Sixth Form Choice - Benenden or St. Swithun's

The above poster is rubishing St S on another thread. Clearly there is an issue between her and the school, so its always best to find out if a school is for you or not. However, many girls' boarding schools have large numbers of overseas pupils. It is how they keep open, quite frankly. It is also how many get excellent results. However, I think it is very unfair to rubbish the results of the overseas girls. St S is not particularly selective and if some pupils achieve highly, I cannot see why the others cannot do the same if they possess the same attributes.

Dear Thankfulone,
I'm currently searching for a good boarding school for my girl. Sounds like my daughter and yours is very similar in personality. Appreciate if you could share your daughter's final choice and experience!
Many thanks!

Otto, you mentioned there are plenty of overseas pupils. Do you know where they come from and how many overseas pupils in each form? Is your daughter still studying in Benenden? Please share more with us.

I am sure that you have already made your decision but as a mother with a daughter at Benenden I wanted to add my few words. I know nothing about St Swithuns so I cannot compare them! My daughter has loved the full boarding at Benenden. Her brother is a weekly boarder and she cannot understand how he wants to come home every weekend ( I love the fact that he does!) In the sixth form the girls are given more weekends out but they all have lessons on Saturday morning and many of them have sports commitments. There are plenty of overseas pupils and a look on the portal for the travel arrangements shows the almost military efficiency they have to have!
There are fast trains to London and coaches at exeats and half term. There are some spectacularly bright girls and many that are average. They are all catered for. And on the subject of catering, the Benenden food is some of the best school food I have come across.

Have fun choosing. There are plenty of great schools out there.

Benenden with saturday am school.

St S is a great school but predominantly weekly/local boarders.
New head at benenden is really lovely as well as being v impressive.

Two of my gym friends pulled their daughters out, one after two terms, the other after one.
I thought my school was catty till I heard about what goes on up there - even assuming exaggeration and conflation.

DD has two former primary friends there (now in 6th form) and I gather that it has not been the most pleasant or ladylike of atmospheres between them and their new friends in earlier years. Parents getting involved - school not too bothered. Not sure when the Head changed but it is a school that seems to have a perennial reputation for 'issues' whatever era you hear about. DSis has friend in her 40s who is still dealing with her St S demons!

I hope it has improved under the new head. If you'd like the info, pm me, but it was under the old head's regime that the stuff happened so it may all be history. Having said that, one of my mum's friends was at the school 55 years ago and similar problems existed back then!

My feeling is that a teen is more fully formed in her health, confidence and personality at 16 whereas, in an 11 yo, there is a lot more raw material that could be affected.

Why would you not send a young girl there? And do you have any thoughts as to whether SS is different/worse than other academic girls boarding schools? Do you feel that SS has changed under the new head (she would claim it has) or do you not know her?

I went to SS. In sixth form, we definitely walked into town after school! We all used to go and drink at the slug and lettuce. However, we would also car share as people passed their driving tests.

I personally dislike the school, but it is a much better option for sixth form only (I would NEVER send a young girl their). Certainly can't fault the academics: of my group of friends (in a year of 70), 2 are medical doctors, I have a phd, another has a masters from ucl, and the other is a lawyer. Whether the school is always successful at producing happy people is another question. But that's for a pm. And as it is a decade since we left, may no longer be an issue.

St Swithuns has a stronger science department at the moment. For me, there would be enough full boarders (around 60 in the sixth form overall, and another 60 or so weekly boarders) at St Swithuns but if that issue is the deal breaker then choose Benenden.

The registrars of both schools would, I'm sure, be happy to answer specific queries such as how they arrange for work placements for prospective medical students.

St Swithuns drive girls to placements/medical appointments etc as required. There is no issue with being outside the city centre.

goinggetstough just a brief point on your comment about doing work placements during the holidays. The OP's daughter lives in Hong Kong. She will need sufficient experience in the UK to apply to UK medical schools. She could obviously stay in the UK during holidays but voluntary work in term time is much more sensible. Schools are variable in how much they help find suitable placements.

