’ Service - a ‘rite of passage’ for our pupils – at St Mary Magdalene Church, Woodstock.

The local Rector and the church play a crucial role in promoting and developing the spiritual well- being of our school – upholding its distinctive Christian character and embedding Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural Development. We have engaged a dedicated teaching member of staff as a Personal Development and SIAMs Leader as we recognise the importance of enhancing and maintaining the Christian character of our school.

Our Christian ethos also contributes to the broad and rich Elective Programme which is unique to our school. The Faith in the Community Elective is compulsory for all students and enables them to be familiar with local places of Christian worship within our community and supports the Christian values which form the foundation of our school.

As a subject, Religious Education is thriving and has seen a significant increase in the number of students studying Religious Education at A Level. The RE Department continue to develop links with local Christian organisations including the North Oxfordshire Community Foodbank, the Prison Ministry and a national prayer space organisation to encourage a regular, temporary prayer space. This initiative involves

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converting a classroom into a place of mediation and reflection and is visited by all students. Working with external Christian organisations has provided a rich breadth of spiritual and cultural experiences for our students.

We remain committed as a school to continuing our close links with the Benefice of Woodstock and Bladon and encourage and welcome involvement on a practical, strategic and Governance level. This relationship is crucial in helping us grow as a school community as well as individuals shaped in the image of God.

Andrew Hanlon, Principal

Mr Andrew Hanlon, Principal, with students at the 2017 Remembrance Service Parade, Woodstock

Woodstock CE Primary School

www.woodstock.oxon.sch.uk

Welcoming a new Rector for Woodstock & Bladon

Woodstock CE Primary is a school where individuals are valued and helped to achieve their personal best. Children are supported in becoming confident and independent young people, who thrive on challenge, and are motivated to learn. All schools have their own distinctive ‘feel’ that makes each one unique. We believe that the ‘special feel’ at Woodstock Primary comes from our caring, supportive and friendly environment.

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I am extremely proud to lead a team that is committed to children's wellbeing, achieving high standards and providing the very best opportunities for all in our care. Staff, supported by governors, work hard to deliver a rich and challenging curriculum; to prepare children for future education; and to help them acquire the skills and enthusiasm needed to embrace the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

We are a 1.5-form entry school and have 45 children in each year from Reception to Year 6. We value equality and inclusion, and all classes are mixed-year with three classes in KS1, three in Years 3/4, and three in Years 5/6. We are proud of our Church foundation and work closely with our local churches and particularly with St Mary Magdalene’s. We welcome a new Rector and look forward to maintaining and further developing our links with the Church through:

 Regular collective worship taken by church leaders.

 Collective worship, celebration of Christian festivals and services at Church.

 Church support to help us provide enriched Christian experiences for our children, such as Easter Experience, Open the Book, Prayer Space.

 Support for RE teaching about Christianity.

 Establishing an after school Church Club along the lines of ‘Messy Church’.

 Mentoring and pastoral support for staff and families in times of need.

 Involvement as Governor to promote and support our school identity and Christian distinctiveness. Accessing training to help support ongoing school improvement.

Lisa Rowe, Headteacher

Bladon CE Primary School

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Bladon CE Primary School

www.bladon.oxon.sch.uk The Church of England Primary School describes itself as a “school where the values and vision of the Christian faith inspire and strengthen us”.

It is a small 4 class school which prides itself in “being a joyful safe, creative and progressive school, where staff and families work together to nurture self-belief and inspire a love for learning, a place where every child will reach their own unique potential and where all of our children, families and staff are valued, respected and supported, a place where the educational, physical, emotional and spiritual needs of every child will be met, a place where we create meaning and purpose by connecting to each other and our community.”

On the school website (www.bladon.oxon.sch.uk/school-information) the Rector stated that “I really enjoy my association with Bladon Primary school. The proximity of church and school mean that we can welcome children, staff and parents to worship at church on a regular basis. My curate and I lead worship in school every week, and it is excellent to see how the children grow in spiritual awareness and take a delight in the space we provide for them to reflect on faith, on life, and on the world around them”

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Woodstock Youth Work Trust

Woodstock Youth Work Trust is an Ecumenical Christian youth work project that exists to see the young people of Woodstock and its surrounding areas to go deeper in their relationship with God, and come alongside them for as much or as little of their own personal faith journey that they want to explore in this stage of their life. The heart of the trust is to be commissioned by the churches and, partnering with the local schools, to be embedded in the community as a means for reaching young people where they are at. This is done through discipleship groups, discussion groups, social groups, school groups, and supporting local secular youth work activities and events.

One of the key parts of this is the monthly worship service that takes place at St Mary Magdalene Church, Woodstock entitled ‘Encounter'. The heart for Encounter is to bring together all the Christian young people together, regardless of denomination, in order to worship the same corporal Lord. We do this through singing, talks, sharing ideas, and praying together. A key part of these evenings is to give the young people the space to encounter God, the opportunity to encounter their Christian peers, and the equipping to help others in their lives encounter God for themselves. Through this time we have seen young people coming to know God more intimately, become more involved in their own relationship with Him, and explore what it means to live for Jesus

Matt Bodinham. Youth Worker

https://woodstockyouthworktrust.co.uk/

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