Windsor primary schools

[Busybee01]

Im planning on sending my 5 year old boy to reception this Sept and cannot choose between Brigidine, Upton House, Eton end or St Bernards.

Can anyone help at all. Is one known to be better than the other in terms of academics, quality of teaching, small classes and quality of care?

HELP- totally stuck.

Thanks

What did you think when you looked round them? As I was once told, there's no such thing as a good or bad school, just a good or bad school for your child.

If he is already 5 he'll go into year 1 not Reception. Upton House only takes boys until 7 so you'll need to move him then if you choose there.

Have you visited them? Other good schools in Windsor to consider are St John's Beaumont, Bishopsgate and St George's.

couldnt get into bishopsgate or st georges im afraid . A shame as really liked St George's

Interested in Brigidine but wondered if any other mums had recent positive feedback on the school

My DD is in the junior school at Brigidine. It is a lovely, lovely school. It is extremely caring and the whole pastoral system is designed to nurture the individual child.

The class sizes are small, although they do combine classes for some subjects. There are going to be two reception classes next year, so I imagine (not that I know), they will combine for PE, for example. They will basically do what is right academically for each class.

As an all-through school, the measure of academic success is GCSE and A-level result, and last year they got 100% 5 A-C. A boy would have to leave the school at 11 though, but would be well prepared for any senior school.

I know that my DD is really happy and is flourishing there.

Have you been to an open day?

How many boys are at Brigidine? I've always thought of it as a girls school although I know it now takes boys, just not sure if there are equal numbers. I know St George's makes sure that there are the same number of boys and girls in the lower years (although this changes when they get to 11 as quite a few girls schools start in year 7 rather than year 9).

OP you need to have some idea whether you are looking for a senior school starting in year 7, ie grammar or year 9.

They pretty much have equal numbers of boys and girls in Nursery, Reception, 1 and 2. I don't think they have populated the older years with boys, but this should happen naturally as the years move up. I don't think they have a fixed number of places for boys and girls - does St George's actually do this?

I believe St George's is fixed (at least either that or it is sheer coincidence that the number of boys and girls are equal). This does change in year 7 to be more boys because of local independent girls schools starting in year 7.

Thanks Brigo.

Thats superhelpful to hear. I am at brigidine next week so very much looking forward to the visit. I noties fees were also a bit more reasonable than other schools around which is appreciated. I assume that academics and environment are not compromissen as a result. It certainly doelnet sound like it and im very keen to view. Will let you know my thoughts. Thanks again

I saw someone suggested St John's Beaumont although it isnt on your list. a friends's DS has been there for nursery and now in reception and althohgh my friend is happy overall with the school she is getting increasingly stressed by suggestions that her son might have to leave after Y2 if he isn't deemed sufficiently academic. I would hate that approach for my DC but my friend seems willing to accept it because she says she knew what she was signing up for.

Is SJB selective then? I didn't realise that. Bishopsgate and St George's aren't. Don't know about the others.

Gosh youre right. How stressful. Too much pressure for us I think so will not pursue. Thanks

I went to St Bernard's, many, many moons ago. Loved it!

As I understood it, SJB is non-selective on nursery or reception entry but that children have to be a certain level to progress into Y3.

It's odd that they have a clear out for year 3 as I don't think their leavers' destinations are any different to St George's or Bishopsgate. I'd expect that to happen at Papplewick.

I should stress that I don't have a DS at SJB so don't have firsthand knowledge. Out of curiosity, I've just looked at their admissions policy on their website which is too long to quote but does say " the assessments in Berchmans (Yr 2) are particularly important for pupils to continue into the Upper School and the criterion referred to above are applied in connection with such continuation." I don't know anything about how the leavers destinations compare to other schools but certainly my friend said she knew there was weeding out for year 3, albeit apparently only about 1 or 2 boys each year. I'll duck out now because, as I said, I don't have direct knowledge of the school.

Alien I'm not questioning what you say at all but it just seems odd that they are selective and yet have similar leavers' destinations as the others (which are definitely non-selective). I would hate to send ds somewhere that would do that at such a young age.

bico I completely agree but was trying to be "objective" given I don't have first hand knowledge. My personal opinion is that you have to question how good a school really is if it weeds out children at various stages and, as you point out, has similar end results as other completely non-selective schools. And, as I said previously, I couldn't send my child to a school in nursery or reception that may (unilaterally) decide by year 2 that he is no longer suited to the ethos or academic standards of the school. But I guess everyone is different. I'm very fond of my friend but she has just made different choices to me on how she chooses to educate her DS.