Girls Boarding School’s Reputations and Recommendations

[Mumthisis]

Hi all,
I’m considering girls full boarding schools for my DD and was wondering what they are like.
Such as,
Downe House,
Wycombe Abbey,
St. Mary’s Ascot,
St. Mary’s Calne,
Tudor Hall,
Benenden,
Sherborne Girls,
Cheltenham Ladies College
Heathfield, and
St. Swithun’s.
Can anyone share:
What the reputations of these schools are?
Such as what are the girls like who go there, are the nice and down to Earth, very rich and out of touch, academically pushy, are the girls more from country preps or London day schools?
Also how full-boarding are girls boarding schools these days? Mostly international girls or instead more traditional local British girls, is there much to do on weekends?
Which of these schools lean towards more traditional versus more modern boarding values?

What about some of the smaller girls boarding schools or ones that don’t have as many girls full boarding? Such as Mayfield, St.George’s Ascot, Malvern St.James, Roedean, and Queen Margaret’s School?

I think either is academically strong enough to support an academically strong student in that both schools will have significant numbers who get 3 x A* or 3 xA so the peer group will be there. For me it would be about which has more students in at weekends. DH is transitioning to having more flexible arrangements so it's hard to know what that will look like. Is your DD going into Year 7 or 9? If Year 7 I'd be more worried about quiet Sundays. DS is Year 9 and even though only about 33-50% of boarders are in on optional weekends, he likes the quieter vibe in house and there are enough there so it's not lonely. In Year 7 I think he'd have found it tougher and wanted structured Sunday activities.

Which has more international students?

Hi Leil2014
I agree the results were great this year which reinforced that hopefully it's the right school. Pastoral care has been great so far as well and a lot of focus on academics but with plenty of time for other activities. Its in deep Kent countryside with 160 acres so not as much clearing out at weekends than other schools. DD says still enough around to not feel isolated and they have a fantastic weekend programme. For us it has definately been the right school choice, we are UK based so see her every 3 weeks but communication has also been very good. So far I can't think of any negatives. Hope that helps. Good luck with choosing.

Hi ZuluQ,

Thank you. Very helpful! Hopefully the new Head will continue to improve things. The school deserves a better reputation given the latest results. I m surprised that some people would describe Benenden as moderately academic. The assessment day was quit meticulous and selective.

No big updates here yet but happy to see this thread has continued to be helpful to others! I apologize I stopped responding but things get busy, I do appreciate all the responses though. It's great to see people still sharing advice and experiences about schools and I do continue to read them all.

I think the unspoken bit with most boarding schools is always "compared to the London day schools and super selective grammars" and people also generally compare their own DC to immediate peer group and not the national average. There can sometimes be slightly out of date info based on how certain schools were perceived 10-20 years ago.

Most of the boarding schools are a broader church academically than the top flight day schools so not everyone is going to be getting A* and A's at A-level but certainly many do. My view is that providing your DC will have an academic peer group they will meet their potential, and then some DC will do better in a school that is a bit of a stretch whilst others will find that really stressful and may end up underperforming. It's really about knowing your child and what would suit them.

You can definitely overthink it and end up splitting hairs when actually any of the, say, three schools they have places at will be completely fine. You need to consider practicalities as well. We had a slight preference for DD for one school over another but the logistics of having both her and DS at the same school outweighed it.

St Swithun’s has excellent academic results but is also down to earth and unpretentious, with a focus on encouraging everyone to have a go, take risks, and find their thing. It’s cool to play sport but intellectual interests, dramatic talent and musical skill are also valued and admired. I know quite a few current and former students, all quite different from each other, who seem to be thriving. Winchester’s a lovely town and it’s just a ten minute walk (or 4 minute bus ride) down the hill. Worth considering!

The wait (even as a grandmother) for St. S and B letters is a real exercise in deep breathing.

Benenden appears to be really on the ‘up’ all round & Brighton Col with the London set who have country places around Sussex. WA & CLC I don’t hear so much that’s positive lately.

