Uppingham, Oundle or Oakham?

[BrieMine]

Namechanged.

We live about an hour’s drive from these schools. We have been to the Open Mornings and have been very impressed with the Heads of Uppingham and Oundle. We are looking for a September 24 start. DC is academically sound, likes drama but not particularly sporty.

Currently leaning towards Uppingham but I like the campus atmosphere of Oakham. Any recommendations?

Uppingham is much better for the arts.

All are great schools and we looked round all 3 and have multiple friends with children at all of these schools- oakham the fewest as it draws much more from the local area (day and flexi boarding with limited full boarders compared to Oundle and Uppingham) . I have children at Oundle. There are some differences between them but nothing major.
Oundle has a broader intake /mix of pupils from all corners of the globe and much less countrified than Uppingham. Uppingham has lots of discoveries, black labradors etc amongst parents who are often very chummy with each other . I’d be wary of this if this isn’t you. girls skirts are short and they do like a good party in the school holidays ! Al children I know there have a great time.
oakham is the least smart of the three schools. Much less emphasis on full boarding compared to Oundle and U. infact U doesn’t really do day at all whereas Oundle have a couple of hundred day pupils. They come from far and wide.
oakham buy in several sporting stars and do well on national competitions whereas Oundle and U do not.
Oundle the most academic. U taking steps to improve academic standards and will also be great for academic pupils . Oakham has a broader spectrum of academic abilities catering to the brightest ones aswell as Btec’s.

for an academic girl who enjoys drama, I’d recommend both Oundle and Uppingham. If she likes a party and enjoys a day’s shooting/the country set , then I’d say U most suitable but it’s boarding only. If she’s more cosmopolitan and less country/tweedy, go for Oundle (day or boarding) .
but you won’t go wrong with any of the three schools at the end of the day. All great places for a child to be.

Please go and visit Oakham. Drama and the creative arts are very strong. Whilst it’s well known for its sport, not all Oakhamians are sporty, and the school’s focus is on participation for all alongside its very impressive track record for those who wish to compete at an elite level.

Oakham is somewhat different to the other two in that it has always had boarders and day pupils - a 50:50 split. It’s therefore rooted in the local community as well as being a national and international school. There are 500 boarders with over 300 being there as full boarders, 7 days a week. Its boarding community is also more diverse in terms of international make up as it offers the IB Diploma which attracts European students. The majority of boarders are British though.

A previous poster has said it’s ‘less smart’. Others might say this is more about it being more down to earth and friendly. Oakhamians don’t have to fit a type, they’re respected as individuals. It’s a happy school which does the best by every child.

I have visited Oakham @Lovelearnandhavefun, I mentioned in my OP that I had visited all three.

Thanks for the intel @leftandaright . I was very impressed with the art at Oundle and the DT block is outstanding. As a family we are more corporate than County Set so I appreciate your comments and will take those into consideration. I know people who know people with children at all 3 so will chat to them. It’s always worth asking on this forum though as everyone can be more honest with their opinion.

Do you work in marketing for the school? It sounds like it. The less impressive results aren't because the school is more 'down to earth and friendly'.

No I don’t.

No I don’t

Went to Oundle.

Echo Left and a Right.

Oundle the most sophisticated of them all in a way. More cosmopolitan and slicker - pretty global and nationwide. Country types do go there and like it but it's for driven kids and driven parents. Most academic of the three, sport is good for the lack of focus on it. Music v good tbh. Most individual children I always find.

Uppingham - bit more parochial, country, less pushy parents. Improving Academics but maybe reach expectations not exceed them. Music v good but not what it was. Nice friendly people.

Oakham - More local and the least snobby. Good school and nice people. Good for sport individually and higher team levels. Not so academic but helps and nurtures all.

Just go with the vibe normally. Good luck

Thanks for the feedback @easternenergizer. How long ago were you there and do you think Oundle has changed under the leadership of the Head? I found her impressive and an inspiring role model for my DC. Similarly with the Uppingham Head: we sat next to each other at lunch (not outing, I’m sure he has had lunch with many prospective parents over the years) and both DH and I warmed to his evident kindness which seems to filter down the school as the sixth formers who showed us around and whom we chatted to afterwards were lovely (as were the Oundle kids, I hasten to add, who were also very funny and made me laugh on more than one occasion [in a good way]).

