Independent schools in Manchester - which one? and when?

[CandyWong]

Hi all, I am not a local therefore would like to get some suggestions from you all about independent schools in Manchester. I have two sons aged 5 (born in Sept 16) and 3 (born in August 18) so they will start year 1 and reception respectively in Sept 2022.

Currently I am thinking Moor Allerton Prep School, primarily because the fee is the most affordable of all, and it offers discounts for full year’s fees paid in advance, and a greater percentage for second child (10%) when compared to other schools. However I read that even locals in didsbury don't send their kids to MA... are there any particular reasons behind?

Im also considering other schools such as Wilmslow Prep School, Stockport Grammer School, Ladybarn House, Cheadle Hulme School, Greenbank Preparatory School... But frankly I don't have much idea on how good/ bad each one is. Do you all have any suggestions?

My parents said they can help to share the fee. But still I would like the money well spent, and the school should be value for money. Another thing is, with relatively small ages of my two sons, I always wonder if I should send them to independent school now or later, say around 6-7 year old. However, by that time would it be harder for them to get in?

Thanks in advance!

Sorry no advice but following as I will be in the exact same position. In a couple of years!

Moor Allerton is very small and not massively highly rated. Stockport Grammar - the A6 traffic is horrendous. Cheadle Hulme has a good reputation. Altrincham Prep is probably do-able as is Ryleys, though neither are very local to you. In Didsbury, with boys, the obvious and best is MGS in Fallowfield. Though the intake s only from year 3 (7+) at present that doesn’t seem to be an issue. Visit as many of the schools as you can see what suits your boys best.

I think the reason locals in Didsbury don't send their children to MA is because the state primary schools are good. The only people I know who send their children to MA are those who became disillusioned with Beaver Rd primary so moved to MA for better entrance exam prep for MGS. My boys are at an excellent state primary so no personal experience of the private schools but I have heard good things about Ladybarn House.

Thank you all for your great comments and suggestions!

I will look into Stockport Grammar and Cheadle Hulme too. I personally prefer co-ed for my boys. Yes I will definitely have site visits to the schools to get a better feeling of each one.

How about Forest Park Prep School? There are some grammer schools around it, and from its website 80-90% of the students there get into grammer schools. Do any of you know about the school? Is it very pushy and academic?

I would like my boys grow in a all-round, stimulating, happy and caring environment, while strive academically

Where do you actually live?
All the state schools in Didsbury are very good so majority use them and tutor if planning private later. From my experience - Some move to MA for smaller classes when either 1. Want the school to do entrance exam prep with them 2. Child isn't thriving elsewhere 3. Child is at Beaver Rd and parents feel it's too big as 5 form entry / split site 4. Child needs more support 5. Child didn't get in a state school (historically tiny catchments but not now)
I don't hear of people going for its excellence - the best coed prep is prob Ladybarn House in Cheadle

Forest Park has a very good reputation for small class sizes and general pastoral care, but more limited sporting opportunities because of its size.Also, check the ratio of boys to girls as historically the boys were heavily outnumbered and this can affect teaching and learning outcomes.

Echo the above poster in regard to Forest - pastoral care and nurturing environment but know two sets of parents who pulled their sons out. One due to lack of academic push and another as they were waiting for entrance to MGS in tear 3.

If local to Moor Allerton it would be worth considering the local primaries which are exceptional, and then focusing on private tutoring alongside this if you wanted to try for the grammars.

Def consider whether you are targeting grammar or planning for private right through. Schools with their own high school such as SGS won’t be interesting in prepping your child for grammar.
Stella Maris in Heaton Mersey might be worth a look, very small but no feeder hence motivated to have kids pass for grammar, not sure what results are like these days.
If you are targeting Trafford free grammars from secondary then tbh if i were spending money on prep it would be Hale Prep or Altrincham prep for boys.
We lived in the Heatons and my son attended a state school, we had a tutor and he comfortably passed for the Trafford grammars we applied for and got a place at one.

MGS is the best boys school within your area.