Anyway my advise to the OP choose Benenden if you want full boarding.

I don't really know why I'm continuing with this slightly ridiculous discussion but hey ho! If you're at St S which I understand is not out in the middle of no where but 1 1/2 miles from the station then if you can't walk it for whatever reason; phobia of the dark, no pavements, fear of winter morning or whatever then like me when I want to go the station (25 miles away) you just ring you nearest taxi company (15 miles away in my case) and ask them to come and get you. I find it works every time. When I'm at the station wanting to go home I just jump in one of those taxis outside, I happen to know for sure that Winchester Station has those because I've been in one.

Winchester better for taxis ...
but StS sure as heck ain't as central as Wincol

Are there really no taxi's in Winchester? This isn't the Scotish Highlands we're talking a pit here. I just find this hard to believe especially as I see them outside DS2's boarding houses picking up boys at all hours. We've friends who live in some of the nice villages around Winchester their DH's get taxis to the station every morning well before 9 am in fact I understood this is one of the reasons property prices are so high because of ease of access to the station and quick links with London. We live in a village total population 3000 and I can get taxi day or night even Xmas day, especially if I book one an hour before I want one or even more revolutionary the day before, us rural types have learnt to be quite rescourcful! I think it would be fair to say that any one doing work experience which generally lacks spontaneity and immediacy is I'm sure organised enough to book a taxi in advance.

I've run events at St Swithuns and in the area
I say you'd be mad assuming a DD will walk along that road in the dark / winter
going has used google maps
you have used websites to choose schools
you can see where my train of thought leads

Talkin although I would send my DD to Benenden if I was abroad, can I correct you. You make St Swithuns sound as if it is in the sticks. There are pavements from the school into town, yet you say there is not even a footpath. I was brought up in this area and have just checked on google maps in case I was imagining the pavements. I was not!
As for whether HG's DS knows how many SS girls are in town before 9am, I expect he doesn't as he has Saturday school and will be occupied in lessons.
OP I have just spoken to my DD who went to an all girls academic boarding school with the majority full boarding and she says that all her friends who were prospective medics did their work experience in the holidays. Some did help in an old peoples home but that was for the volunteering part of her D of E gold award.
Both schools have a proven track record of sending girls to med school and similar results in the important subjects for UCAS. The few percent difference could be due to the initial selectivity of the schools.
Good luck with your decision.

LOL
Do you secretly live in London?
2008
DH and I booked at taxi from Romsey to Southampton one Saturday to be told they were "both" busy
we could wait for the midnight horse and buggy if we wished

the gels can splash the cash, but if the taxis are asleep ...

happy
ask your son about how many SS girls are in town before 9am - he can walk to it, the girls cannot

"But is a bugger if you want to be at a work placement at 9 am"
What about a taxi? Globally the station at 1.5 miles isn't far away from St Swithans. Most people who can afford 30k+ can probably stretch to the cost of an 8 minute (according to google maps) taxi to the station. Once there London, Southampton and even Oxford are pretty accessible. Secondly there is a hospital at Winchester.
If you wish to be a doctor then the fact that you've got up early and caught a train to get the relevant experience in my book indicates a degree of determination and also sets you up for long anti social hours.

Uilen
Which is cool if you want to go to LK Bennett or the Buttercross
but is a bugger if you need to be at work placement at 9am

OP
My DD wanted to be a vet till she realised the unpaid hours insanity
and is now looking at biochemistry
but I can see why schools like KES in Southampton who have form for producing medic undergrads get away with it

it might be better for your DD to go to a more city centre, less boarding type school with a splendid set of guardians who are her home from home and able to support her into her career choice

just a thought

St Swithuns runs its own minibuses into town. 6th form boarders can go into town during the week between the end of lessons and supper but there isn't that much time so most of them don't, especially in the winter. Day girls come to St Swithuns from quite large distances because of the proximity to the M3 but indeed most public transport goes into the centre of Winchester rather than up to Alresford Road.