What is going on at Winchester College, anyone know why they are considering co-ed?!!!

[flourandeggs]

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/winchester-one-of-the-last-boys-boarding-schools-may-admit-girls-m792dck68

@NapCracklePop I was going to discount this as another one of Clarissa's seeking press to promote her book and public speaking etc but now you made me think! If they are serious, they would start with Sixth Form like the other traditional schools did of course.

Hi
I was surprised when I saw the email from Sir Richard Stagg the Warden of Winchester. I had three boys at WinColl and my brother went to WinColl in the 70s so we are a Winchester family. What I love about WinColl is the Winchester education that my three sons received, I would have loved for my daughter to have had the Winchester experience.
I don't think the pandemic has had such a negative impact on Winchester, but perhaps on St Swithun's the local girls school. As far as I am aware they have the same governing body, perhaps WinColl will copy the model of Sherborne. St Swithun's, has lovely grounds and space to become a full boarding school. If they were to create a Winchester Boys and Winchester Girls, they would keep the spirit of the school whilst also expanding into the girls sector, maybe certain classes would be mixed in sixth form. Just a thought.

@Evergreenwood I was thinking along the same lines..what a powerhouse that would be! Much easier for parents with travel and exeats etc and mixed 6th Form for some subjects would be great. Maintaining tradition but moving with The Times also (excuse the pun!
I can imagine it would appeal to the overseas clientele too.
Don't forget the latest 'big' name to go co-ed was Charterhouse, doesn't seem to have hurt them at all and they were a very traditional boy's school.

St Swithun's do get London girls as much as they used to. Just look at the evolution of Bute House destinations. Also St Swithun's results have declined a lot vs say the 2012 or 2013 levels, maybe the reason why girls from top preps don't look at as much. Still a very good school I understand?

@JustRichmal

Perhaps because they consider themselves one of the top schools in the country they no longer want to deny half of children an education there on account of their gender.

*sex

*don't get London girls

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/02/04/exclusive-winchester-college-row-parents-revolt-sex-education/amp/

So it was true https://www.winchestercollege.org/assets/files/uploads/Winchester%20College%20in%20the%2021st%20CenturyFinall_Vision.pdf

www.winchestercollege.org/assets/files/uploads/Winchester%20College%20Announcement%20885x984%20v1%20COMPRESSED.mp4

@SomethingInTheWaySheCooks I guess that old adage where there is smoke there is fire did apply after all

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/manners-makyth-a-girl-winchester-college-w52x5kd2t

@flourandeggs This has surprised me! Thankfully it is a very positive move and one being brought within the framework of a raft of changes which will ensure the school continues to deliver a forward-thinking and quite unique education.

I am loving this. Despite Clarissa's first hint at it (wonder if it was bad PR advice or her opening her mouth earlier than indicated)

It is brilliant that girls will now have access to such a prestigious school. The only other comparable CO-Ed boarding school is Brighton College, the rest are at least one step below.

Interesting,the day pupil bit is actually a bigger surprise to me than the girls,its been clear for several years that Win was becoming a less popular choice with British parents,

My DD's ex went there and said it was a ghastly experience, hated that it was single sex and so pushy. Single sex boarding is not what most parents want for their kids so if a school wants to admit at a high academic standard they need to widen their intake through taking girls, day students and bursaries for clever kids whose parents can't afford boarding. My dd boarded co Ed for 6th form on a bursary and loved it, no way would she have wanted single sex though plus she took traditionally "male" subjects and is one of only 6 women on her degree programme

"The only other comparable CO-Ed boarding school is Brighton College, the rest are at least one step below."

You have to be joking @Coronateachingagain

Great news that Winchester beginning to accept young women and day pupils.

@toadsandtrumpets can you elaborate?

up to GCSE, I don't think there is much else for co-ed boarding. Maybe Sevenoaks?

www.best-schools.co.uk/uk-school-league-tables/list-of-league-tables/top-boarding-schools-by-gcse

This is new today: co-ed in the 6th form in the foreseeable future.

www.winchestercollege.org/newsletters/the-winchester-vision

Didn't see that I am very slow to post! Ignore me.

