Schools in Gloucestershire

[Newgirlandboy]

Hello

I'd be so grateful for insider info on good schools in Gloucestershire, somewhere within 30 mins of Cirencester/Stroud?

Looking for a prep (ideally day, no boarding) or a state school with small classes and good facilities.

Looking for a friendly atmosphere with great results and facilities. Doesn't need to be big on sports.

Thank you!

Cricklade Manor Prep School & Nursery - for prep
Home | Stratton CofE Primary School - For state (Stratton is a CofE school but they take children of all faiths or none)

Thank you so much - much appreciated. Is Cricklade Manor good for art/music as far as you know?

They are, their art and music departments are fantastic, and their performing arts is strong too if that is of interest

Brilliant!! And academically they look good... from what I tell online! Thank you so much! Really appreciate it 😀

Wycliffe would fit the bill here and so would Beaudesert Park and also Rendcomb.

All 3 very different. Beaudesert is a very typical prep school with some boarding. Its well thought of and a proper prep school where they leave at 13 and go to public schools, often boatding. Wycliffe is all through so they don't prep for senior schools in the same way. It's a lovely school with great facilities and good teaching. However they don't have huge numbers as far as I'm aware. Rendcomb is smaller I think and again is all through. It's known for being a gentler school with less academic pressure but I do hear that it does well for those who are able to.

If you wanted traditional prep I'd pick Beaudesert. For all through and all round, I'd pick Wycliffe and for a quiet child who needs nurturing a bit more I'd pick rendcomb.

HOWEVER all private prep schools (including Cricklade as mentioned in a previous post) in Glos are struggling with numbers so very keen to fill spaces.i know that one of the above schools at one point only had about 6 in a reception class! If you look at Cricklade recent leavers there were only 11 in the class, rendcomb only has about 100 in the whole prep school. I think Beaudesert has healthier numbers as it has boarders from London and is a popular traditional prep school.

The reason for the low numbers are simply that there are loads of absolutely gorgeous village schools nearby which aren't full. The class sizes in these village schools are small and the teaching is great. They are warm, welcoming and perfect places for kids up to 11. Many people just choose to save their money as it's not difficult to secure a place at an independent secondary school if it's needed. They don't have the facilities, no but plenty of people who could afford private, choose them over the private schools.

If you want to consider the gloucestershire grammar schools, state and a tutor will be absolutely fine for most. If you are just aiming for a independent secondary at 11 state will also be fine. If you want a public or boarding school at 13, pick Beaudesert or Wycliffe.

There are school buses that go up to the Cheltenham schools too, which for an older child might be a good option.

Have a look at Randwick C of E primary. Foxmoor school is also good but a larger school.

Can vouch for Randwick, it's a lovely school.

Croft up near painswick is good too, Thrupp and all the schools in between Stroud and Cirencester are nice - chalford, minchinhampton etc. Rodmarton a bit further south too. The schools in Cirencester and Stroud themselves are a little more of a mixed bag but none are bad as far as I know. I really don't think you could do wrong with any of the village schools in the surrounding areas though.

Wycliffe is v v sporty.

Beaudesert is a kind of old fashioned prep school …. very Enid Blyton … lashing of cake and cream & fresh air. Most parents seem to love it! It in the middle of Rodborough common which is beautiful.

Westonbirt is also lovely - another good ‘all rounder’ type school out near Tetbury.

Gloucestershire is a grammar county with a ‘super grammar’ Pates so a lot of the very top academic kids go there or to the seven other v good grammars rather than private so that does affect results of private schools.

More towny - Kings in Gloucester. Cathedral school - definitely more arts / drama etc. Good reputation and good pastoral. It’s a day school so apart from the cathedral stuff no huge weekend pressure.

The Cheltenham schools would be right on your outer limits of 30 minutes. St Edward’s - old stalwart - always in the shadow of the ‘posher’ privates but good for pastoral and maybe the less academic all rounders.

The famous ones are all boarding so sat/sundays required. The two co-eds Dean Close & Chelt college are v sporty and fairly young there academically and then Chelt ladies is for the super bright (& tough resilient ones!)

Berkhampstead is day school and v arts, music, drama but has no secondary.

