Boarding schools for girls in the berkshire area

[mumstoast]

im new to this but i really need some help! DD1 is looking for sixth forms and we have decided she is allowed to go to boarding school, we live in West berks but we dont want her to go too far away so we have said anywhere is berkshire or Hampshire but we would prefere berkshire. She is intersted in Stonar school, Ship Lake college and Luckley Oakfield (i know there was a post on luckley oakfield) so any opinions on them would be good and any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thank you!

[fleetundo]

There is also Bradfield College, Downe House, Licensed Victualler's School, St Mary's Ascot, St Georges Ascot, Heathfield, Wellington College. So many in Berkshire!

[mumstoast]

are there any particular ones you know about that are good in terms of results and pastoral care? do you know anything about stonar or ship lake?

[happygardening]

We looked at Shiplae a few years ago for DS1 (yr 9) it has caring staff and I did like the way the 6th form live and the way their accomadation is organised but I thought generally it was a bit wet. It has a reputation for taking children with dyslexia etc.

[mumstoast]

I think DD1 is intersted in ship lake becuase it only takes girls in sixth form eliminating her worries of having to join a group of people who are aleady friends!

[happygardening]

I've got boys so am not very clued up about girls school only what friends and their daughters say. Many schools have have another intake in the 6th form and often seperate 6th form boarding houses which also may help reduce this problem. As you live in West Berks you've must be fairly cl;ose to good motorways why not consider Wilts and Oxfordshire as well?
There are well regraded schools in both these counties. Are you looking for an academic school or a sporty school or a school with strong music or art?

[mumstoast]

we will look anywhere near us really! she is quite academic and not really sport, she enjoys drama but wouldnt take it for A level, it is more of a "fun" thing for her. she wants to take maths, physics, biology and phycology for a Level.

[happygardening]

Shiplake is not considered particularly academic. St Swithuns?? Dont know anything more than its in Hampshire.

[goinggetstough]

St Swithuns is on the outskirts of Winchester but within walking distance of town centre. It is an academic girls school. I know that 3 years ago they had a strictly enforced limit of 9 GCSEs per girl so they had time to expand their other interests and skills. It has mainly weekly boarders and no Saturday school. My friend's DD was very happy here and is now at a RG university. I am not sure how many join in the sixth form.
Many girls schools start at 11 and to join a year group that has been together for 5 years could be quite hard. My DD would have found it a nightmare, but of course it depends on the individual.

[TalkinPeace2]

st swithins is within yomping distance of town
friends have pulled their kids out as its too hothouse

[goinggetstough]

Sorry St Swithuns 10 GCSEs only, just checked the website.

[mumstoast]

is st swithuns classes as "posh"?

[happygardening]

Nothing wrong with 10 GCSE's as far as I'm aware.
I dont know how posh it is depends how you classify "posh" I wouldn't have said it was as posh as Benenden, or closer to where you are Marlborough which has a reputation for being sophisticated with lots of wealthy parents. Although there is a lot of money around Winchester and I believe it does social activities with Win Coll (who don't consider themselves posh).
Is "posh" a problem? That will be a new one for those of us who regularly post on the subject of independent schools!

[Nearlypopped]

I know about Dowen House and Bradfield. DH typically takes in about 20 new girls for sixth form but I would say that the school is too packed and not very personal. You will nearly always get more for your money if you go to a boys school - they are just richer (old boys leaving money). In fact thinking about this more, they have a great drama scene and their own greek theatre. The current head laster has only just started and I see he is a young guy with a young family etc. Please PM me if you would like to know more - i don't want to out myself. HTH

[YougreatPumpkinmousse]

Stonar is in Wiltshire so if you are prepared to go that far then only an extra 9miles ish away are some great schools in Bath. I know a few people with girls at Stonar but all are going elsewhere for 6th form, some to Bath, St MAry's Calne, Marlborough and others to Salisbury.

[mumstoast]

me and DH arent worried about it being too "posh" but DD1 has said she doesnt want to go to a really posh school. Bradfield sounds good, do you know if they have to sit exams for sixth form? does anyone know anything about luckley oakfield, she has given us the feeling this is her favoriate so far, we looked at it on the open day and it looked good but every school looks good on there open day!! we dont really want to go as far as Bath.

[happygardening]

If you look in a schools website they will tell you their minimum requirements for the 6 th form and if an entrence test is required. The very academic schools will not only require A*'s but entrence test will be very difficult as well. Lots of children come from abroad to do their A levels/IB/Pre U and there is quite a lot of c

[happygardening]

Competion for places. Ring the admissions office of the schools that interest you discuss her predicted grades at GCSE try and find out who many apply for how many places and if there is an entrence exam ask for copies of past papers most schools should be happy to help.

[goinggetstough]

HG nothing wrong with 10 GCSEs but if comparing points to another school for GCSEs might be useful to know that they had a cap on the numbers taken.
Nearlypopped just checked figures for previous years Downe House took 8 L6 in 2008 and 5 in 2009. Their numbers I believe fluctuate depending on how many leave after GCSEs and how many they take in at 11. So think that an intake of 20 is on the high side unless they have changed their admissions in the last 2 years.

[happygardening]

Apologies for spelling errors using DS mini lap top typing is so small not designed for those of us who can't find our glasses!

[happygardening]

Bradfield have a very clear detailed explanation of their requirement for entrance into their 6th form on their website. Including the fact that places are offered on the 1st of December so if your DD is in year 11 I suspect you've missed the boat.

[Nearlypopped]

Ah, ok goinggetstough - I was going on personal experience. On average 20 would leave and a new 20 arrive (I left a few years ago though). Does it specifically say that there are 8 newcomers or is that the rise in general number? Hope that makes sense? I would never recommend joining a girls school though. Those 20 that joined never really merged with the rest of the year and so just stuck together.

[goinggetstough]

nearly I counted the names of the new L6 girls in past school magazines. I wouldn't want to join a sixth form at a girls' school either as it would be difficult to break into established friendship groups.

[coffeeaddict]

I joined a girls' boarding school at sixth form. There was quite a small entry and it was hard at first but soon I was integrated and 20 years on I am still friends with girls from there, most of whom had been there all the way through. My advice to her is: get involved with activities and you will soon bond with people.

[mumstoast]

thanks for the advice, she has decided to apply for luckley oakfield and they are now just waiting for her school to send a reference and predicted grades, i would much prefere her to go to a co-ed school but she has fallen in love with luckley oakfield and it does seem nice.