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Original poster

Stowe School Buckinghamshire

72 replies

Flowertop · 02/01/2011 17:12

Wondering about this school for my DS year 9. If anyone knows of the school or has attended would appreciate feedback.
thanks

OP posts:
whoatethelastbiscuit · 09/01/2011 16:46

Just thought I'd chip in, the only person I know who went to Stowe went on to Cambridge, and is definately not "thick". Best to judge for yourself what would suit your dc.

Original poster
flowertop · 10/01/2011 10:38

Thanks so much for all your replies so far. Fran58 that is really encouraging so thanks for your comments. btw do you happen to know of any day pupils who are in your DC's year and if so how do they seem to cope with the fact that they are in the minority in terms of boarders vs day.
thanks again. I may take you up on the helicopter offer Grin

OP posts:
civil · 10/01/2011 10:49

Didn't some of the students get poisoned by a chef their?

civil · 10/01/2011 10:49

there

CameronCook · 10/01/2011 10:51

Yes civil there was something in the local paper last year about chemicals in the soup I think.

The only person I know who went to Stowe is very bright and has a highly successful career as well as being an all round nice bloke.

His DW is dead set against boarding which is the only reason that their DCs will not go there as they are not close enough to go as day pupils.

fran58 · 10/01/2011 19:20

Flowertop, I really don't think there are any issues for the day pupils. If anything they are very popular because they can take boarders they are friendly with home for Sunday lunch and the odd Exeat etc. They can also stay late to do prep etc so are fully integrated into the school. My children have made friends with boarders and day pupils alike. I wouldn't worry about it.

kittykat101 · 17/06/2011 13:34

Flowertop, I have a son current in year 7 and have just done the school search. We have applied and accepted a place at Stowe for him to start Sept 2012. We do not have a helicopter etc..nor am I from some wealthy family. I was also concerned about the same issues as you - but my son just loved the visits there and the school seems to offer an all round education. My son is bright so we could have chosen other schools but he really like the staff at Stowe - so in the end it was his choice.
Please don't think it is just for the wealthy..as thru work I know of 4 other boys there and they are far from the helicopter type family.
hope this helps

a02ft · 20/06/2011 12:05

I've accepted a place at stowe, I got offers from rugby, wellington college, stowe and harrow but accepted the stowe offer becoause I thaught it was the best school. Compered to the others stoics are the least arrogent - they were the only ones well manered enough to stand when you enterd the room and make the effot to speak to you.
It does have a bit of a reutarion for being thick but that's compared to eton and westminster (but the gap is closing). Stowe is much better academicaly than most day schools.

a02ft · 20/06/2011 12:12

Sory reputation (i am dyslexic so carn't spell, still prodicted As and As and doing an AS level early - we're not all thick!!!)

Original poster
flowertop · 20/06/2011 15:53

Kittykat101 and a02ft thanks for your encouraging responses. We have applied for a year 9 place in 2012 which is conditional on common entrance results. So fingers crossed! You never know we may meet up one day at school!

OP posts:
yogaqueen · 20/06/2011 22:25

I agree you can't judge until you've been there. The school has a broad range of pupils like all public schools and the brightest kids are together in the top sets. It is certainly a great option and we are considering a day place as they are well integrated in the boarding houses

Colleger · 21/06/2011 13:04

Does anyone know of a really bright child who didn't join in the sixth form and isn't from overseas at Stowe, and how are they getting on. Are bright children valued or bullied for being clever?

hev123 · 02/07/2011 01:38

Hi there....My daughter is just coming to the end of her first year at Stowe. She gained an accademic scholarship and moved over from grammar school. I hope this answers your question about all of the parents having planes etc., And also your accademic concerns. (There are some extremely bright children at the school)

Stowe looks at every child as an individual and the range of the abilities of the children is very varied. The ethos of the school very much encourages all of the children to help eachother when and where they can. This is why I chose to apply in the first place. I also liked the fact that it is Co-ed.

Since being at Stowe my daughter has flourished. I have no worries. I am kept informed of her progress through regular reports, accademically she is being challenged for the first time in her life. Socially she is growing on a daily basis.

I think you have chosen a fantastic school, with an outstanding Headmaster.

hev123 · 02/07/2011 03:57

hi colleger,

I asked my daughter about bullying and she said that they do not put up with it at Stowe. They will exclude bullies and take scholarships from anybody found bullying.

Also yes she is very bright and doing well. Her end of year test results included many A* and A grades. She is in the top set along with about 20 other very bright children. I would say that around 10% of her current year are potential grade A students accross the board. All very much integrated and living happily together with the rest of the school.