I think it depends if you want to go down the 11 plus route or not.
We live in Sale, and our children are at Forest Park Prep. It is a lovely school, and for those children sitting the 11 plus it is really geared up to helping them with it.
To help with the points above, I know of one family who moved their children to what they felt was a more academic school , but FPP generally get pretty good results for the 11 plus, and I am personally happy that whilst it’s approach feels fairly relaxed, they get the best out of the children.
Most other people I know who have moved have done so as they were putting children in either Withington or MGS at year 3 to run through to secondary school.
I’m terms of sports, they do dance, swimming and PE as part of their 3 sports lessons each week. There are also before and after school sports clubs a few days a week eg netball, football, hockey.
Classes are currently about 50/50 M/F in most years (eyeballing the line up in the playground when the bell goes).
We loved the local state schools when we looked around, but their wrap around care didn’t work for our working hours, and they did very little 11 plus prep, which was something we were interested in. Our choice was ultimately initially based on the wrap around care/ holiday clubs but we have been really pleased with Forest Park.
If we were thinking private secondary though, we probably would have chosen one of the schools that runs straight through. Like you we prefer co-Ed so Stockport would have been high on our list. I am hearing good things about Cheadle too but we have not yet looked into private secondary options.
Do you currently live in Manchester? If not, as mentioned above getting to Stockport is on busy roads from Didsbury (and Sale) so I would suggest deciding on schools and then picking an area to live. Didsbury, Sale, Altrincham, Stockport are all nice areas.

I wouldn’t gamble on getting your child into one of the Trafford Grammars if you live out of area,OP. Competition is fierce and they’re massively over subscribed.

@MindTheGapMoveAlong you are right - my son sat for exams 12 years ago and it was pretty intense then so I imagine more so now . The Catholic grammars were a bit easier in that there was priority given but I believe that’s changed now too out of area

@boyblue Actually we are not in Manchester now. Like @2chooze suggested, we plan to decide on school first then pick an area to live.

We have missed the timing for entering state schools, so we need to consider prep school. If we could get offers from an outstanding state school, actually I wouldn't mind state school + private tutoring. But I assume competition is fierce, so looking for a good prep school seems the way to go.

I am targeting grammar and independent secondary school actually. I think both types of schools expect academically strong children to enter their school right? That's why I look for private prep school. I am not sure if it is right or not. Or if I target independent secondary school, should I apply those all-through one such as Stockport and Cheadle?

Thanks for all the good suggestions and comments. I think I will also consider Forest Park Prep School, considering their good 11+ results. I am still awaiting their response - not sure if they still have places available.

TBH a lot of Manchester state schools have places at younger end due to population changes. But sounds like you are maybe sorted anyway

Agree that a lot of the state primaries around Didsbury have space, just phone up and ask. You could look at West Dids CofE, Cavendish and St Paul's Withington to start with. I'd avoid Beaver Rd as it's so big. They won't prep for 11+ so you would need to look at tutoring if that's what you want when the time comes but then the secondaries in Didsbury are good too.

Stockport Grammar is an excellent school with good facilities. Your children would be very happy there.

Could they not go to state primary and then grammar school? Both mine did. Didn't cost a penny! (Girl and boy) I'm in Kent though.

Late reply. If you're possibly targetinggrammar school entry, look at the catchments now unless you want to move again well before secondary school applications.

I send my child to prep school way, way further out than all the schools mentioned so far, and will also send my youngest when the time comes. We live in Didsbury. It's a long drive each day but I think it is worth it.
The local primary schools haven't had OFSTED in a very long time, and two of them are faith schools, which we really didn't want. I have issues with the State system, so wouldn't choose it for my children, but each to their own.

@Liverbird77 are yours young still?
Local mates make such a difference by year 5/6 and up

@trainnane yes, they are still young. I am not worried though, because we've got lots of friends locally with kids the same age.
They'll also meet more local kids through activities e.g. gymnastics.
Furthermore, they are half Spanish, and travel into town for a weekly class, where they've made friends with other Spanglish kids!

We are prepared to drive them to playdates and activities. I also went to school a long way away and it was fine, even though my parents couldn't really be bothered to facilitate any out of school activities.

It comes down to the fact that the school we chose is an ideal environment for them. It would have been ideal had it been local, but there's just nothing suitable for us where we live.