Hi Amy1008,
I'm not a parent at OHS so don't have direct experience but have PLENTY of friends who are at OHS Junior - or were there and have left! It seems as though the new head at the senior school (Dr Hills) has come in with a directive to improve senior school results - and this has caused some issues for the Junior School. It seems as though Dr Hill's diagnosis is that there are too many barely literate dunderheads coming up through the ranks from the junior school who are "dragging down" the senior school results. One wonders why these middle-class kids of motivated, mostly bright, parents are doing so badly at OHS Junior School after being taught there for 7 years (general feeling is that Junior Dept have been caught napping as "most" of the girls passed seamlessly through to OHS so no need to put much effort into actual teaching for last decade at least). So Dr Hills has now put all Junior School parents (and teachers - which presumably explains the exodus of teachers and head in quick succession) on notice that only the very best will gain entry. He / GDST doesn't seem to have considered how this will impact on girls stress and anxiety levels at a crucial point in their development, nor how it will impact on Junior School numbers. Hands up those parents who sent their kid to OHS Junior school as best chance to secure place at senior school rather than for excellent teaching and great facilities!!!! So a number of my pals have left and gone to the dragon, phil and jims, SHSK, Headington. I'm sure the exodus will have a financial hit which will eventually lead to a change of view about exactly what level of stupid the senior school is prepared to accept, but this may take time. Don't get me wrong, no problem at all with OHS saying they only want to accept the best, but they have lulled current parents into the junior school on the "almost promise" of a senior school place, and now, at the last minute for some, are changing the goal-posts. That aspect of it is wholly disgusting.
Parents who are sticking it out are mainly led by DDs who insist they want to "stay with their friends" - but admit this is a terrible reason for not taking action, or are optimistic that senior school will be a better environment should they secure a "golden ticket". The new head of the Junior School, coming from Ashfold, seems like she's coming with great reviews, but I hope she realises how clipped her wings are by both the GDST and Dr Hills. Good luck to her! Shame Kate Gater resigned as by all accounts she was a good thing for the Junior School after the dreadfully ineffective Mrs Stacey's tenure.
As for feeling sorry for Judith Carlisle, absolutely not having having read the reviews / parental concerns. None have complained about the actual "Merchant of Venice" - rather the adaptation that involved girls shouting "Hallelujah" in response to anti-semitic messages, and asking a girl to make the "largest most offensive" papier-mache nose possible to be worn during the performance. That Judith deemed this to be in any way appropriate for this age group of girls is genuinely beyond me...and I'm not Jewish. That she tweeted about how amazing the performance was afterwards shows she has actually no clue about it made some girls feel. And her "apology" was anything but - it didn't even use the word sorry! Clearly she did fight her corner as the apology was written by her lawyers, so JC didn't take this lying down. I'm very glad she left OHS and I'm very glad that another school school has seen that her judgement is fundamentally flawed.