Which independent girls' school is the classiest in the UK?

[quote MissHavershamReturns]This article explains how these groups just don’t use the word classy

www.townandcountrymag.com/society/money-and-power/a1166/classy/[/quote]
It also demonstrates why it’s an Americanism.

In the US it implies possession of particular aspirational qualities

In the U.K. membership of the Bullingdon implies membership of a particular class, but not any positive qualities.

"Classy" is definitely an American import and would 100% appear on Nicky Haslam's tea towel

Even in the US!!

This article explains how these groups just don’t use the word classy

www.townandcountrymag.com/society/money-and-power/a1166/classy/

Classy really isn't used by the sorts of people who attend your list. (I'm assuming that's what you mean by the American comment)

I think that exclusive, posh, elite, fancy might be more common words to describe what I think you're asking but ime posh people don't care or discuss class so my comments about the word classy still stand.

On the "class" front I did once have a boyfriend who only became interesting me as I had been to one of the "right" schools and was therefore marriage material. Fortunately I realised he was a dick within a few months. So it does matter to some people. (One of the London super selective girl state schools.)

We’re certainly not posh!! I should have added that!

Classy is a funny word in the UK. Everyone knows what it means but it isn’t really used by most middle class parents - certainly not upper middle class parents who send children to these schools. They wouldn’t use it about restaurants, hotels, clothing or schools or indeed at all.

It’s mostly an aspirational word - I know someone lovely who is keen to be “classy”. They don’t want to look out of place and want to be like people they perceive as posher.

I can understand being on the outside looking in and wanting to know which school is classier. If op had asked which UK school has most social cachet she might have got different answers. It is true though that most parents won’t admit any part “poshness” plays.

The affluent pick schools for all kinds of different reasons. The school my kids go to is fee paying but not posh at all - we are there for the art and music.

There are lots of smart schools OP.

I attended one of the schools in the list. No one who went to any of those schools would ever discuss schools by reference to which was the "classiest". If by "classiest" you mean which is the Eton/Harrow equivalent that Russian and Chinese billionaires would like to send their daughters to because it is perceived as "elite", probably Cheltenham Ladies' or Wycombe Abbey.

Some of my distant cousins attended St Mary’s Ascot, they were very posh. I know a fair few girls at LEH and they are all very normal middle class girls, bright but not especially posh, lots living in very normal 3/4 bed terraced and semi detached houses.

You forgot to include St. Trinians. They always seems a particularly classy group of young ladies to me.

Just noticed that this isn’t just a list but a list in order.

I think of them not in ‘classy’ terms, rather in academic-excellence ditto.

On that basis I’d probably put St Paul’s Girls at the top, though as pps have said, boarding and day schools are somewhat different.

London-area day schools can probably take their pick more easily than most, and the best are highly selective.

Those words, especially the latter, are, with respect OP, used by people who have no idea how these schools work and indeed, what life is like for those who go to these schools.

‘with at least three generations within my family of independent education’ obvs.

Nonetheless, "classiest" is a perfectly normal word in a British context - it means having the most class.

Literally, yes - but culturally the word provokes huge dissonance, as no British person who attended or sends their child to the sort of schools listed would ever admit to doing so for social class based reasons. (The whole point of ‘class’ is to be seen as effortlessly superior - not as having bought position.)

Speaking as someone with at least three generations of independent education across this and other continents - I couldn’t have written such a list off the top of my head.

Why are you really asking?

Who cares?

Do you mean snootiest? It does seem a slightly odd question. I think rather hard to judge.

(but it really won't matter soon as Boris is putting his 'classy' education to terrible use to get us all killed 🤦‍♀️)

I see in your op you use the term UK but fail to have any Scottish schools. You should of course ask MN to edit your title to be be more politically correct never mind classy.
HTH

Anything, ever, described as 'classy' is by definition not.

This is an old thread, similar question.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/1159843-Eton-Harrow-Girls-equivalent
In the end I believe one in Scotland was suggested at being the most elite.

I always thought Cheltenham Ladies was the girls’ equivalent to Eton but not much experience with elite private schools. Don’t know why everyone’s jumping down your throat!

I went to uni with a girl who attended Cheltenham LC.
She was a complete bitch.
Also not very bright and certainly not classy. The rugby team could attest to that.
That’s basically my entire experience with the schools on that list.
I thought the whole point of being classy was that you could make anyone feel comfortable in whatever situation.
Yeah, that’s not what that girl was like at all.