What's the girls equivalent of Eton & why?

[Dinaprettyballerina]

Just out of interest which English girls school is the one all sharp elbowed parents are trying to get their girls into? Eton has a reputation for having the pushiest parents with alot of overseas parents who are extremely invested in getting the very best education & getting their child in at all costs.. what is the female equivalent?

Leaving age raised to 16 from 1st September 1972, Wikipedia tells me, which sounds right. I do remember children in my year at primary school talking about how fed up their older brothers and sisters were to learn they would have to stay on at school for another year.

There seems to be a supposition running through this thread that to be equivalent to Eton a girls' school would have to be a boarding school. There's never been the same push for upper class girls to board, has there? I remember a rather posh girl at my school (direct grant girls' day school in the 1970s) explaining to me that her brothers were at boarding school but her mother wanted her daughters at home. Some of the very wealthy families with girls at my school sent them off to public schools for the sixth form. Not sure why, as my school had some of the best academic results in the country, but I suppose it might have been for social and networking reasons.

Princess Catherine went to Downe House and was bullied so moved on to Marlborough. Other Downe House girls were Claire Balding and Miranda Hart. I think Claire Balding was head girl there.
I can't remember if DH is prep or goes up to 18.

Just googled it, it has an upper school. I wouldn't say it's the female equivalent of Eton but it's posh.

This is quite correct.

I’m sure it’s Cheltenham Ladies college- NOT Roedean - didn’t Princess Ann go there and she only got a few’O ‘ levels!

For girls on pure academic grounds probably St Paul’s and North London Collegiate. And Westminster for sixth form. Boys can board there- not sure about girls. Sadly, even the very best selective grammars don’t come close the the top academic private (independent/public) schools. They simply lack the resources

Weren't Eton and Roedean originally equivalent as for posh, landed gentry types who weren't bright?

It breaks down to religion:

Cheltenham, Roedean, St Pauls (hideous suicide rate) and Beneden for CofE.

Woldingham, Ascot and Mayfield for the Catholics. Our family split since 1890, three to Woldingham and two to Mayfield where my daughter is doing Oxbridge.

At the moment female graduates at the top UK Russell Group are outnumbering guys, just so you know.

My grandmother and great aunt were boarders at Cheltenham Ladies College in the early 1900s I loved their tales of posh gels and snobbery They were encouraged to sit the Cambridge university entrance exam But even that wonderful education did not give them the confidence to break out of the roles usually set out for women at that time.

The oldest girls school is Christ's Hospital - founded in 1553. Fees are dependent on means. I went there in the 70s and hated it. All girls and very depressing. It's co-ed now and hopefully much better.

Margaret Thatcher went to Kesteven and Grantham Girls school in Grantham. A state school. My sister was head girl here many years later, but her name is on the same role if honour board in the school.

Ladette to Lady boarding school

Eton isn’t that academic. It’s more of a who you know than what you know school!
Wycombe Abbey for sure. I went to a rival school and some of the urban myths about WA were hilarious! Sadly not appropriate for repeating on MumsNet!

In what sense? I thought if you were comparing exam results the ultra-selective grammar schools did just as well as some top fee-paying schools. Do you mean extra-curriculars? University destinations? There are many reasons why people might choose not to go to Oxford or Cambridge, as opposed to not meeting the entry criteria or not getting an offer after tests/interviews.

Rishi’s oldest has just started at Wycombe.
Also Harper Beckham has just left Glendower. She’s now in Y7. Glendower only goes to Y6.

Back in the days, it was Brillantmont in Switzerland a Finishing school..

You know to require charm and guile to get a rich husband.

What’s so funny is that you didn’t even bother typing out Haberdashers Askes. IFKYK 😅

An old friend of mine paid for her daughter to attend Queens' Gate school in Kensington at a cost of over £20,000 a year. The girl is thick as a brick, has delusions of grandeur, can't spell and is a nasty snob 😂

Downe House is 11 yrs - 18 yrs. I went there from 2005 - 2012. Majority of the girls brothers were Eton, Radley or Harrow

Benenden or Roedean

In the States, Miss Porter’s, Westover, Ethel Walker, St. Timothy’s, and Madeira. Day schools would include the Windsor School, Brearly, Spence, Chaplin., and National Cathedral. I’m a New England, so I’m biased.

She went to Benenden

Several are carpenters. Which I guess is another way to be in the cabinet.

^^

🥂🥂

I knew of Roedean and Cheltenham. but I've found a list of them now. this is the link, oddly enough some of the main colleges and schools are now accepting girls as well as boys

oops forgot to add the link.
www.best-schools.co.uk/uk-school-league-tables/list-of-league-tables/girls-boarding-schools