Dragon School

[nemo4]

Any know about school life at The Dragon School in Oxford? Is it all rich kids, or a mix of rich and supported kids?

susaninindia - Okay here goes with "Oxon schools for girls in a nutshell"

Dragon has much higher proportion of boys than girls. Really put me off for my daughters (though think it could have worked for my son!)

Optiond depend whether you're going to live in central-ish Oxford or out in a village.

South of Oxford;
The Manor gets the best academic results in the area, (apart from oxford high) a bit weak on some sports. Very nurturing & musical too.

Chandlings used to be great but now has inexperienced head, and it shows!

Our Lady's in Abingdon if you want something very nurturing, for a non-academic-high-flyer or child who prefers a more laid back approach academically.

In Oxford itself
Headington junior school, whilst not as strong as the great senior school, is good all-rounder school.

Oxford High is academically selective (the only girls/mixed school in the area which is), has a reputation as "hothouse" and not very nurturing/sporty but I don't know it well enough to confirm the rumours one way or the other.

Rye St Antony
Very similar to the description of Our Ladys (above).

Thanks for the suggestion. Handed in notice at Dragon. Didn't seem bothered!

Am looking at Sandroyd School.

Son loves to ride and they are very much into the real country life.

Anyone heard of Sandroyd??

Never heard of Sandroyd, sorry. Guessing it must be north of Oxford, as don't know that area well.

Was it "issues" with the Dragon, or just not the right fit for your son?

Hi Checkmate,

We did not really research schools that well - and elected for The Dragon just because my friends children go there. My son started in Sept 2010 - but has never really settled.

I blame me and hubby -as our son is very much an outdoors type and likes riding, climbing, woods, trees etc..The Dragon is in a built up area and cannot match the country setting.

This time I am doing a lot of research - and found Sandroyd near Salisbury. They have their own stables and seem to make use of their country location. Visiting school next week and son will spend a few days as well. It has to be right - have 3 more chaps to follow....in the next few years

Spaggsuk

No direct experience but I have heard good things about Sandroyd and it is v rural. Major feeder for Sherborne I think

Have you thought about Summer Fields? Just up the road from the dragon and entrance is tucked behind M&S; but once through the gates it opens out into 78 acres of lovely quasi rural space stretching down to the river where the (240- whilst the grounds are much bigger there are far fewer children than at the Dragon )boys are allowed to be boys (lots of camping, getting muddy, playing conkers etc.). They can also do riding/polo/shooting/gardening etc. and the ethos is much more rural than the Dragon, which has always seemed to me to be more like a London school.
Academically it is good but not a hothouse and seems to do well for high flyers and strugglers alike. DS, after struggling with boarding for the first couple of terms is now ecstatically happy.

If the journey to/from Sandroyd is going to be a bit of a struggle Summer Fields may be worth a look.

Have you looked at Pinewood? Closer than Sandroyd, vast grounds which they utilise loads. Day or flexi boarding.

Pinewood is a disastrous school. Good preprep, terrible prep. Read the last inspection report which is dreadful (and very accurate). They got not a single girl into their first choice school at 11+ last year.

Have to disagree with Checkmate about Chandlings. Fantastic school. Got all the major scholarships to Oxford High this year. Also multiple scholarships to MCS Abingdon and St Helens. Very happy place. Head is excellent, but is young and pretty so a certain section of the school car park thinks there must be something wrong with her... (you know the type I mean - over 40, barely ever worked, suspect their husbands are playing away, bored and bitter about everything...)!

spaggs do you need boarding? I think you need to have some idea of where/what type of senior school he is going to in order to choose a prep school. There is no point in sending him to sandroyd if you have aspirations for eton or radley or rugby. If you fancy Winchester, consider Horris Hill. If you need Eton or Radley think about places like Cothill. If you want Sherborne Boys or Canford then Sandroyd is fine. All full of boys climbing trees.

I think you need to do a bit more thinking about the next stage.

freshmint - My friends with DC's at Pinewood are all in prep-prep, so I don't know anything about the prep. I know their DC all rave about climbing trees and playing in the woods constantly, which suits them all as not academic types.

I know Chandlings very well (don't want to say how, as it will make me identifiable) and stand by my opinion. The pre-prep is great, but .

If you compare results with the Manor Prep (as both schools have about the same number of girls per year and are non-selective)
Manor: 9 scholarships in 2010, 6 of these academic.
Chandlings 4 scholarships in 2010, only 1 of these academic.
Also, the Manor has more girls getting into the top 2 local schools (St Helen's and Oxford High) every year than Chandlings.
This has been repeated for the past few years.

No Hogwarts connections but Emma Watson went there

My cousin went but wasn't that close so didn't know much about it. But they are definitely boden-wearing mummies, cousin and her sister had their own ponies, etc etc.

pre prep is fantastic, run by a brilliant woman called ruth hall

i wish she ran the prep school too, it is like a different world. so badly run.

I know chandlings well too! If you are a parent there you will know that they got 3 scholarships to Oxford High, 3 to Magdalen College School, 3 to St Helens and St Kats and 2 to Abingdon this year. Those were all academic.

Any school which in a year group of 56 (don't know how many boys v girls) can get 10 into Magdalen, 13 into Abingdon, 12 into Headington and 9 into st helens and kats isn't doing badly.

PS I'm in no way dissing the manor which is an excellent school and by all accounts a very happy place which turns out nice kids

but if you want co-ed, have boys as well, or just want a bigger place chandlings is excellent and happy with nice kids too

the "young and inexperienced" head has got better results than the previous head, so that is something to bear in mind

I know some boys that go their unfortunately they fit the stereotypical overly confident and rude public school boy that the dragon is famed for.

The squirrel school is meant to be more nurtiuring.

The local primary schools are pretty good too.

I have 7 children - they have been to Windlesham House, Kings Canterbury, Bedales and St Edwards Oxford between them - the youngest 2, twins boys went to the Dragon. It is the most amazing school - they are now at Rugby - it is actually pretty hard to get a secondary school to measure up. I think what they learnt there will stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives. My brother went there too before Westminster - loved it. It is a total class act. Summerfields is for wimpy posh-os.

Sandroyd is heaven, have yet to hear a bad word said about it. Beautiful location, lots of riding on offer if that's what you're after, buzzes with enthusiasm and gets great results