How is Oakham changing under the new leadership @Lovelearnandhavefun?. Colleagues had DCs there under the previous Head who is spoken about with much admiration and seems to be acquiring a legendary status. I suspect you are a member of staff so will need to exercise discretion but I would be interested in your views how the ethos is changing as a reflection of the Head and to which direction he is steering the school.

Hello,

I was there under Charlie B's Headship, but know people there under new lady. I think the school has changed slightly, it has become a bit more friendly socially and students are more individual in their interests and what they do afterward instead the usual russell group vibe, but it has also become a bit stricter on entry requirements from what I hear on mumsnet and real life.

I think the main point to underline is there are differences in the energy of the school's and what they produce because I do think they are lumped together somewhat. Would say Oundle is quite a bit more pressure than the other two, the highest energy most outgoing child would do well there, who makes opportunity for themselves and is confident. Would say it places emphasis on you making the most of the school and children running their own things, whether it is bands, house plays or charity ventures which I did and was a lot of fun. I also find Oundle students are the most individual of the three schools, and although don't like the word, quite cool. They seem the most 'with-it' and open-minded but obviously anecdotal. It isn't for all though, and the other two can be better places to make mistakes and grow if they are less confident.

Hope that helps.

You sound like you definitely belong at Uppingham.

From having relatives and prep school friends who attended all three. Oakham girls were the most clique and capable of bring very b tchy. Half the school population are day pupils. One large communal dining lunch hall as opposed to Uppingham return to your boarding house at lunch. Uppingham is opening a new day house however.
Oundle seemed well rounded but I think the ego and disproportionate confidence is also due to being a teenager and always being around peers 24/7 so you mask, feign and fit in.
Oakham was associated with sports and trying to recruit skilled rugby players as reflected in their "Hall of fame'' Web page.

If your child is confident and has good academic capabilities and a hobby they may be fine on these vast schools. I suggest a full boarding school and not be a border in a mostly day school. I'd also consider smaller independent secondary schools of your child is more wholesome or delicate.

Hi there,
My daughter is interested in joining either Uppingham or Oundle for sixth form but is unsure. Do you know how the students and teachers are at these schools in terms of racism as my daughter is worried about that and how day pupils fit in with the schools as we only live about 20 minutes from either.

Have you considered Stamford? It’s co-ed now and has a great new sixth form centre at the former girls school.
In my opinion produces well-rounded children and has brilliant extra-curriculars without the tie of mandatory Saturday school.

I'd suggest you look at Oakham too. They have a well established day provision with Houses for all pupils. Because of the IB Diploma, they get a good mix of international pupils into the school. From what I know, a good track record on mix. Good luck with the search, I'm sure you'll find one is a good fit for your DC.

Hi there my daughter currently goes there but would like a change so we are looking at applying to other schools.

my daughter is sadly not interested in oakham as she is looking for a very academic school

With regards to day pupils, Oundle has a more established day provision. There are around 25% day pupils currently. Uppingham has very few (around 6-7%), and they are currently allocated to a boarding house. Uppingham are opening a separate day house this year though - I’m not sure how many day pupils this will cater for.

Hi there

Would you mind telling me a bit more about why you'd like to move from Stamford please? We are considering it but undecided.

My daughter would like a change as she has been there for 5 years and would like to go a large school as the sixth form now has there own site but it is only with her year. She also feels like she does not fit in with the children in her year so she would like a new start.

Hi. I have dc at Oundle. Racism is not even a thing at the school. There are so many people of every colour and creed that it does not even cross their minds to judge based on this. As long as they are fluent in English which I think is important to integrate as the school only functions in English then what colour skin they have is of zero consequence.
there are now two day houses accounting for several hundred pupils in total. This is where they go for lunch but otherwise day pupils are integrated into the day like any other. Yes Oundle is academic. I would describe it as much more cosmopolitan than Uppingham which has almost no day provision and does not have quite the integration between races as Oundle based purely on my judgement as my dc group of friends has mixed races amongst them but their Uppingham friends seem to socialise based on ethnic group.
when you tour the schools, have a good look at break time and guage the mix of pupils walking around. That’s what struck me as being different. Either way I have never heard of racism at either school whatsoever. Both schools are competitive o get into a sixth form and you need to apply now for a sixth form place in a year’s time.

