Independent Schools in Staffs / Derbyshire

[actuarymum]

It looks like we're going to have to relocate to the Midlands. We've identified the Derby / Burton upon Trent / Lichfield area as possible areas to look at.

I wondered if anyone knows anything about Abbotts Bromley Girls school, Derby high School for girls and Derby Grammar for boys? I'm open to other suggestions of good schools.

We have a 10 year old daughter and a 5 year old son. Currently our daughter is in a single sex prep and our son is in a state infants school.

Oh and if anyone has any suggestions of good areas (and bad ones to avoid) that would also be really helpful. We currently live near Manchester so really don't know the area.

Thanks in anticipation

Derby High and Derby Grammar are single-sex private schools, basically, tho the girls school has some boys (but only very few and only up to a certain age?)

A friend's DDs go there. She sings its praises. It wouldn't be for me - lots of homework, everyone drives there - but I'm guessing those things wouldn't be a problem for you.

There are lots of super state schools in Derby. But then I work in and use the state school sector so I would say that

Nice areas in Derby near well-rated secondaries might include Spondon (West Park), Allestree (Woodlands), Duffield - not in Derby but nearby (Ecclesbourne) and Littleover (Littleover Community School).

Also in Derby and have a slightly less positive view than Clary of the schools, particularly the independents. DD goes to an independent outside Derby.

Derby High and Grammar both suffer from not quite being in the same league as their equivalents in Loughborough and Nottingham. Not as high-flying academically and facilities are not as good. For us, Derby High and Grammar would not be worth paying for to be quite honest, but schools are a very personal thing. Clary cites West Park as a good school, I'd have an "over my dead body" reaction, for example!

If you are flexible other Schools you might want to think about are: Ockbrook (between Notts and Derby), Trent College (Long Eaton), Denstone College and its prep, Repton and Foremarke (depending on your finances, way more expensive than the rest). I have heard good things about Lichfield Cathedral school too.

We moved to the East Mids a few years ago and did a rather thorough schools trawl at teh time and another a few years later. There are lots to choose from and as I said, one person's dream school is another's nightmare!

Sorry OP should've made clear in my post that the schools referred to in last par are all state.

Add to that Chellaston School which is in Chellaston - but beware because not all the suburb is in catchment!

My views of these schools btw are based on views of people who work/worked there mostly, rather than SATs results etc.

Tho if it's figures you like, West Park had a 100% A*-C pass rate last summer for 5 CGSEs (not inc Eng and Maths admittedly) which isn't bad for a school with quite a mixed intake.

I don't rate independents in Derby at all btw, hope my post didn't imply that! at idea

Thanks for those comments. I'll look into the other schools.

Clary, I wish I could trust state education but my dd has dyslexia and dyspraxia and I doubt she could cope with the behaviour, distraction and general busyness of your average state school. She needs a really small class size and supportive teachers - I haven't found the latter in the state sector tbh.

Incidentally I received the info pack from Abbotts Bromley today. Slightly concerned by the equestrian facilities - we're so not horsey types! Probably not for us I think.

I don't now the independents in Derbyshire, but afaik Ecclesbourne (state) is very good - or it was when I taught there a few years ago. It has a special needs department that did extremely well and definitely catered for dyslexia and dyspraxia amongt other needs.

Ockbrook would probably serve your DD very well but obviously in the wrong direction if you need to be on the Staffs side. It has smaller classes than many of the other schools and works hard with individual pupils. It takes boys until end of Y6 but many leave at end of Y2 for Derby Grammar (starts at Y3).

Ecclesbourne still very well-regarded but we're very good friends with a couple of staff from there and school is getting very big and possibility of staff redundancies because of changes to funding.

I have experience of the private schools in Derby. My son attends an independant secondary in Nottingham for a reason. If you want more details then feel free to send me a DM, I'd rather not say on here if that's OK.

Foremarke Hall is a fabulous school. Mainly feeds to Repton but will feed to other schools.

KOH-We have recent experience and in the 20 years since you were there things have changed enormously! From what the OP has said about her DD I think it would be a better match than many of the other options.

OP-Denstone College prep is Smallwood Manor. The child I know who goes there has some Special Needs. Class sizes are smaller than Derby High and facilites are good.

Only visited these schools when dd/ds have played in sports matches.

Abbots Bromley seemed a bit of a traditional all girls school. Not awful, but not what I'd chose for my kids.

Foremarke and Repton are fantastic. Foremarke have a new head starting shortly, so it will no doubt change, but it is a brilliant school in brilliant grounds. Had we lived a little closer, I'd have love my two to go there.

Good luck with the move.

Goodness ajandjjmum, not another head! He's only been there a couple of years! His wife's a bit of a battleaxe though. The previous head had invited ds in for a taster day, I wasn't told that they had expected him to start in the September and they told his prep that he was moving We only wanted him to see what the school was like. He wasn't offered a place.

Ha ha Belle - maybe that's why he was only around for a couple of years then! The new head and his wife are a nice enough couple.

They really dropped me in it, I wasn't impressed. I was told a taster day was exactly what it said on the tin; the chance for him to get to know the school with no obligation. I did tell her he had social skills issues, she assured me that they could support him at the end of the taster day she acted as though it was a surprise.
Friends girl loves it though, they do sport every day and play chess every day.