New Oundle Head / current Lancing College Head

[LondonSparkles]

We are thinking about Oundle School for DS but are a bit worried about there being a change of Head. The Head of his prep school changed this year and there have been some big unexpected changes which haven’t all been welcomed by the parents. Do any current Oundle
or Lancing College parents have any thoughts about the incoming Head?

Apparently he is amazing I heard from someone I was dm'ing on here 6 months ago. I don't know what he is being brought in to change I just read the report from the school, it seems to be firing on all cylinders, maybe sharpen up the academics and improve some of Oundle's creative management. I live about 15 mins away and from all I hear it just keeps going from strength to strength (I left when Bush left). It's very popular now, people move to the area just to send their children there through the day house if they don't want their children boarding. I would have no qualms in sending a child there to get a very solid education that suits nearly any talent niche.

I had heard it had become a little stricter with Mrs K-D so if anything I hope he is a little more trusting of students. There is a mother on here who should be able to help called "leftandaright", she understands Oundle.

Following because our daughter is registered for Year 9. I’m hoping the kids are trusted a bit more as well. I’d like to have easier daily contact with her than former head seems to have allowed these past few years. Maybe a non-smart phone or something for texting? Other than that we’re excited.

By trust I mean when I was there it almost treated you like an adult with a very long reigned access to a lovely town from 13 and teachers werent superstitious of you nor checking on you. They made you feel mature. There was an implied contract of trust. The town setting allows you to subconsciously and consciously step out of that "school feeling" and help boarding school not feel like a prison (which I think some campus schools, particuarly by the end, can) and become too institutionalised. I think they have progressive mobile phone access. Found on website. But they are allowed in the town a lot just as people. Weekends were fun and genuinely restful.

Hi. Yes i have had various dc at Oundle over the years and still a current parent. The new head hasn’t caused any ripples at all at the school. Heard no chat good or bad about it. It’s normal for heads of big schools to move on after about 10 years so gives fresh eyes upon everything but Oundle is a big school- a corporation infact. I’d describe it as a corporation of co-operation. I myself have had zero interaction with the outgoing head over the years which is normal (unless your child gets in big trouble!!) because there are heads of every department that run things. The Oundle head is like a prime minister figure head with multiple ministers running each department.
Oundle also has a proactive governing body with a large Grocers Company input. The overall strategy of the school for the next few years if not long term has already been laid out with big investment into full boarding. Any new head can’t change the direction of rhe school because they don’t have that kind of influence. It’s nothing like prep schools where heads can be the beating pulse of a school.
I reckon current Oundle parents all have absolutely faith that a great new head has been chosen because the school is flying high, it’s full, demand is stronger than ever and that will have attracted a very strong field of applicants and presumably (!) the governors chose the best one who will align with the school’s long term published vision.
of far more importance to your child is the housemaster who will play a similar role as their headmaster did at prep school.

From y9/ third form (13 yrs) onwards they’ve always been allowed a non internet phone plus there always laptop based comms like Skype or whatsapp or insta type calling but on a laptop iykwim or they can just use the housemaster/mistress’s landline.
It’s never been about restricting calls home. they are encouraged to keep in touch with parents. (The ones who settle fastest to boarding life seem to never call home 😂) They have never been restricted after the first three weeks . In the first three weeks of the first term I think it’s emails only but after that point , brick phones and Skype etc laptop type calls are fine. The school does not allow the younger children to join the school and then have their noses attached to smart phones as they believe is hampers integration if they are constantly connected to the world outside of their new school. It really isn’t a huge deal and my dc were utterly unbothered by the lack of internet phone despite still being glued to theirs whenever they are at home!!

@leftandaright this is really helpful. So just to confirm, third form kids should be able to text parents whenever using a non internet phone?

That was the case for mine after the first 3 weeks in year 9. No phones in first three weeks. Emails from the get go. After 3 weeks then brick phones in the evenings - not during the day. I think. Maybe they could have them in the day I can’t remember. Tbh mine didn’t use phones as they work so much on the laptops they are given that it was quicker to email.
the phone policy may have moved on though so you’d need to check current policy.
two years ago , all
Parents were heavily surveyed on this policy introduction and the feedback was shared to everyone in massive detail - with all the pros and cons listed , then the school response and the reasoning.
I personally think internet phones really are not needed in a full boarding school. It restricts them from being immersed in school life. There are annoyances when your child isn’t on hand straightaway for sure but overall it is a Good Thing for teenagers to live without internet phones!

Thanks everyone - really helpful!