Godstowe

[ailyroot]

Hi all
I have a DD who will go to Godstowe in 2017, as a foreigner to the UK, I searched a lot on this site and wonder why there seems not many families living in High Wycombe go to Godstowe? physical visit is not really a easy option for us

We plan to let DD study at Godstowe for 2-3 years and we will go back to home country, so buying a house is not a option, living area must be easy to find nice house to rent.

people on this forum mentioned " Caldicott. Burnham Beeches, Beaconsfield, Jordans\Seer Green, Chalfonts all lovely" , your detailed and honest opinions are higly appreciated.

thanks:)

[ailyroot]

btw, my DD is only 3 years old by 2017

[Zodlebud]

Godstowe is a wonderful but expensive school on the edge of High Wycombe. The people who send their girls there are generally fairly affluent and live in the larger detached houses in the surrounding villages (of which you list many above) as opposed to High Wycombe which is rather more built up with the housing stock of smaller size (albeit more reasonably priced). Also many girls from Godstowe go onto boarding school at a cost of £30k per year. Their homes are therefore going to be in more expensive areas.

[ailyroot]

I have been looking at rightmove and zoopla and seen some nice house around but not many big house with furniture. I also look at airbnb where house/rooms usually mean to have everything, but they are more like small apartments and flats.

I do wish to have a detached house but furnished, any other nice real estate agent website around?

[Zodlebud]

Most larger houses will be unfurnished by nature but any good estate agent would be able to arrange a furniture package for you. Try speaking to Savills in Beaconsfield as they would almost certainly be able to help.

[ailyroot]

is i usually a big traffic jam in the morning if we live in beaconsfield and drive kid to godstowe school?

[Zodlebud]

It's not a route I do in the morning so can't really tell. However, Godstowe is the right side of High Wycombe to Beaconsfield so you wouldn't get stuck in the traffic in HW town centre. I believe there is also a school bus which runs from Beaconsfield in the mornings.

My knowledge may be a little out of date though - based on my friend's daughter who left Godstowe a couple of years ago (and lived just outside Beaconsfield).

[ailyroot]

Zodlebud, really appreciate your inputs .

[underneaththeash]

The journey from Beaconsfield to Godstowe isn't great - 30 minutes or so, I really liked the school, but we discounted it eventually on journey time and my daughter goes to high March. There is no bus to Godstowe.

Alternatively, you could live in Gerrards Cross and send her to Maltmans Green.

Central high Wycombe itself isn't very nice.

Big rental houses in Beaconsfield don't usually come furnished, but as zoo else said I would certainly call an agent and see if they could help you with a furniture package. Beware though, developers in Beaconsfield are currently building VERY big houses on VERY small plots, which means that you get no garden and no privacy. If you do take something on without seeing it, make sure you get the garden size as well as the total plot size.

Another school to consider is the international school at Hillingdon, they will bus children in from Beaconsfield and it has a very transient school population, so may be good for your daughter to attend for such a short time.

[ailyroot]

underneattheash, thanks a lot for your info, it's so helpful.
We currently live in the busy city center here, so I do really hope we could get a house with big garden so my daughter could really enjoy her time there.

is there such places exiting where house with big garden is easier to find and transportation to Godstowe is less than 15 minutes by car?

I will also look for school mentioned for sure. I am sure I will have a lot of questions on those schools as well ;p

We want our DD become truly bilingual first , so back-and-forth between countries is the plan so far, then we will see where she thrives better, then :)

thanks for all again


thanks

[morningtoncrescent62]

OP, have you considered the Great Kingshill /Hughenden Valley area? My sister lives nearby so I know the area a bit, and I think it would be within your 15 mins by car to Godstowe (though I've never done it at school run time, which might make a difference).

Are your property requirements anything like this? It's unfurnished and I think most detached houses will be, but as pp have said, a good estate agent will be able to sort out a furniture package for you.

My sister's children went to Piper's Corner which is in the countryside near to Great Kingshill, just north of High Wycombe. They absolutely loved the school and had (and still have) nothing but good things to say about it - though the youngest left the senior part over five years ago now, so I don't have very up to date knowledge of the juniors.

[ailyroot]

Hi morning
yes, that detached house looks nice and it is what we want :)
I have not yet looked at Great Kingshill /Hughenden Valley area though but first glance looks nice. Let me dig deeper.

Piper's Corner School looks like only accept kids from 4 yr, are there any nice nurseries around you could high recommended? and how are Piper's Corner generally rated in the UK?

[Zodlebud]

Piper's Corner is not a "name" school in the UK in that outside the local area people will not have heard of it. Godstowe, however, is a school that is more widely known.

It depends on what you are looking for in a school though. A lot of Godstowe girls go onto boarding school, including schools like Wycombe Abbey. Pipers Corner goes through to 18 so is a very different type of school.