My Unfiltered and Uncensored Review of Oakham School

The good:
Oakham School has a lot of resources that you can use to be the best you can be. If you have an ambition, something you want to do or be good at, more likely than not Oakham can accommodate it. There are a lot of facilities: gyms, a very good library, an EXCELLENT cafeteria where the food comes inclusive with the fees (you don’t pay for the food), sports facilities, swimming pool. As of gyms, there are two free gyms from what I remember, there’s an advanced gym with proper gym equipment as well but that’s for specific athletes who do strength and conditioning. There’s a range of activities and the boarding houses are good but not fancy.

The academics are good but it genuinely isn’t too bad and there is a lot of support. The academics do matter to a point, but it definitely ISN’T INTENSE. I think the academic demands of the school ARE HEALTHY AND OPTIMAL. The VAST MAJORITY of the teachers are dedicated to their jobs and are friendly, these teachers are the school’s superpower. The trips are really good but would almost certainly cost extra.

Lower School Subjects (10 - 13 years old)

• Maths
• English
• Combined Sciences (Biology, Physics, Chemistry) Taught as ‘Science’
• Art
• Design and Technology (Woodworking and similar activities)
• Religious Education (not religious instruction but just learning about different religions: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and more)
• History
• Geography
• French (mandatory till GCSE year - Form 4)
• Spanish or German (you do both at some point, then you can pick one till GCSE year)
• Latin (you can drop after Form 1)

I might be missing a few Lower School Subjects. Most Lower School subjects are MANDATORY. This is good because it allows you to get a good experience of all the subjects to subsequently make good choices for GCSEs and A-Levels.

The teachers at Oakham are optimistic and Oakham School is a school that genuinely nurtures that can-do attitude.

GCSE Subjects (the first British Major exam, 2 year course, the final exams are in the second year taken by 15 - 16 year olds).
Grades are on a 1-9 grading scale,
Mandatory GCSE Subjects:

• Maths
• Foundation Level Maths (the highest grade available in this is a 5 on a 1-9 grading scale)
• English Language
• English Literature
• Physics, Biology, Chemistry (Double Award mandatory - Normal level of knowledge) (Triple Award optional - You don’t do Double Award and Triple Award at the same time, you do Triple Award instead of Double award and it counts as two subjects I believe).

Optional GCSE Subjects (You have to pick between them to fill in slots. I think you have to do 8 or 9 GCSE subjects in total):

• History
• Geography
• Religion and Philosophy (Philosophy is more advanced Plato, Descartes and the likes)
• Citizenship (an intro to Politics, Economics)
• Computer Science
• Music
• Design and Technology
• Art (Textiles)
• Fine Art
• Drama
• Sports Science

I might be missing a few GCSE Subjects.

For Sixth Form College (Sixth and Seventh form, 16 - 17 year olds and 17 - 18 year olds), the school does A-Levels or IB (International Baccalaureate). Oakham offers some BTEC as well.

• Maths
• English Language
• English Literature
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Art
• Design and Technology
• Computer Science
• Geography
• History
• Philosophy
• Classical Civilisations (Ancient Romans, Greeks, Egyptians)
• Sports science (there’s also BTEC sports science as well)
• Drama
• Music
• Latin
• Italian
• Spanish
• French
• German
• Politics
• Economics
• Business

I might have missed some A-Level/IB/BTEC subjects.

Oakham School is a school that can genuinely get you PHYSICALLY FIT, especially if you go in from Lower One (as a 10 year old), Form 1 (as an 11 year old), Form 2 (as a 12 year old) or Form 3 and Form 4 (as a 13 or 14 year old). These are the years when PE (Physical Education) is mandatory. I personally think it’s great that PE is mandatory and it should be that way. The Oakham School PE curriculum is excellent and the exercise is relatively tough but it isn’t impossible. It’s the type of exercise that can get you FIT if you pair it with healthy eating.

Also, sports is MANDATORY as well. In the Winter term, the sport is Rugby for boys and Field Hockey for girls, in the Spring term it is Field Hockey for boys and Netball for girls and in the Summer term it is Cricket for boys and Tennis for girls. Boys can also play tennis as well. There is also Athletics for either gender.

When I was there they put up posters about healthy eating and the cafeteria, the Barraclough is excellent. Even if the main meals realistically aren’t always the healthiest all the time, there is ALWAYS salad and it gives students the responsibility to always get vegetables and skip dessert. Breakfast is important and I’m sure Oakham school can cater for Kosher and Halal food as well. Vegetarian and vegan food (especially vegan food) might be a little harder and while there will probably be something for you, you’d want to supplement that with your own vegan/vegetarian food because this might be a bit lacking on the wrong day. My favourite part of the school is definitely the Barraclough and it’s one of the few parts of Oakham I miss the most.

