Rye St. Antony, Oxford. Any views?

[CheekyGirl]

We are considering this school for dd, to start in year 8. It would be great to hear any views/opinions!

I went there for a few years and would recommend it if your preference is for a pastoral, as opposed to an intensely academic, approach (although, to be fair to them, I (along with a number of my friends) came out with top grades nevertheless). Will she be a day student or a boarder?

Day girl. Excellent pastoral care is a priority for us, so that sounds good, ChunkyStu. Is it the sort of school where a shy girl would settle in well even at an uncommon starting point (year 8)?

That's a bit worrying, though, Tough.

I don't mind re. the academics as long as dd, who is bright, will be nurtured and achieve her best.

Although they will already have some settled friendship groups by then, I'm sure she'll be able to settle in well with girls similar to herself. I personally found that being quiet/introverted did not win you many friends amongst the more outgoing gregarious girls - then again, I started in Year 10 as a boarder from a different cultural background, so my experience may not be directly relevant to your daughter.

Toughasoldboots, I'm sorry you had that experience. We did have some bullying in our year (specifically of a girl whose parents didn't want the school to disclose to us that she had CP and possibly an additional/secondary behavioural disorder) and I can't say that I saw much action to curb it (although there may very well have been - the school always prided itself on its discretion when it came to their students). However, I suspect that particular girl's experience would have been different had her parents not been so averse to her peers knowing. I find that people (especially teens) tend to steer clear of others whose behaviour they don't understand/find odd or intrusive when, in hindsight, there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for it.

Yet, I would rate the school highly on pastoral care. They certainly went above and beyond the call of duty when I had some family issues which unfortunately ended with me leaving the school. I would go back on occasion to spend the odd weekend there and could call on my former teachers when I wanted their advice on work in my new school. I have no doubt that she will definitely be nurtured and encouraged to achieve her best - academically and otherwise. I have lovely memories of my time there, still remember my teachers with fondness and respect, and retain strong friendships till today.

In summary (after that long essay) - go for it!