From my experience the school values effort as much as ability.

Original poster
flowertop · 02/07/2011 11:26

Thanks hav123 sounds so positive. Does your dd board?

OP posts:
hev123 · 02/07/2011 12:29

Yes she boards. I would reccomend boarding. The children are kept busy till about 9.00pm and start their day early. The day students tend to be local. If you have a fair commute you may find thst you are picking your child up late just to sleep and return to school. Also the children have somebody there to help them with prep and more to the point....Make sure that they do their prep well. I felt that my dd would benefit more from boarding. It is a personal choice but one I am glad that I made.
The day students are completely integrated within their house and have there own desk and locker. Just not a bed. They can and do stay over on occassions. (production evenings etc,)

manicinsomniac · 03/07/2011 12:52

I know about 10-15 children a year that go to Stowe. The vast majority of them are extremely happy there. They are of a wide range of ability (from 3 or 4 who won academic scholarships to 3 or 4 who didn't really reach the CE standard required but Stowe let them in anyway on sporting or monetary grounds). They are also not all very rich. Some of the parents have jobs that pay the fees, some get large bursaries etc.

I don't think Stowe if for the 'rich but thick' any more at all, it's very diverse and caters for all.

Having said that, it isn't a school I'd be prepared to pay £30000 a year for. The classroom behaviour is quite poor from what I've seen and the children (especially the girls) seem far too forward and look ridiculous (orange faces, hugely 'pouffed up' hair dos etc). I know you'd get this in most schools but I wouldn't expect to be paying for it!

Day children get very tired too.

yogaqueen · 13/09/2011 17:05

I couldn't be more happy with Stowe - my son loves it and has settled in quickly thanks to the exceptional staff who are looking after him. He is bright and finding the work challenging academically - their recent public exams results were excellent. So forget the old stereotypes and don't miss out on a top school.

lyndyloo7 · 08/10/2011 18:52

We have recently returned from a rugby match against Stowe...what a very arrogant lot they were, both the pupils and parents! They seemed to think that money made them better than anyone else. Infact they all came across and the 'lower lives'. Money doesn't mean you can treat others is a unsportsmanlike way and get away with it. But judging by everything we saw and heard they are obviously brought up to think they can and that they are superior to others. How wrong they are...they all need to live in the real world and be taught how to behave towards others.

mumwithintegrity · 13/10/2011 22:06

Don't agree with negative posts about Stowe. My daughter joined Sixth Form last year, her friends are NOT arrogant oiks - all friendly young people. She's just got 4 x As at AS level and not even in top sets for every subject. Her peer group are very bright and academic standards there are rising. You really should go and visit rather than listen to ill-informed gossip.

mumwithintegrity · 13/10/2011 22:08

Go visit - it is a great school for bright children. My daughter is there and got 4 x As in her AS levels last August. Lots of clever boys in her year group and younger children are very bright too.

PublicSchool · 14/02/2013 14:12

Hi there, My son goes to Stowe and is currently in his final year. He tells me how he has grown so much as a person, the really cater to the individual, lots of societies to go to. My son does debating, the Literary Society and play football. Its has a fairly cosmopolitan student populace with scholars from South africa and exchange students from the Dune India. Apply to Stowe it really is wonderful.

BobbiFleckmann · 14/02/2013 14:19

The old Stoics I know are not great rocket scientists, didn't get great results and generally speaking didn't go on to uni.

to a man however they have exquisite manners, are great company and have been highly entrepreneurial & successful in their businesses.
The grounds and buildings are stunning - a gorgeous environment to grow up in I imagine - & having to share with the Trust and their cows is presumably rather lovlier than having to share Eton High Street with the world and not having any discrete campus.

drinkmilk · 06/09/2013 13:01

Stowe is very high on my list of schools for my son. I have a check list of 4 things for my son: co-ed, idyllic country setting, campus based, access to everything from a literary society to polo. Stowe seems to tick all the boxes in ways other schools just don't. Nearly 900 beautiful acres & a truly gorgeous house that are maintained by the National Trust ... this means that parent money goes on education & facilities (can't say that about many other schools in historic buildings). All the top public schools will secure your child's future academic success, so you must look beyond grades & consider the environment & the community. Most Stoics I've come across are either successful entrepreneurs or bankers. That said, they're ranks are also made up of actors, tycoons, grocers & Superman too (Branson, Sainsbury, Niven, Cavill). And the Old Stoic community is very well organised & helpful ... from what I can tell ... from the outside. A difficult decision awaits me.

sixwoollydogs · 06/09/2013 16:53

Drinkmilk - I thought that the grounds only were maintained by the National Trust and the house was completely different?