Private senior schools for girls, Dorset - anyone with experience of...

[fardyharp]

Leweston, Sherborne Girls, St Mary's?
and Bruton School for Girls (ok not strictly Dorset)

Looking for weekly boarding. We have looked around all the schools except st Marys so far. Dd loved Leweston but I thought it looked a bit tired although girls very happy and friendly. Sherborne Girls had great facilities. Bruton she didn't like for some reason although I liked the head. Anyone with any knowledge??

Have you considered Clayesmore ? Keep hearing brilliant things about it from friends who's three children all go there ! Considering it for our daughter !
Have a friend with a little one in Leweston who's very happy with it ( day not boarder though as she's only small still )

I'm not sure if this is remotely helpful - it's not really relevant because I left quite some time ago (!) but I was at St Mary's, Shaftesbury, and also went to St Antony's Prep, which used to be the feeder for Leweston. I didn't like the atmosphere/ethos at Leweston even at 11, so chose to go to Shaftesbury - when most of my cohort obviously went to the former.....

I loved Shaftesbury (but was a full boarder) and most of my closest friends in my (just) 40s are my former schoolfriends - we are all godparents to our various children and still meet up a fair amount. It was a very friendly, unpretentious school in my day, but you were very much encouraged to do your best and challenged. The facilities now are fantastic compared to when we were there - I would love to be going there now!! (If it was practical I would send my daughter in a heartbeat!)

l know a few people whose children are at Leweston and are very happy there.