WA again ranked as the top girls’ boarding school in Parent Power and both A-levels and GCSE ranking this year were exceptional. Maybe coed school parents see things differently but from my daughters’ prep it was SPGS for those looking for day schools or WA for boarding. Everything else was second choice.

WA is certainly very academic, though a lot of it is driven by the girls themselves. The school’s reputation means they can pick the very best, so there is always a question mark about “value added” compared to schools like DH. But we have certainly been very impressed.

wa didn't impress my dd or grand daughter. She's a bright caring soul and the atmosphere was not at all what my daughter or her partner wanted for their dd and my grand daughter picked up on the tense atmosphere right away.
long term mental health is as important as grades and grades might even be a second place to an enjoyable educational experience thinking that education is life long.
equally they steered clear of spgs and jags just not what they as a family are looking for in a secondary school.

Sorry to hear that’s the impression your family got. Not at all the impression we have. On the contrary, we find WA girls exceptionally bright and sporty but also very supportive of each other. As I said, my DD couldn’t be happier. I guess it must be hard to judge a place based on a few hours on an open day.

I am sure your granddaughter will be happy wherever she goes. These are all exceptional schools.

Thanks @DornfordYates the wait is long and hard for me ;).
It’s nice to hear your dd is happy, lovely grounds and location.

😁one acceptance (at first choice school) received!!

Congratulations! I remember our own relief when the answer finally arrived!

My daughter got her first choice as well (WA). What a relief! We can all enjoy a well deserved Christmas break now!

Congratulations and welcome to WA! It’s a brilliant
school and the girls there have so much fun. Our biggest problem has been trying to convince DD to come home some Sat-Sun as the weekends are packed with exciting activities for those staying in.

Do let me know if you have any practical questions.

@liliacg Congratulations!
what were some other schools you had considered? was WA the first to respond?

I have to say Woldingham is lovely - we had a sports fixture there this year and it was an amazing site. Girls all seemed happy too. I didn't see it on your list but it might be more mid level for academics between the WA and Tudor Hall options?

I wouldn’t touch Tudor hall if I were looking. It has just ruined a prep school that it owns. The way the way they act is absolutely appauling!

I wouldn’t reccomend Tudor Hall School. Not hearing or reading good things at all. plenty of others to choose from though

Our DD is starting at Downe House in Sept 2025. It is a selective school but we don’t see it as an academic hot house - we’ve spoken to several families there and that is the consensus.
They have prep time baked into the timetable so most prep is done by 6pm, leaving the evening for rest, clubs etc. Overall, they finish earlier than other boarding schools we looked at (seems 10pm is the norm elsewhere, 8:30pm at DH).
Great for a range of academic talents but also drama, music, art and even sport (especially lacrosse).
Super pastoral care, considered among the best in the country.
Girls were mostly full boarders but of course with the introduction of flexi boarding, this may change. At the same time, I think their international intake will increase due to VAT making private schools less affordable for UK families - and so that might balance out weekend presence to remain similar to now.
Whichever schools you shortlist, I’d advise that you look at how they’d support your DD’s interests and talents. E.g. being able to study multiple languages was important to our DD and it was a key reason to choose it.

A good slot between WA and Tudor Hall would be Calne, St Mary’s Calne.

i gather the area around Calne leaves a bit to be desired.
St. Swithun’s by Winchester looks great.

I think school environment around a school, like Calne (which honestly is fine, not stunning but it's ok) actually really doesn't matter. You could argue St Swithuns with the M3 roaring away slap bang next to it would actually be even more annoying and detract.

Knowing people who went to Calne, and places like Rugby which isn't exactly a beautiful market town, the students didn't really care at the end of the day nor noticed. If they had good teachers, good vibes around them, whether they were in Marlborough, Eton, Calne or St Pauls ugly 1970s buildings, it didn't really matter that much.

Sure, it's a nice to have but if it's a good school that I wouldn't turn it down based on place unless it was genuinely dangerous.

Calne is fine - it has a Sainsburys, Boots and a Costa and apparently a very good retro sweet shop. DS is near quite a nice town but they all just go to the local NISA instead as apparently the crisps/ drinks are cheaper there. .