Hampshire - Rookwood or Farliegh School ?

[RosemaryandThyme]

My SIL is thinking of sending her DS to private school in North Hampshire - she mentioned these two - I have absolutley zero knowledge - has anyone heard of these at all ?
Thank you

[EBDteacher]

Rookwood is very small, I would advise her to look carefully into it's finances. Also as it runs to 16 they might not have much motivation to prepare children for 11+ or 13+ so it depends what she wants for senior school.

I would have said Farliegh was the more solid bet.

[RosemaryandThyme]

Thank you EBD - that's a great point re finances, I'm thinking there might to accounts filed somewhere that she could track down, she did see the staying till 16 as a plus point, no need to look around for somewhere else but to me (use to a middle school system) it seemed like ages at one school 4-16.

[EBDteacher]

She would then have to change her children for 6th form though? I don't think that's the point at which I'd like my DS to change schools. I know in Hampshire most of the state schools are 11-16 and then on to separate 6th form colleges- I actually think I might go private to avoid that!!

Accounts available here on the Charity Commissions website. Looks like they do live within their means but I know absolutely nothing about money.

[mummytime]

Have you looked at Hampshires sixth form colleges though, some of them are fabulous.

[EBDteacher]

I know they are mummytime but I still think (personal opinion only) that it's less than ideal to change school at that point. Especially if the curriculum is going to become more of a baccalaureat style continuum from 14-19.

DH is from Hampshire. He went to a boarding school but his three brothers were in the state system. They all did very well at GCSE where their school knew them and kept them on track. They then changed to colleges and each took their foot off the gas. The colleges were big and didn't know them as individuals and so all three of them were allowed to coast. None of them did as well at A Level as they could have. I'm not saying that will happen in every case (DH's sister was fine) but think there is more potential for that to happen if you change setting than if you stay on at school.

[QTPie]

Hi EBDteacher

I was another Hampshire state educated person (Test Valley then Cricklade). I did pretty well at GCSEs (7As - all academic - B in Art, C in Technical Drawing), then similarly "took my foot of the gas" in 6th Form (disappointing B in maths, Cs in English & Geography). In the late 80s/early 90s (before A* etc). To be perfectly honest, I think that I would have done a lot better in a more "formal" 6th Form environment... But obviously different people benefit from different things... I did fine at university (in the end - 2.1 in my degree, then a Masters with Commendation from Bristol Uni), BUT I did make life difficult for myself not having good A levels.... And I think it is even more competitive (getting into Uni) these days...

Good luck.

[QTPie]

(Good luck to the OP, rather than EDBteacher...)

[RosemaryandThyme]

Thanks so much, my children too are caught in the situation of having to find somewhere new at 16 I think all of Hampshire has this ?
EBD you mentioned going private to avoid this would there be private schools around Hampshire that went up to 18 would you know ?
The only other thought was to aim over the boarder into Wiltshire for the Grammer schools that go on to 18 - though suspect entrance exams are very competitive.
QT did you have lots from your school going on to Cricklade ? I'm thinking that friends are so important at that stage that hving to start at a new setting nd make new friends would be an up-hill battle.

[mummytime]

Lots of kids change school st 16 even when in all through schools. There is also a big jump between GCSE and A'level, there isn't much time to. Slack off, but then again everything is changing again. I don't see any evidence of a 14-18 baccalaureate especially after the demise of the diploma.

[severeandcomplex]

I'm sure there would be- I don't know Hampshire other that DH's experience of growing up there.

The Independent Schools' Council have a 'find a school' thing where you can enter your postcode here.

What about this place? Disclaimer: I have no inside information what so ever about any school in Hampshire! DH went to Winchester but obv that only starts at 13.

[severeandcomplex]

I am EBD by the way- just remembered I am on a different log in. I notice Hampshire Collegiate School has a bus route from Andover, which I assume is where you are from the location of the other two schools?

PS I am not stalking you- DH and I (both teachers) have just been helping one of his brothers look for a teaching job in Hampshire so I have developed an interest in his local schools!

[fallenangle]

If its in Andover My Mum told me about out their roadside sign. It said Rookwood School for Girls, Preparatory for Boys She reckoned it would have been pointless sending me there as they wouldn t have been able to teach me anything.

[TalkinPeace2]

Rookwood always pay DH on time when he goes there
he's not been to the other

Hampshire is over endowed with private schools because people from elsewhere send their kids to board here

HCS is a good un
lots of preps
feed into the state secondaries or the privates like KES and the Salisbury Grammar (only comps in Hampshire)
and almost all Hampshire state schools stop at GCSE

there is a HUGE flow between private and state so it really is a choice for parents

[RosemaryandThyme]

Thank you so much for your feedback everyone - HCS website just blew me away too be honest that is just so utterly beautiful, no mention of bursry's though - am guessing they are highly over-subscribed - if ever we win the lottery......

