St. Anne's Catholic School, Southampton

[doglover]

I'd be very grateful if anyone out there could offer opinions/views about this girls school. I've looked at the website and am impressed by the latest OFSTED report but would welcome any other input. My dd is only in Y3 but our local secondary schools are pretty woeful and we would seriously consider moving if necessary. My best friend's dd has just failed to get into their first choice school and they are absolutely devastated. I really don't want us to be in that posititon in a couple of years time. Positive and negative views equally welcomed! Many thanks.

[doglover]

Anyone?

[Lilymaid]

My niece didn't get into St Anne's but went to another girl's comprehensives in Southampton. She didn't like it at all - bullying, general atmosphere that it wasn't cool to try etc. Her parents now bus her to one of the schools in Romsey - together with quite a number of others from that area of Southampton.

[miljee]

Can I ask, Lily, is that RCS or M'bat that your neice goes to? M'bat is our catchmented school and I was wondering what it was like, now.

Re St Anne's I've heard generally good reports. A friend did say she'd seen a group of girls with skirts hitched up, trowels of makeup on etc, looking rather tarty BUT I've seen the modern girls from my oh-so-middle class Salisbury grammar looking like that but its OFSTED ascends to heaven singing the Hallelujah Chorus as it goes! And another friend's said her 3 year old daughter had dropped a glove near a group of St A's girls and they all noticed and one picked it up and ran after my friend with it immediately.

However, I gather Southampton does apparently have some fairly serious secondary schooling problems so it's wise to be considering options right now!

[Lilymaid]

Miljee
I'm afraid I don't know! Whichever school she now goes to they reckon it is better than the one in Soton and my niece is much happier there.

[doglover]

Thanks, mn. Any more pearls of wisdom?!

[Rhubarb]

Are you catholic?

[shewhoneverdusts]

Hiya
My daughter goes to the 'other' girl's secondary in Southampton and is in year 9, they have recently received an 'outstanding' for their ofsted. The two schools are very similar to be honest with a vast mix of tarts and academics at both. All I can say from my experience is that my daughter has been accelerated and is taking three GCSE's this year and is very happy. I do know of girls who left after only one half term and went to Romsey and they are very happy too. It's really down to the individual and who they are with in the sets at school. But, things are changing and Regents Park will be a mixed secondary as of September 2008, so it will be interesting to see how things change then.

[doglover]

Hi Rhubarb. No, we are not Catholic but C. of E. We would prefer our 2dds to be educated in a faith school environment and there are no other alternatives.

[doglover]

Thanks for your input, SWND. We actually live outside So'ton near Hythe so our options are really pretty limited. Our catchment school is dire and private education is out of the question financially. We are looking for a nurturing school that can offer a challenging curriculum for an academic, musical, quiet little girl. Why does it have to be so hard?!!!

[Rhubarb]

s'aright, we are catholic and our kid is in c of e school cause I don't really like faith schols. Muight help if you got to know the priest though, seriously the priest influences it a lot.

[doglover]

bump

[shewhoneverdusts]

Hi Doglover
How is Houndsdown doing now? It always used to have a good reputation, but I am going back about 5 years, to when a friend of mine worked there?
It is hard when you want somewhere to really take care of your dds. I completely understand We can't afford private and it is really quite sad as my dd1 would have thrived in that environment, although as I said before, she is doing incredibly well where she is. I believe there is a very nice private faith school in Allington Lane (Hedge End?) or somewhere around that area, and the fees aren't as bad as King Edwards or the other local ones.

[doglover]

Thanks,SWND. Houndsown is an extremely popular school...... no chance of getting in unless you're in catchment so it would invovle a house move. If you can remember the name of the other school that you mentioned, I'd be very grateful

[doglover]

bump

[Celery]

I didn't go to St. Annes, but many of my friends did ( I knew them from Primary school ) - at 11, I went to a Winchester comp, they went off to St. Annes. It's a good school, or atleast it was 16 years ago! Sorry, I know that's not much help - but it's always had a good reputation, although generally I think single sex schools do. There was the usual running joke, about St. Annes' girls being sex mad, but that only comes from the single-sex/nuns thing! I'm not even sure if the teachers are nuns these days, but there were in my day.

I also worked and lived very near the school in my early 20's ( ten years ago ) and the St Anne's girls always appeared much more polite and well-mannered than other school children in the area.

[doglover]

Thanks, Celery. It's good to get a range of opinion which we'll add to the general mixing-pot! What a hideous nightmare

[brimfull]

Mountbatten has a good reputation I think.I know someone who teaches there.
Wildren in Hedge End is very good aswell.

We are in Ringwood ,great primary and senior schools here aswell if you fancy moving.

[doglover]

We will have to seriously consider moving but really love our presesnt home and have no desire to move other than the schooling issue. We are caught in the same dilemma as many of you, I'm sure

[shewhoneverdusts]

Completely understand how you must be feeling. We were not in a position to consider a house move and ended up with the local girl's school which many people would not have been happy with. However, as I said in my earlier thread, we are delighted with the outcome and things have been far better than ever imagined. It's not always as bleak as it appears at first. Keep your chin up and remeber schools can change very quickly with changes of leadership, so what may be dire at one time may become very good later.

[Megglevache]

Message withdrawn

[doglover]

Thank so much for continuing to respond to this thread. I keep trying to remain positive (and normally succeed!) knowing that things usually turn out to be fine! I feel myself getting really screwed up when you hear about parental 'choice' when, for many of us, it's hobson's choice! If you are able to investigate further Megglevache, we would be very grateful.

[Tommy]

don't know if you're still around doglover. I know St Anne's pretty well, being and ex pupil and an ex teacher! Undoubtably the best bet for girls in Soton and you would probably have a good chance of getting in being CofE. They have had a new head recently who has made a few changes but all for the better as far as I can gather (still have friends working there and friend's daughters who go)

If I can be of any help, please let me know!

[doglover]

Oh, Tommy, you are a star! I didn't expect to see this thread ressurected, so what a wonderful surprise! I actually contacted the school yesterday, enquiring about a visit but unfortunately the policy is that prospective parents cannot view the school until their daughters are in Y5. Whilst I can quite understand this, it doesn't help us reach a decision about whether we should move to a better catchment area or will we be OK under the admissions criteria for St Anne's. Naughty, I know, but I'm half considering asking one of my friends to view the school and accompanying her! Is that terribly immoral?! A few questions, Tommy! Are there strategies in place to integrate girls who start not knowing any other pupils? We were really impressed by the caring ethos noted by OFSTED and assume that there are opportunities for this. Our daughter is musical (violin) and would possibly meet the criteria as one of the 10%....... are these fiercely contested? I'll probably have loads more questions but I need the loo!! Speak to you tomorrow and many, many thanks again

[doglover]

Bump, for Tommy!

[Anchovy]

Ooh, me! me! miss!


I went there!

But I left, erm, 25 years ago, so no real info. However my mother used to be a governor there and still "knows" the school quite well - she used to teach at two of the "feeder" schools outside Southampton - and she certainly rates it.