There are a lot of activities at Oakham School. They don’t cost extra most of the time. Here’s a list of most of the activities on offer at Oakham, however these activities may no longer be on or they may only be on for a period of time:

• Tennis
• Football
• Zorb Football
• Baking
• Sailing
• Duke of Edinburgh Award (walking, cycling)
• Squash
• CCF Army or RAF (Gives an idea of what being a soldier is like but no fitness test - it’s great fun and very safe)
• Choir
• Chamber Choir (More high level singing of choral music only - so no pop, RnB or stuff like that)
• Orchestra
• Big Band
• Self Defence/Taekawondo

There are definitely more activities than this and the activities selections are usually VAST!

These are other less formal activities the school can offer.

• You can go for runs around the campus.
• There are Cricket nets that can be used.
• House Football.
• There’s mental health counselling or therapy.
• Sometimes sports facilities can be used for extra practice.
• Extra Lessons (Supported Study) on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• You can go out to town, ideally in groups of two at a minimum and go shopping at the Tescos or get a milkshake at the milkshake place (I forgot what it’s called). There’s a Costa as well.
• You can explore the campus to know where all your lessons are as well as for your mental health as the weather isn’t always bad and the campus has good architecture and there is a lot of greenery also.
• At the weekends (not in lower school) you can get a Takeaway but you’re not going to be allowed to eat in the restaurant.

Other good things about Oakham School that I haven’t mentioned:

Oakham School is VERY anti-bullying. The bullying at the school is VERY cracked down upon. There might still be some bullying going on but it’s never severe and it’s taken very seriously in the school. Also, if someone is bullying you in a hurtful manner you should tell a teacher or if you don’t want to tell a teacher (which you should) then the therapy offered by the school is excellent and it is also very helpful. The therapy room has a good, comfy seat and even some legos that you can play with.

Realistically, the school is very tolerant when it comes to punishment. It is not too strict and it is quite rehabilitative. There are punishments for academic and behavioural
offences each.
The academic sanctions:

• T-Cross, just a mark on the online school record for minor infractions such as not doing the homework. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
• 3x T-Crosses = Academic Detention. 1 hour 30 minute detention.
• 3x Academic Detention = Deputy Head’s Detention. 2 hour detention on a Saturday.
• 3x Deputy Head Detention = Internal Suspension (You have to go to lessons but you MUST NOT play in sports matches, attend sports practice and activities and you MUST walk all the way to Chapel Close to sign in every morning and afternoon). Don’t get an Internal Suspension in LOWER SCHOOL!
• Full suspension - Sent home for 3 days.
• Then expulsion.

The behavioural sanctions:

• B-Cross, just a mark on the online school record for minor infractions such as not doing the homework. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
• 3x B-Crosses = Behavioural Detention. 1 hour 30 minute detention.
• 3x Behavioural Detention = Deputy Head’s Detention. 2 hour detention on a Saturday.
• 3x Deputy Head Detention = Internal Suspension (You have to go to lessons but you MUST NOT play in sports matches, attend sports practice and activities and you MUST walk all the way to Chapel Close to sign in every morning and afternoon). Don’t get an Internal Suspension in LOWER SCHOOL!
• Full suspension - Sent home for 3 days.
• Then expulsion.

In general, it is a lot harder to get severe sanctions for Academic reasons, Behaviour is far more important and the sanctions for behavioural offences can be more serious.

*Sanctions for bullying can be severe but they often just give a warning and a detention to start with just in case there might have been a misunderstanding if the bullying wasn’t severe or they didn’t mean to upset the person. A misunderstanding.

*Anything physical is VERY severely dealt with - can be an Internal Suspension for the first offence. DON’T HIT PEOPLE UNLESS IN SELF-DEFENCE. Try to run away and tell a teacher if someone is threatening you also.

*Vapes, drugs, smoking and sometimes alcohol is a BIG NO NO. It’s very strictly dealt with (particularly drugs). The school might provide help with overcoming vaping addictions or smoking addictions, I’m not very knowledgeable about this area.

I’ve heard rumours that being caught with drugs is an instant expulsion and they might call the police.

If this is the case I hope the school can change this strict policy towards drugs into one that better supports its students and rehabilitates them just like it does in its other sanctions policies.

