Oxfordshire Buckinghamshire Private Secondary Schools - Pipers Corner/Bloxham?

My daughter currently goes to Cranford in Moulsford and she’s been very happy there. It’s mixed, small and nurturing. I don’t know about the SEND side but think it’s good. There’s a big bus route, but not sure if it goes from Thame. She’s been there since year 5 and now sixth form.

A suitable child for BA probably would not thrive at Ashfold. It’s not always an easy choice at 4.

@TizerorFizz When I say different, I mean the difference in her child. Yes, agreed completely re educational setting.

@Chocachocalatte Bruern Abbey is for ND children. Of course it’s different from Ashfold. Chalk and cheese. It’s effectively a Sen school.

OP,
Don’t know if you are still wanting information but someone I know has relocated their dyslexic child from Ashfold to Bruern Abbey and can’t rate the difference and positive change highly enough.

@BeeStrudel Quite a few DDs I know went there. Their parents really liked it but that was some years ago now.

I do think some private schools can very much want to keep some parents “on side” at the expense of other dc and their parents. I’ve seen this happen at another school. The uber rich dc parents giving loads of money to the school in effect buy immunity. Dc get away with poor behaviour. Then they bully others and those who are bullied leave. Money talks! Loudly.

A good school is even handed. I cannot say why PC cannot snuff out bullying but schools can be to blame if they don’t take complaints seriously and run a heirarchy of parents and dc.

I guess it's Piper Corner too, has ex High March kids from Beaconsfield. Assuming that the parent behaviour was the tangible thing that this mum could put her finger in, the overall bullying culture amongst the girls there is difficult to explain...

Does this refer back to Pipers Corner discussion or refer to another school?

@littlemissprosseco Most of the schools mentioned don’t have a y3 snd y4. So I’m guessing Pipers Corner. Surely you don’t remove dc due to another parent?

Which school are you talking about, many were mentioned on the previous page!

@JaneS1982 I think you might like Heathfield. We don’t live far from you. My DD2 went there for 6th form. It’s small so not everything is tip top but its art is amazing. It’s like a big family.

DD also considered Teddies in Oxford and Stowe. As DD had no Send, we didn’t look at that provision nor y7 provision. DD chose Heathfield as it suited her A level ambitions.

Waddesdon School has a tiny catchment. Look at their religious requirements if you are not in catchment. Lots want to go but cannot get in. It’s effectively CofE selective. Locally Lord Williams is liked as it has lower and upper school. Are you in catchment for them?

Tudor Hall. D’overbroecks great but factor in the Oxford traffic.

Please do search Mumsnet and reach out to ex and current parents of Pipers Corner School. Lovely for younger girls and terrible for teenagers. #piperscorner

Type Pipers into mumsnet search and you will find a few threads with comments.

Tudor Hall certainly would be worth a look I’d say.

I would not recommend Headington/Rye if you will be after a small school because I think it's going to pretty big next year. But if you can overlook the size, it's a good school with lots of great facilities. Their drama department is very good.

Interesting about QAs. I went to visit two years ago and queried why the covid year group (current Y10) was so small. I was told that they didn’t want to compromise on academic ability so in the absence of the Chinese students they deliberately only offered to girls above a certain standard. If things have changed then it could be worth a look.

Another one to consider is Heathfield. Small school (about 250 including sixth form), very nurturing and terribly creative school. Has full and weekly boarding. A little shabby in places but a lovely school environment. Very supportive of SEN but also able to meet the needs to the very academic.

From what I can see of my DDs' friends, I think QA is an all-rounder school and has girls of varying abilities. There seem to be lots of opportunities for girls to excell in whatever area interests them, whether that's sport, drama, dance, art, music or academics. I'm certainly very happy with it for my DDs.

@DibbleDooDah on the basis of the girls I know who have gone to QA recently, I wouldn’t say it is that academic.

Queen Anne’s has a reputation for being quite academic I think. Well, that’s what they were selling on the open day!

@JaneS1982
D’Overbroecks sen and ability to cater for an individual child were absolutely second to none a few years ago when my DS attended. It really looked after individual needs.

Queen Anne's in Caversham? My DDs are there and extremely happy. Small school. Excellent drama, dance, music, art etc. Day, flexi, weekly and full boarding options. Great SEND department too (my youngest has dyslexia). I watched my youngest DD in a "MADE" performance last night which was a joint music, art, drama/dance and English project on Greek mythology they had been working on. The whole thing was outstanding, and the performances were so impressive.

Small environment - Wychwood
Art/textiles/photography - Wychwood
Drama - Wychwood
Not necessary "state of the art" facilities, but very good departments.
WW transformed my DC from a school hating pupil to going to university. Can't thank the school enough. I'm a huge fan. (as you can tell!!)