Can anyone tell me what the curriculum is like at Dunannie? Or can anyone recommend me a school that is both academic and relaxed somewhere around Winchester or Petersfield or thereabouts? We are looking to move and the school will narrow the area we move to. It doesn't have to be a private school actually, we would also be happy to consider good state schools which have a nice home-from-home atmosphere during the infants. We are looking for a school that is academic and ambitious with the curriculum even in the early years and KS1 (though ideally they would not be desk bound. It must also have the balance right and provide plenty of stimulating play and creative time.) Ideally it would be able to differentiate and move them on quickly if they are able or where the average ability tends to be high so that teachers can move the class along a little more rapidly (although I would like a school that proactively addresses SEN too, not one that excludes SEN). Gentle stretching is what we are looking for. Dd is currently at a school like this and seems to enjoy the academic approach, although they are not remotely inclusive of differences.
Ideally I would like small classes where they are able to read twice a week to a TA or get 3 books home a week and have some specialist teaching i.e languages and music, I suspect this is more feasible in prep.
The harder bit is that we want a school which is somewhat liberal and non-authoritarian, i.e parents are allowed to go into school with their child rather than being barred from even entering the playground, not obsessed with perfect uniform or conformism and rules for rules sake but recognises exceptions. Some schools, certainly not all schools, do give me an impression of being an army training barracks which I don't think suits my dd's sensitive personality. We would also love it if they spent a fair amount of time learning outdoors as dd loves forest school more than anything else. Single sex or co-ed doesn't matter to me.
We probably won't get everything on our wish list but one that is both academic and in some ways manages to feel more like a rural village school than a stiff tie and blazer public school would be great.