Apart from drugs, the rewards and sanctions policies are relatively fair and are not overly harsh and Oakham School is relatively safe where 10 - 18 year old boys and girls can live and study in the same school in relative harmony.

It is genuinely very hard to move through the ranks of the sanctions system at Oakham.

The Campus:
Oakham School has a beautiful campus with a lot of greenery. The Groundskeepers do a PHENOMENAL job.

The Boarding Houses are fairly normal though and they are nothing fancy.

The wi-fi is available for free by using your school account credentials when you are admitted. The wi-fi is VERY FREE, it was mostly good when I was using it but some people complained about it. It blocks all the right stuff and it doesn’t over-do it with the website restrictions. It just needs to block Twitter or ‘X’ (who actually calls it that?)

The science and DT buildings have particularly good architecture and interior design.

Most of the classrooms are spacious and have windows to let in lots of natural light, making these areas pleasant places to work in.

However, the campus is quite large and so you NEED TO TAKE A TOUR OF THE WHOLE SCHOOL apart from Wilson Fields (because it’s so far away) so that you’re not late and you settle in quicker, otherwise it could take a longer time to settle in.

When you don’t know where to go at Oakham School, you could get VERY LOST. When you do know where to go at Oakham School, the campus feels small.

There is a student organiser (DON’T RIP OUT ANY PAGES OF THE ORGANISER, YOU’LL PROBABLY NEED THEM ALL) where all planned events are already typed out as well as a Red Book, a similar book that also outlines planned events as well as other important information about the school.

The not so good:
As I said earlier Oakham School cracks down on bullying and bullying is never severe (from my own experience).

Another good thing about Oakham School is that it is quite a tolerant school. It has a lot of people from different parts of the UK as well as all over the world. It’s a very diverse school and this is Oakham School’s strength.

There tends to be a WIDE VARIETY of friend groups and there are ALWAYS different types of people, each with unique interests and personalities that one would encounter at Oakham School. This is something to be CELEBRATED.

Not only does the school staff crack down on bullying, but the culture of the school is generally against bullying as well.

However, even if the school does a good job at cracking down on bullying, there is still some peer pressure that may happen in some friend groups and that’s something to look out for.

Also, although there might not be bullying, there can be cliques formed and while this isn’t always a bad thing, some cliques might be quite toxic and unpleasant at times and this might be a problem for some students but not all.

There can be a few toxic superficial students at the school as well by the nature of the school fees. The vast majority of Oakham School students are nice and friendly but there will be a few shallow people there as well that might be a bit mean. These are a small MINORITY of students at Oakham.

There tends to be more shallow and superficial people in Boarding and Flexi-Boarding than Day, but again these are genuinely in the minority because the VAST MAJORITY of people in boarding are GENUINE PEOPLE.

Dating at Oakham can be very difficult because a lot of people would be EXTREMELY SUPERFICIAL when it comes to dating and if being in a relationship is something that you’d really want and if not being in one will affect you really badly, then it might not be worth going to Oakham School because it might affect your academics as well as your broader quality of life. There still might be some genuine people at Oakham School when it comes to dating, but dating at Oakham seems pretty shallow. You might think, “Ah! I’ll never have a crush on anyone, I’m just here to study!” You’ll more likely than not like someone and it will probably affect your academics if it doesn’t go well.

Overall, the Oakham School experience can be really good, but if you genuinely don’t like it, it’s okay to just try it out for a term to see how it is because it costs a lot of money to go there so you want to have a good time so that the price is truly worth it.

hey @leftandaright that's awesome to learn, do you know any other school that has a similar cosmopolitan feel to Oundle?

@Rennypie03 I can’t say but I think any full boarding school where there is no option to go home on any weekends at all except for fixed exeat and half term will have a higher proportion of overseas/more cosmopolitan children attending - which means there is no place for racism to exist.
I think British schools are so incredibly broad minded (compared to other countries) that racism is unlikely to a concern at any uk school, but especially proper boarding schools.
Children tend to integrate based on shared interests and sport is a huge part of this with all the camaraderie it engenders. I will say that at all uk schools you get a proportion coming from China who are fixated on academics to the exclusion of everything else and they tend not to integrate so well and form their own conclaves. That’s not a racism thing just that these pupils are absorbed purely in studying that they have no interest in widening their horizons. I think it’s a cultural thing. The African children integrate really well - but then they love their sport and socials!
i wouldn’t give much thought to racism over here in the uk. It’s really not a thing at all.