Off to try and find out what school KES stands for - just to make myself green with envy I'm sure !

[TalkinPeace2]

Rosemary
HCS are looking to expand ....
King Edwards School in Southampton is highly selective
if you are Andover way, look at the north of the forest and the bottom of the A34
Stroud, Sherborne House, Twyford, Moyles Court, St Swithuns, Port Regis (I do yoga with some of each of their PTA) - there's lots
and because the state schools are so good (if you live in catchment for Kings, Westgate, Bohunt, Thornden, Mountbatten etc etc you are mad to pay) all the privates are really on their toes!

maybe you should move here too !

[QTPie]

RosemaryandThyme, there were a few from my school that did A-levels at Cricklade, but actually I made new friends and VERY quickly: met some great people there and "more my type" than those from secondary. Absolutely no complaint about my fellow students or ease to make new friends when starting there.

I made the jump to A level well, but struggled with the exams really... All if my assignments were grade A, but couldn't transfer it into the exams. A levels tend to have more coursework and/or be modular these days which would have helped me a lot. I also got distracted by romance and work (Saturday job): not sure that my focus was there...

Cricklade will suit some, but not so great for others (I was probably a bit "green" and easily distracted...). Got focus back at Uni, but the relatively bad A-level grades caused me quite a lot of problems. If you think that your DC will benefit from a more formal/structured/academic environment then look elsewhere. Peter Simmonds used to be an option (6th form), but was too far away for me.

QT

[RosemaryandThyme]

Would so love to be able to move to one of these good state secondary schools - our choices at the moment are The Clere, John Hanson and Harrow Way ( all have below average pass rates and The Clere which was previously good is now just about in special measures) Andover secondary schools (state) really don't seem to be picking up at all.
It is really odd as there doesn't seem to be any particular reason for it.

[TalkinPeace2]

Rosemary
there is a reason for the "Andover" issue - but I'll get flamed for posting it :-)

[RosemaryandThyme]

Am intrigued !
It is odd as the primary schools are generally good, there is access to parenting courses, reasonably low unemployment, a nice sure-start centre, some free church activities for children, a leisure centre, little theatre, one nice-ish park, not too much grim or crime - there's something about those secondary years that I'm just not seeing - would love to know your view TalkinPeace2.

[Fairytoadstool]

I'm intrigued too! Am currently in position of having to choose state secondary in Andover for my DS (yr 5, but has a statement so have to choose before normal admission round). Am aware that the schools don't look as good on paper as schools in Winchester say, but am hoping that is a reflection of their intake rather than their teaching etc. League tables aren't helpful to me as they don't really show what's important to help me make a choice for my DS. Is there's something I should know? (Promise no flame-throwing!!!).

If it's any help to the OP, my neighbour's DS started at Rookwood in September (yr7) and seems to be enjoying it.

[TalkinPeace2]

I'll be willing to dodge the flames and am happy if others get this post deleted after reading
its true but non PC:

Andover schools (as messaged to Rosemary earlier)

Andover has three problems
After WW2 large numbers of bombed out Londoners were dumped into crummy new build estates without work, facilities or community.
It is also in the middle of all the army towns and has some HUGE barrack towns not far away. Low rank army families are notorious for under achieving.
It is also where Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire and Surrey tend to place their settled travellers - as it has quite a few very large council houses.
The combination has created a perfect storm of "poor whites" as they are known in the system.
Some of the Andover primary schools are absolutely dire, others are middling. The vast bulk of the middle class parents send their kids to the schools on the outskirts or villages and many cough up for private so the problem gets worse.

When assessing Andover schools, FSM and SEN percentages are your best guide !

[Fairytoadstool]

Thanks TalkinPeace - had thought the '5 A-C GCSEs' were likely a reflection of the intake. I actually liked a couple of the schools very much when I visited and felt they might be a good fit for my DS. Hopefully pushysupportive parents will mean he'll be OK despite a particular school's stats

[RosemaryandThyme]

No flames from me.

Makes sense to me - we are in a village type location on the outskirts of the Hampshire Wiltshire border - with three young children I've really been quite limited in mixing much so haven't really been exposed to some parts of Andover.
One of my friends is a local army wife and has found that moving every two-three years has made it difficult to encourage her son educationally - spending a lot of time settling in, getting to know other children, preparing to move on etc - I don't think its' low aspiration but is an affect of regularly having to think about packing up, wife changing part-time job and re-settling again.
I'd forgotten this would of course feed through to some secondary children who too must be regularly being moved around.
Poor whites is a non-offensive and descriptive phrase to me - and how I might describe myself somedays !

Thanks so much for your brave post.

[TalkinPeace2]

:-)
DH has worked at some of the most 'interesting' Andover schools so has seen the effects, and spoken to the teachers about it ....

[MsNorbury]

Yup id avoid andover for all the reasons she said.,