I assume that @toadsandtrumpets means Winchester is more along the lines of Westminster academically?

It does not look like St Swithians took off like SPGS in terms of sister schools. I also notice that Winchester does a lot of it's sister school activities with CLS instead - which is a little bit further (though they are not unique in this). I guess I was sort of expecting Winchester Girls school.

I wonder if Eton would follow - why do I get a feeling they are so entrenched in their old ways, they would not.

I noticed more intake in popular boarding preps like Elstree and now suddenly Aldro. But these schools have always had issues with what to do about siblings and they tend to feed into co Eds like Charterhouse etc.

• st Swithun's

Of course :-) I just think there are many exceptional co-Ed boarding schools (fewer for GCSE yes but I thought we were talking 6th form as that is the news at Winchester ) at least on a par as Brighton College! Each one has different strengths, cultures, characters, different approaches. I just really wouldn't say Brighton College was a stand out option - IMO exam rankings tell you very little about the learning experience and education journey and ethos at a school.

I think Winchester has pretty niche fans but surely many many parents of super bright children (who also actually love learning) and would otherwise suit a school wouldn't even countenance single sex full boarding so it's ruled out from the outset? I agree with what @mootymoo said ... “Single sex boarding is not what most parents want for their kids so if a school wants to admit at a high academic standard they need to widen their intake through taking girls, day students and bursaries for clever kids whose parents can't afford boarding”

If boys are going elsewhere from the outset Winchester doesn’t get the pick - I imagine, in adding day pupils and girls, Winchester will also get onto the shortlists of boys they would otherwise miss.

I suspect it is not a shortage of boys who want to board especially at sixth form entry but rather a dwindling number in the UK who can pay £41,709 fees. By providing cheaper day places the school expands their pool of fee paying UK pupils whilst avoiding the upfront capital expenditure of a new boarding house.

@nolanscrack

Would be interesting to see if the number of uk applicants had dropped over the last few years,certainly we are aware of parents that thought it would be a great fit,went for a look and decided no for a variety of reasons,from very poor facilities to the fact they seemed to be rather proud that boys in the first two years were banned from having laptops(cant believe thats still true?),havent looked at exam results recently but was told Oxbridge numbers were down a fair bit? We didnt look as we knew it wasnt the right place for our boys but its always had a very loyal following and for the right boy is Im sure a fantastic choice.

No it’s not still true about laptops ( just as well given the current situation!). I think the encouragement to write using pen and paper was that it changes the way we respond and perhaps the way we think before we commit words to paper as it isn’t so easy to delete. I think it was there to encourage a certain discipline in written work but it changed a while ago.

I think Wincoll being a full boarding school with a two hour ‘homework’ task on a Saturday night to be handed in before chapel on a Sunday morning and no sloping off home after a match on Saturday suits families less and less, so perhaps this was putting off a few. There is a perception of a Wykhamist type as being an ultra academic nerd, which (though they exist there) is a bit inaccurate and it’s more mixed than that and they are more relaxed about many things than some other schools. But it would be fair to say it’s no walk in the park and it is demanding. As kind as they are it is not a school I’d want to founder in.

My son is at Wincoll and is an Xbox loving, football loving, long haired [lout] young man who has been able to find kindred spirits there. I think Oxbridge numbers may well be down in common with independent schools in general, partly due to people choosing other things, partly due to public schools not being first in the Oxbridge queue anymore (nor should they be). It will be interesting to see how it goes but it will be a gradual change as Wincoll does things its own way and in its own time (it’s not big on affirmation from the outside world or on image and brand iyswim which I like).

@YouokHun all the fee paying schools are very aware of brand and image - Wincoll might try and appear not to be which is a different thing - a swan gliding down a river with legs frantically scrabbling underneath? These are large businesses who sink or swim on their images and their customer uptake - believe me they have considerable departments whose sole job is to manage their reputations in the public eye. As a professional I am trying to work out if the ‘leak’ was intentional or not, and can’t decide!

I realise that @flourandeggs, I guess I mean it’s not an overt headline chasing, league table obsessed, other school bashing place like some. Seen as we only got notice in the middle of the night by email I expect we were meant to know a little later! I’m not surprised by it though.