We have children at Godstowe and agree with the recent inspection report, it’s a really outstanding school. Recognise that, like any school, it has strengths and weaknesses, but ‘old fashioned’ is definitely not how we have experienced it. We regularly email teachers and almost always have a response within a day. The head (new last year) has met with us three times to discuss senior schools and some confidence issues our daughter is having, and has shown a very subtle understanding of dd. We’ve found it welcoming socially, very focused on giving girls confidence, and very responsive to feedback.
The streaming thing is interesting. They are already settled for maths in year 5, and maths sets continue to be independent of the streaming in year 6. They do move girls around - eg from stream 4 into stream 3, stream 3 into stream 2 etc., during the year. But friendships persist across the streams, supported by the form identity, which is separate from streams (ie child will be in MIIIX for form, and 6D for stream, and set 3 for maths).
Overall the school does what it says on the tin, produces happy, confident, successful girls.
Re where people live, we find most people live in the beaconsfield/great missenden/frieth/marlow rectangle; although several live further afield - up towards oxford, south to henley and maidenhead. Means some friends live an hour away which isn’t ideal and a lot of social events happen in the High Wycombe area as at least everyone can get there!
Quality of teaching is really brilliant, I do think having subject experts teach children from an early age is really helpful to having them love the subject. Much of it is really outstanding - eg music— M. Serpetti taught at a sixth form college before, and he is very ambitious about what the girls can achieve.
I’m sure there are girls or families that would not thrive there, but the school will do its best to make sure they are happy and doing well in the meantime. It’s definitely worth a look.