Pipers is a lovely school (it is where my girls are going at 11) but it has a very different feel to Godstowe. The only way to choose a school is to visit and see which one best fits with your parenting approach and philosophies. If a place at a top boarding school is your priority then Godstowe would be your school. If you want a more nurturing and less pressurised environment for your daughter then schools like Pipers fit the bill.

I would arrange a trip to the UK and see all the schools in the area mentioned above before making a final decision. I like Godstowe a lot but I liked Pipers better as it felt more "us". That's not something you can get from a website or recommendations from others.

[ailyroot]

I searched around schools mentioned on this thread, Piper's Corner does have really good reviews here, we will certainly pay a visit to all schools first. One thing I do notice from their website and video though, it seems there are no international students at Piper's Corner?

Now another question though, Godstowe takes girl from 3yr so we did not really look into nursery, but if we go for Piper's Corner or others, we do then need one. I am aware of ofsted and I bet it is not hard to find schools around with "outstanding" grade, but any personal actual experiences that you might share?

[Zodlebud]

My knowledge of nursery / pre-schools are some half an hour away from the area you are looking so can't comment in that respect.

You may find that there are international students at many of these schools (prime London commuter belts) but it wouldn't be specified. For example at my daughter's prep school we have children from India, the USA, Hong Kong, Peru and several European countries. Their parents are here either permanently or temporarily based on their work status. By nature you will find more internationals at private schools as they tend to be the ones with places (apart from the highly oversubscribed ones). Boarding schools sometimes indicate what level of international students they have as this can be an important consideration for parents when children are living away from home.

If you want day schools with high levels of international students then these are largely found in central London only.

[ailyroot]

Hi Zodlebud
actually I want it to be low level (try to avoid from high level ones actually) but certainly not zero. (parents' paradox ;p)

There is sensitive issue I want to ask, if board moderator thinks it is inappropriate, please delete. I heard that after Briexit, hate crimes in the UK go up by 44% , how is this issue going around all areas around Godstowe?

I know the pressures that refugee crisis might bring to the UK and certainly do not want to see it will affect our life there though.

[Zodlebud]

Yes there has been a rise in hate crime reported post Brexit. Thankfully this seems to be more prevalent in pockets around the country which have been heavily impacted by significant immigration over the last ten years or so. I have yet to come across any instances in the affluent leafy suburban areas you would be considering. In this region the majority of people voted to remain in Europe too.

I honestly do not think you would come across any problems in the area you are looking at. But then again, racist idiots can spring up anywhere, UK or abroad.

[emissionspectra]

Hi ailyroot,

My daughter goes to Godstowe, and you're right, many of the parents live in surrounding areas (some as far as Henley and Berkhamstead). However (and I may be biased) there are some lovely streets and homes in High Wycombe itself if you know where to look. I know other mums on Lucas Road, Terry Road, Pretoria Rd etc. All big plots, and a stones throw from both the school and the train station. And of course you'll get a lot more for your million in HW than in Marlow/Beaconsfield.

Personally I wouldn't relish commuting into Wyc every day for the school run as it can be a nightmare from all entrances!

[bojorojo]

I am an ex Godstowe parent. We live about 8 miles away and I can say that the journey was about 35 minutes. There are much closer locations which are lovely Chiltern villages and there are excellent houses in the leafy roads near to the school. People do travel some distance to Godstowe. My DD had friends in Henley, Maidenhead, as well as Great Missenden, Beaconsfield and Penn. They travel because they will be going to boarding school and Godstowe prepares the girls for that like no other local prep school.

You will therefore find that the majority of Godstowe girls go on to top boarding schools, usually at age 13. The school is geared to this. A few will go to the local grammar schools at 11, but the majority stay until 13. It expects, and gets, lots of girls with scholarships to the top schools (Wycombe Abbey, Downe House, Cheltenham Ladies and many more) and therefore Pipers is not often a destination for the brightest Godstowe girls. Pipers senior school recruit from their own prep school or get the girls at 11, many of whom have not passed the Bucks 11 plus, but are still pretty bright and will do well at Pipers. Also, Pipers is not boarding, so if you need that option, it is not there.

Therefore you need to choose a school which meets your senior school aspirations. I personally do not think Godstowe is expensive for what you get. We had evening activities included and all meals, books, stationery etc. You are also looking at an elite prep school for girls which is the oldest girls boarding prep school in the country. It is very different from many prep schools in the area in that it is preparing girls for many top flight academic schools. The boys equivalent is Caldicott. (Think Eton and Harrow destinations.) Godstowe is also brilliant in that it has a no selection policy. If there is space, you can go. It is easily the best prep for girls, but that would depend on what you want at 11 or 13. They also have a number of girls who are bilingual and travel back home. This may not be the case elsewhere.

[ailyroot]

thank you all for these extremely useful information
We have registered for Godstowe Nursery 2017 :)