Queen Ethelburga's - opinions please

You could try PMing talkingpeace or maybe talkinpeace search her user name. She might be able to link you into the thread. It was very big and with many posts deleted as the school threatened legal action against them.
I do think you have to be realistic, most 6th formers at independent schools are going to feel under pressure to achieve. Many parents believe that they are paying for better results and that these results are going to be better they think their DC’s are going to get in the state sector. Both the parents and the school are hoping for and aiming for top grades and admissions into top unis. Schools use these top grades/admission % in top unis to market themselves to potential parents and of course they market themselves with league table positions be it local or national. You could argue that it’s easier to get top grades and thus apply less pressure to your pupils if your a international big name super selective that’s carefully selected its pupils at yr 7/9 and chucked out those who aren’t performing along the way than a less selective school but whose who have pupils who still have high expectations.
In your situation I’d google the school then go and look at it with an open mind, try and see through the clever marketing that all schools use to the real school. Don’t be impressed with en suit bathroom, manicured lawns, Olympic sized swimming pools or endless Astro turf pitches, it’s the schools ethos you’re interested in, watch the staff and the pupils, do they look relaxed and happy you are in their home, the relationship between pupils and staff should be more informal than that you’d see in a state or day school, do you like the staff you meet and what you see, they will be acting on your place when she’s at the school.
Look at other options to get a comparison look at somewhere neither of you like the look of. At any school check they actually offer what you want be it A level choices or the tiddlywinks club never assume it’s going to be there. When my DS’s were at boarding school it never ceased to amaze me how many intelligent sensible parents often with lots of experience of schools would fail to find out important things for them e.g. that’s they could flexi board (in a school that clearly states its full boarding only) or find out only on arrival that there is no golf course for their golf mad DC and then proceed to moan and complain about it.

Never forget that bar a handful of very big names all schools want your DC and you money so ask difficult questions and check that it’s what you want.

I once looked round it.

You had to drive through a pig farm to get to it.

I'd have sooner dropped my kids off at the pig farm.

HTH

It is still worth using the search function - both on MN (to find other threads which include links and some, in my humble personal opinion, alarming facts), and on Google News.

Past safeguarding issues might be of interest to you, some of which, according to the prosecutor, arose directly from the beneficial owner of the school (via offshore trusts, but still) who used to have a senior role at the school and whose court case's conclusion may now have been reached (I don't know the outcome, check local papers/online for the verdict and what it was about)

I have no info other than from reading MN threads and public sources. The school will no doubt say that all the issues have been addressed. Do your own research!

Just a brief warning to say you probably won't find honest reviews of Queen Ethelburga's here (or probably elsewhere) because they are very keen to threaten legal action at the drop of a hat.

My DDs went to state schools but both moved to different ones for sixth form. They were fine. There was a lot of movement at this stage and even those in established friendships seemed keen to welcome newcomers.