Moving to Thatcham/Newbury - Prep/Primary Advice

[Dovahkiin]

Moving to the area over the September so beginning to look into schools for my two daughters - pathetically grateful for any advice.

DD1 will be entering Year 6 in September - super bright but requires 25% extra time due to dyslexia.

DD2 will be entering Year 4 in September. Again, crazy bright but we're in the process of having her assessed for ADHD - attention to detail, hyperfocus etc.

I would love to hear your recommendations of schools which would be supportive of both the SEND and nurturing after a big move. Open to both prep and state - my priority is for them to find nice kids and a school which will hold their hands but push them academically.

TIA

Be wary of Brockhurst & Marlston House, I think people feel they talk a very good talk, and it looks amazing, but are variable in how they walk the walk. However they do get children scholarships to Downe House etc - just not sure how they’d support the additional needs. Head is the owner which is unusual.
Thorngrove is a prep school people love but no idea about actual results / support etc. Seems nurturing & to have a strong community.
St Gabriel’s school is going coed in senior and has a well-liked coed junior school. Again I don’t know much about the junior school: the senior school has good academics & teaching but this is offset by lack of sports facilities- and is it small. All on the same site but junior & senior are kept separate. Seem to have a fair amount of neurodiverse girls in senior but I’m not sure how knowledgeable the school are about SEN, or whether the smaller setting is what works for these girls. Quite a mixed set of parents (ie not super posh) and not a flashy nor highly selective school, but I think results are good.

The other option up the a34 in Abingdon is St Helen’s & St Katherine’s - selective and probably more pushy than St Gabs but well-rounded with good links to the neighbouring boys school through senior. Not sure what age it starts. There are busses so that might influence where you live.

Primaries - both Newbury & Thatcham can have a very mixed intake in their bigger schools, with a high level of SEN and also social deprivation, but plenty of villages have smaller schools which attract a middle class set of families & may have smaller classes - I couldn’t say specific names but a look around & some questions around this should help.

You probably need to consider what secondary you are thinking of as the state schools vary too at present, but where you live will be key if you think you want St Barts or the Downs which both have good reputations for academics.

If you want private secondary day schools, you can look at St Gabriel’s, or St Helen & St Katherine’s, or Downe House, Bradfield & Marlborough which are boarding heavy & not really day schools for local kids.

Thank you so much for this!

I used to live in Newbury, and work in Thatcham as a primary school teacher.
I would say, in terms of state schools, both places have pockets of significant deprivation, especially in the towns. And thus, a very mixed and complicated intake.
Personally, if you want state, I'd look outside to the surrounding villages.

Not sure if this is too much of a left-field suggestion, but you could look at Horris Hill. It’s long established as a feeder for Winchester and so caters for very bright children. My understanding is that it is going co-ed- not sure when. It’s small, so should be well placed to give close attention and support to DC whose needs are more individual. It’s not huge for sport- good for its size but small- but has lots of outside space. I think it has struggled for numbers lately- not every family that wanted all-boys will be happy with the change- but it might be worth looking at their plans and how they plan to integrate girls…
And of course it is bang on in terms of location.

St Helen & St Katherine start from year 5, so your eldest wouldn't have to move again. They have a shared bus service with Abingdon, Manor prep and Unicorn and have a service from Newbury, both morning and early afternoon (the late afternoon service is mainly Abingdon, the rest use the early afternoon. Manor prep could be good for your youngest, many girls go onto St Helen's (separate now, but did use to be its prep school).

Hi everyone. We are thinking to move Newbury Thatcham, any advice, which roads or places are best, good area? I just notice that some houses are sold in every 5 or 6 years at same roads, any reasons for that? Do i need to concern about this? Why are they keep moving in different houses at same road?