There are numerous good state primary options near ciren & stroud. Rodborough, Brimscombe, Ampney Crucis, Woodchester, Powells, Uplands, - you can literally take your pick. The issue comes with stars secondaries which are all pretty dire as the grammars strip out the vast majority of brighter students. Balcarras and leckhampton are great but you have to line in their door step in cheltenham. The Cotswold school is ok though.

*young = sound academically

*live on their doorstep

good grief - major typos … time for bed I think!

Anyway DM me if you like - due to former career I know most schools - private and state in the county

HUGE thank you to everyone for their comments here. It's so helpful and so much appreciated - thank you so much for all your tips and advice. There's a huge amount of knowledge in this group - thank you so much! Really appreciate it!!! Will get looking into all these schools and thoughts - thank you!

@Skipthisbit
What are your thoughts on Stroud High School?

Gloucestershire has some of the best state schools in the country, especially at secondary, and especially around Cirencester, so I would not be in a hurry to go private.
Cricklade Manor is tiny. I would chose the state primary (St Samsons) over the Manor any day.

Ashton Keynes primary has an excellent reputation too.
But so do dozens of others.

When you get to secondary, if you are near Stroud then the grammars are excellent, but if you don't get in then other Stroud schools aren't great.
Ciren has 2 good secondaries and an excellent sixth form college.

I know I am not the poster you referred to.
But I have had 2 kids go through SHS, one finished last summer.
excellent school, lots going on, fabulous staff.

BUT it is a school that is very, very interested in academic achievement and that can work against some kids. Because it is a grammar school, it isn't really used to having to deal with SEN kids, and so they tend to fall through the gaps.

One of my dds did very well, the other barely made it to the end, she was diagnosed as autistic in her last year (with no help from school) and I had to fight for her to get what she needed to survive and get through her GCSEs.
I know 2 other bright autistic teens who coped well in primary but coped less and less well as they went through secondary. SHS has struggled to accommodate them both. One has now left, the other is still struggling.

But for my other dd, who is now 20, the school was excellent, and she thrived.

Thank you @steppemum
I've come across similar issues in a Trafford Grammar School too. Staff were very mixed in their responses to making adjustments for an autistic student. Some were excellent but some were very much " we don't do that here".

I didn't realise quite how much dd was up against at school until we registered at sixth form.
We sat with the team and planned her accommodations, she has an acdemic support person who keeps her on track, they are constructive and creative with supporting her. Her Computer Science teacher discovered she found the revision cards website useful, so put all his stuff on there for her. All lesson notes available online so you don't need to take notes etc etc.
She is thriving, and getting high grades. SHS just couldn't quite get their head around it.

@EducatingArti

i would completely agree with @steppemum …… I don’t think it’s particularly surprising but grammar schools are focussed on academic results. They take the brightest so they are expected to churn out top results as standard. I don’t think SHS is particularly awful or exclusionary but they have a narrow demographic…clever academic girls who study hard and achieve well. The bandwidth is narrow and if you don’t fit in it, it’s not the school for you

Hi
just wanted to add that Wycliffe Prep is amazing. My two nephews are there now. And we are hoping to move my two when we arrive in area as we are London based now. The boys are very happy in year 4 and year 6. Very challenged and doing loads of things. I know my sis and her husband looked at all the schools Mentioned here and felt that Wycliffe was most warm and welcoming. It’s very grounded compared to a lot more pretentious and arrogant feeling schools around…
boys are sporty but also smart - don’t think it’s all that heavy on sport compared to others - definitely got good vibes
xx

@Newgirlandboy
Ooh just saw this on Facebook - worth going just to have a canapé at Juliet!!!

Drinks with Wycliffe Head

@Newgirlandboy

sorry here is the link I found

Thank you so much!! Really appreciate your help!

Hello, this is Cricklade Manor Prep! We are delighted that you've heard good things about our lovely school. I'd just like to reassure you that we have two very busy Year 6 classes (as are all our classes) and have had for many years. We think the muddle with numbers on roll arose because last year, out of our 25 leavers, 12 sat Grammar school entrance exams and 10 were awarded places, a wonderful result. As for art! Well, that's on another level. We'd love to invite you to take a look around and find out for yourself. Or join our next Open Day on Friday 2 May.