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?

Wycombe Abbey (the Benenden/Cheltenham LC ones are not hard to get into , not very academic and I think crammed with Chinese girls from abroad). Wycombe Abbey would be competing with the very academic girls day schools like St paul's NLCS, Habs etc.

www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/mother-and-baby/20220727146523/rishi-sunak-daughters-school-harper-beckham/

A quick Google tells me Rishi Sunak's girls go to the same school as Harper Beckham... Glendower! Hopefully his girls will be inclined towards politics, Sunak is the best we have although still completely out of touch with the normal joes hope..

Sunak is the best we have?

Christ alive.

Hi @Xenia hope all is well? X Yes everyone seems to be in agreement regarding Wycombe Abbey x

St Trinians.
I was Head Girl and always knew I was destined for greatness!

And Theresa May also went to a state grammar school…

Anyway OP there is no female equivalent of Eton. Eton is extremely old-fashioand extremely posh. In both old-fashioned and in posh thinking, girls aren’t educated towards leadership positions they are educated towards marrying a rich powerful man.

Gordon Brown went to an normal state high school not a grammar - the grammar system doesn't exist in Scotland although some schools will have the title of Grammar. It's very confusing. He went to Kirkcaldy High School

I think it was selective in his day though?

I just remember reading that on Twitter during Truss' leadership bid when she was making a big deal about having gone to a comp.

So many former boys-only public school take girls these days (apart from Eton, Harrow and a couple of others) I would expect that in future senior Tory women could well have attended Charterhouse, Winchester etc.
(Winchester, Rishi's alma mater, is accepting girls from this year )

When I was at school (1970s)
Roedean was for posh girls, so socially same as Eton.
Cheltenham Ladies was for clever girls, far more middle class clever girls than posh girls.

So Cheltenham Ladies were expected to be high flyers because of high academic success. The social climbing element was secondary to the academic achievment.

But that is one moment in time.

And St Pauls' Girls was the equivalent in day schools (CLC is mostly boarding, StPauls Girls is day girls only)

Interesting, state school pm, are actually ex grammar alumni.

Truss is only comp pm ??

@Eliannah Only PM to ever go to a state school.

John Major went to a state school (a grammar school). Possibly other PMs too, he is just the one that sprang to mind.

I am old and when I was growing up Roedean was the only school people mentioned when thinking of elite girls' schools.

Gordon Brown was State

I don't agree about her voice, it's not public school at all, IMO. It's all elocution, just the same as Thatcher. Listen for the 'eow' sound where it would usually be 'ow'.

I was supposed to go to Glendower, but that was back in the late 70s! We left London so I didn't attend. I had NO idea it was so smart these days!!

Rishi's girls go to Glendower, I wonder if he'll change them to Winchester in time

Labradors - what are ‘professional pilgrims’?

Truss went to Roundhay High School in Leeds and is quoted as saying it failed in its duty towards her…
she’s right, we just saw it by our own eyes.

I don’t know Benenden at all but you have accurately summed up CLC.

I have met people educated at Eton and at Cheltenham Ladies College.
The Etonians had impeccable social manners . Unlike the "Ladies".

The difference is that posh girls schools prepare them to be the partners of movers and shakers rather than be the person in power. To get to the top as a woman you need to be strong willed, tenacious and incredibly determined, skills a good state school is just as likely to teach, possible more likely. You essentially have to exceptional to succeed as a woman rather than rich

Marlborough college is £14k per term

What sort of people can afford this? Apart from rich ones...

In terms of capacity for producing potential future leaders, I think I would have to say St Paul's and Lady Eleanor Holles, though neither is a boarding school.