Ladybarn House Prep school

[Cloud144]

I have been looking at the independent schools in south manchester for my DD as I felt that if I wanted my DD to go to a selective secondary i.e. MHSG or a grammar AGSG then it might be preferable to put her in a prep school that will prepare for these schools to some extent with support at home to avoid too much extra tuition that she may need to keep up if she stayed at a state school. However I have been told that 90% of the children going to the prep schools are getting tuition also is this true? As the whole point for me to consider independent would be so that most of this was catered for at the school.
My second concern is that my daughter has been offered a place at Ladybarn house and I have heard some negative feedback regarding the school that the School has a very long rote learning approach, lacks a creativity approach, a very robotic teaching. If you don't keep up the children are made to feel like failures. Also that for the extracurricular activities only those are selected that are good at the activity not much concept of getting those interested involved. This is a bigger concern for me as I wanted all the extracurricular activities to be an integral part of my DDs education.
This has really put me off taking up the place at the moment, why would I want to pay all that money which will require some big sacrifices to fund and there be the possibility that these things could happen due to the culture of the school.
Please if anybody has any first hand recent positive or negative experience of this school then your comments will be greatly appreciated.

Very interesting query. I do know people there, but much lower down the school. It has a very good reputation but mainly based on getting DC into highly selective secondaries. Tutoring is still common at some preps but not sure about LBH. People I know used it for that sole purpose and small class sizes or as they were in an area where state school was less desirable e.g Adswood area. I did hear some feedback which I was surprised at, from a friend a few weeks ago, but will PM it.
Have you gone in and look at the classes and teaching? Ultimately it depends on your budget, location, state options etc

Hi there. I want to know if anyone can help me plz. My daughter is in moor Allerton prep in west didsbury at the moment. We are thinking about moving to altringham. Is bowdon prep girl school any good ?? Some says its very good and some says it's pass mark has dropped... not as good as before. Anyone who's daughter is going there or know anyone who can tell me about the school? Thanks xx

Are you aiming for AGSG? Maybe ask exactly how many got in last year?
I think its got a lot harder to get in from what I hear.
I assume most from AM go to WGS or MHSG ....

Not much use in terms of experience but we opted to not accept our LBHS place for similar reasons, and are happy with the decision. we did move into an excellent state school catchment, so all the secondary school options are still open.

Both my children went to Ladybarn the youngest has just finished. The school has no entrance exams but has the greatest success of any school in senior independent school exams (MGS, Withington girls, Manchester High, Stockport, CHS) and also all the free Trafford Grammar schools then any other school. But it's not just about being the best academic school in the north and rivalling any other prep school in the U.K., the school has an excellent off curriculum agenda, the 2017 production of Oz was outstanding, something most secondary schools would be proud of, as well as specific teachers for music, drama, science, sports and others. The question is why wouldn't you send your child to Ladybarn, children are happy, confident and challenged within their ability. Greenbank is round the corner and also a good school but academically not where Ladybarn is. To answer your question specifically my children passed for AGS (out of area) as well as the independent schools. It was worth every penny and we aren't the sort of family who could easily afford it.