Secondary state and day private schools in the New Forest

[londonkids]

We are thinking of moving to the New Forest and have found a number of good primary state schools in the Sway, Brockenhurst, Lymington areas, however, we have not found any good (ie: score well on league tables for GCSE's and A-levels) secondary schools. Does anyone know of any good state secondary schools in the area. We could possibly afford a day private school, but I couldn't find many of them apart from Ballard. I wouldn't want the children to go to a boarding school as day pupils unless the school had at least half numbers of day pupils to boarders. There seem to be a number of good primary schools who get good and outstanding ofsted reports so thinking there must be a good state secondary that some of them go onto. Thank you very much.

I youth work in christchurch, so can't say much about hampshire really, but my loveliest young people come from highcliffe and the grange if that helps? Neither has the best reputation afaik but some very nice kids go there from my point of view

Hampshire schools do not generally have sixth form so you won't find a school that fits your search.
THe 6th form for the forest is Brockenhurst College.

Secondary
Ringwood is rated by the HT of my kids school
otherwise - have a look at the DETAILED school data

I'll look up Ringwood - what's the DETAILED school data - is it something on mumsnet? Thank you. Can I ask what primary you children go to?

My kids are at a secondary in Romsey.
The Head sends her son to Ringwood.

Detailed data here
www.education.gov.uk/establishments/urn/136657/ringwood-school/details
you can look up any school

Burgate School near Fordingbrige has a Sixth Form which is rated Outstanding by Ofsted.

I agree with looking at Ringwood. Would love DD to go there but you have to be right in catchment area from what I have heard.

Will look at Ringwood. I've been looking at state and private secondary schools but none seem to have a 6th form. If you don't go to brock college (someone I know went and had a bad experience), where do you go. I'll check out Burgate School. Where do the children who have gone to private schools go as well - do they all go to brock college too? Thanks so much.

Quicklookbusy - Have just checked out Burgate school - they seem to have average GCSE results but very good A level results. There seems to be different applications for people who live in the catchment and those that live out. Do you know what the catchment area is and what the deal is if you live in or out of it - we'd be looking at living in the Sway or Brockenhurst area. Thank you very much.

Looking on website for Burgate I think we'd be well out of the catchment, just can't work out where all the kids go for 6th form in new forest apart from brock college.

london
the buses go all over
I live in Southampton. From just up the road the buses go to Brock, Peter Symonds, Barton Peverill, Tauntons and Sparsholt - every morning
the colleges do not appear to use a catchment system
so you sort your GCSE school and worry about 6th form later

I suspect a fair few also go to Bournemouth and Salisbury as well as Ringwood and Fordingbridge

On the bbc league tables Ringwood's GCSE and A level results are below the national average - but it seems to have a good reputation with mumsnetters...what do you think?

I can only find the BBC school league table saying they had 63% A-C for GCSE in 2010 which is nearly 10% above the national average .

Read the Ofsted. I know you have to be careful with them but it backs up what I've heard about Ringwood. Also it depends hugely on your child. I recently went round 4 locally (Dorset/Poole) and am going to put the one with the lowest results for DD. When she mentioned it a couple of years ago I screeched 'you're not going there' but it is really turning around and for various reasons I think it will really suit her . However for DS, I would be looking at a different one but he's much younger and it could all change by then.

Really think you actually need to go and visit, you just can't tell from league tables and Ofsted. Ballard children tend to go to Brockenhurst College and Highcliffe for 6th form I was told when considering it for DD by a friend whose children were there.

londonkids, not sure about the main school, but in the Sixth form about half of the DC are from out of the catchment area at Burgate. There is a huge mix-students from private/grammar/non selective schools, as well as students going straight from Burgate main school.

Talkin is right, because the New Forest is so spread out, and not very populated, students travel for miles to get to sixth forms.

that really helps thank you. The catchment information for burgate only seemed to be for 11-16 entrance and I couldn't find anything for 6th form so that would make sense that they take from a wider catchment for that entrance - for 11+ it said there were about 5 feeder primaries and listed a couple of areas which were not new forest. On Ringwood although 63% isn't bad we are also looking at the areas of Harpenden in Herts and Amersham in Bucks and a quite a few of their state schools are in the 90% bracket for GCSE's so I was hoping to find a Hampshire school that might be the same as the New Forest is our preferred area but not even Ballard seems to get there on that front. I had heard Brock college was great but it's A level results seem a lot lower than the state schools in the other counties too, however, Burgate's were high. Talkin peace I will check out those other 6th forms you talk about. Thank you. But it obviously makes more sense to view the schools as I don't believe anything ofsted comes up with, we have some awful schools near us who get outstanding, I'm guessing because they fulfill a number of healthy eating, socially inclusive PC stuff and tick the right boxes. Thanks so much for your help.

My dd went to Ringwood and ds will go there , but to be brutally honest the school's head is a master at public relations ,which seems to be how it has such a good reputation.
We were disappointed in the 6th form teaching in a few depts.
DD did well but would have done better with better teaching tbh.

They need to sort out the uniform ,it is bugbear with some locals because of skimpy skirts etc. head was very gungho about this when she started but seems to have lost interest now.

You can get buses to the grammers in Salisbury and Bournemouth from Ringwood so maybe form the east side of the forest as well. Also know a few who bus to King Edwards School in Southampton.

grammars .......ffs

Also Forres Sandle Manor school near Fordingbridge prep school ?

Canford School ?

Moyles Court has lots of day pupils I think , no 6th form though

we live in hants but not in n forest. i suspect state schools in area not outstanding as children are probably sent away for education.

ds goes to barton college (a levels) - it has excellent results.eastleigh has mainline rail station too with trains from brock.

also p symonds in winchester is v v good - again winch has mainline station.

thank you very much - this has really given us an idea of the options for the new forest and been really useful. Thank you.

I know this is a very old thread but wondered if anyone had any up to date info re secondary / senior schools (state and independent) in/near the new forest? It seems that primary/prep is really well served, but am I right that is a problem when arrive at secondary age?