Cheltenham Ladies College or Wycombe Abbey?

My opinion WYcombe Abbey

Which is more prestigious Clc or Wycombe Abbey

'full boarding for overseas boarders' I meant

Cheltenham is not Calne Needmoresleep and neither is Sevenoaks New York.

BTW OP's DD loves Hanford and you can't get more rural than that.
There is good reason for having full boarding especially for the younger years as OP's DD will have experienced at Hanford. It is not much fun to be the minority staying at school when most go home at the weekends

I would disagree with sendsummer. Dumping an urban child in somewhere like Calne sounds dull beyond belief. DCs experience of being a day pupil in a mixed, city, part boarding school was very positive and the day pupils and boarders got on together well. The ‘must have full boarding’ is a strange MN canard that makes little sense, for all but very sporty boys.

Sevenoaks is a preferred choice for academic London kids, especially internationals. St Mary’s is seen as a gentler, and posher, option. The two schools are very dissimilar. Girls often outgrow rural environments. If you are looking to carry through to sixth form, you should really consider a school in a town. And Sevenoaks sixth form sounds fab.

As she is young and you live in NY a school with a full boarding for all boarders is best. Hanford will advise , they must.be experienced. Out of your list I would say CLC as it has full boarding, lots of boarders, IB and A levels offered and has a good reputation for music, sport and art.
It is more academic than St Mary's Calne.

Thank you so much!, I am really not sure, she is in an all girls school right now and loves it, but she is only 12., I do not have a strong preference. I want a warm all around school not pressurized as she is very self motivated.

Sevenoaks does IB which may be a consideration, also coed whereas others are girls. Brighton College might also be worth a look.

We live in NY and are really struggling with wonderful school choices. Our DD was offered places and an opportunity to sit for an academic scholarship from Sevenoaks, CLC and St. Mary's Calne at the moment. She is very bright and independent, is good with music and drama. I would appreciate any current information on the schools above and if you have a suggestion for another school for a very bright and independent girl (we are looking for 13+ entry in 2019) that is close to London. She is at Hanford School in Dorset now and really likes it.

Thank you so much!!

My DD visited the Lower College boarding houses whilst we looked at the campus and surroundings. Met the students and they looked happy and the atmosphere was warm.

Thanks truelady12. Was that a Sixth Form house you saw? What other schools are you visiting?

We had visited CLC recently and my DD said the boarding house is nice.

Hello. I know this is an old thread but I’m wondering the results of your trip to CLC. What was your view on the well-being? Had the boarding houses been spruced up?

Thanks for raising this, my DD will be sitting exams next year and at the moment we are leaning towards CLC because of the IB results. This year 26 into Oxbridge as well - not that that is a measure of success - but I do think the focus on wellbeing has improved the school massively.
We plan to visit the open day next month.

Congrats NW6

Anyone with thoughts on which boarding houses are the best at either of these schools?

My DD got offers from both Wycombe and Cheltenham.

Wycombe as an all girls boarding school produces the best overall A level results but one has to take these league table results with a pinch of salt because Cheltenham also offer the IB and results do not take this into account.

If your child is bright and intelligent she will excel anywhere. The choice really depends on what methods you approve of in helping your daughter succeed.

Wycombe Abbey offers a very intense, pressure filled and competitive environment for girls in order to get those stellar A Level Results. Cheltenham on the other hand offers a strong academic pace but with a more human face and also produces stellar results.

'Our DD chose Cheltenham in the end.

Don't know which is better, but choose on the basis of the ethos and atmosphere which is best for YOUR DD. Even if there are equally good facilities and teaching, the atmosphere has to suit your DD's personality.
My DD is at one of them.

Chilledout - my impression is that WA is more selective than CLC. Therefore the results are slightly better - CLC also does IB in addition to A levels so hard to compare results totally like for like. Both are good!! I would be asking which has more value added? If you take the top 80 at 11+ of the girls applying, would they have got the same results at a "less academic school" - probably...who knows. I perceive CLC "adds more value" because of the broader intake and therefore it doesn't seem that a "girl gets lost"....

11+ vs 13+ - I think that is up to you and your family - is your DD ready to board at 11? Some aren't, but are at 13, so I think you should decide based on when she is ready.

On the face of it, they are both great schools...

but I don't have a child at either school (but have been round both), so I'm still thinking it through, like you. Am interested in the POV of mums with DDs at these schools.

Any update on these schools?

Is WA considerably more academic than CLC? Worry as CLC much bigger a child could get lost? Both have great teaching? Which is better choice at 13 and 11? Thanks

I think a young person needs a degree of inner strength and self-belief to survive at any boarding school. Some children just don't have this and should not be boarding. This is why the schools appear full of confident girls. Mostly they are and learn how to fit in with each other and develop a robust personality at the same time. Ultimately, this is why so many of them succeed.

Got tbh gogashkanazi1 I find that really hard to believe. V tough line on bullying and as WAS is a small school you tend to know which girls leave part way through....and it's certainly not the bullied who leave IMHO.

Hello, I would stay away from Wycombe Abbey as i have a friend whos daughter got bullied for two years and the school did nothing about it and tried to even pretend it never happened. Her daughter was forced to leave with severe emotional problems.

Chilledout if your DD is capable of entry to WA she won't be at the lower /middle end or struggle at CLC. In any case I think CLC haa particularly added value (as far as getting good exam results are concerned) for the middle / lower end of their intake. Apart from what has been mentioned CLC would be a better place for a DD who was likely to want to pursue art and probably music. If your DD is keen on dance or gymnastics or likely to like lacrosse then WA has been traditionally strong.
The accommodation and study areas at WA is n't really the best for particularly the year 11 cohort.
Generally my impression from what I have gleaned is that I would send a very bright, sporty girl to WA (but she may want to move for sixth form) but others would do probably better and be happier at CLC.

We like both for different reasons, I guess...

CLC seems very international and forward thinking. I do worry about the size and if our DD is in a lower set to start with about he chances of progression and performing to potential in exams?

WA, seems to have amazing value add and results. I would appear few drift there?

Both seem to have good pastoral care. Which has the better teaching? Or are both on a par? Is there any downside in being in a large school with a 20% day girl contingent? Do the day girls do better?

I think they are both really good schools. Re: 11+ vs 13+ entry point - are you at a prep that goes to 13? WA have a relatively high % leave after GCSEs (see GSG for their comments), CLC less so. I think a lot of it is down to 7years on one campus being quite claustrophobic and a number of girls are ready to try something else - be it day school or coed boarding. CLC seems more immune to this because it is not a campus.

I hear this more and more from friends with DDs that go to board at 11 - that their DDs are ready to move on after GCSEs. I also think CLC is slightly better set up in the 6th form - both years of the 6th form are in 6th form houses, whereas at WA I think it is only the 2nd year of 6th form. Could be another reason why girls get itchy feet.

Which school did you prefer? They have quite a different feel! I think CLC gets a broader intake vs WA which is more selective. I read on another thread they got >200 apply for 60 places at 11+ last year and expect more going forward, so yes, they do turn girls away would be my guess.

I have friends with DD at both schools - and they are all very happy. Seems hard to choose... (if you are lucky enough to have the choice!)