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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Independant day schools for ds in the berkshire area?

29 replies

BlueElephant90 · 25/11/2011 12:04

Any advice please on private day schools in the Berkshire area? I am willing to move nearer the school. My ds has just taken the exam for Reading school but I am not sure he'll get in, highly competitive this year:(

OP posts:
grovel · 25/11/2011 12:29

How old is he?

Original poster
BlueElephant90 · 25/11/2011 12:44

He is 10 in year 6 at the moment, highly able, loves sports but not very good at it, loves music and Arts as well. My guess is he didn't try his best at the exam because he doesn't like Reading School!

OP posts:
grovel · 25/11/2011 13:35

Are you looking to move him now? Or are you talking secondary school when he's 13?

Original poster
BlueElephant90 · 25/11/2011 13:50

year 7 September 2012.

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grovel · 25/11/2011 14:01

That's rules out a lot of independents which only take boys from age 13 (eg Wellington or Bradfield). You could look at LVS Ascot or Leighton Park (near Reading - very good reputation).

Original poster
BlueElephant90 · 25/11/2011 16:19

I have visited LVS but I was told by members of the staff that it is not an academic school.
Leighton Park? I don't know much about it. I've checked their website and a lady from my ds school told me 'the hippies on the hill' is its nickname. Is that true? I looked at their results and Uni destination.....only 1 to Oxford reading Economics this year?! Is this their norm?
Sorry I have only been in the area around 7 months so not familiar with all the schools here.

OP posts:
MidnightHag · 25/11/2011 16:28

Bluecoat, Oratory, Pangbourne College (Bluecoat is the best out of these)

MidnightHag · 25/11/2011 16:28

Abingdon is a bit further afield but has a very good rep.

ColourMeWithChaos · 25/11/2011 16:40

If you're looking for academic then LVS really isn't for you...
Reading Bluecoat has quite a good rep.

A lot of the really academic schools however are entry at 13;

soda1234 · 25/11/2011 16:42

Was also going to suggest Abingdon, but I believe you would be too late for 2012 entry.

soda1234 · 25/11/2011 16:45

Sorry, meant to add, could you put him into a prep school for yrs 7&8, do the common entrance route?

grovel · 25/11/2011 16:50

If you go the prep school route you could look at Lambrook in Winkfield Row.

Original poster
BlueElephant90 · 25/11/2011 17:20

Thank you so much for all your posts.
May I assume that it is true that Leighton Park is the hippies on the hill? I would really appreciate more information regarding this school.
Blue Coat, I have a friend with ds in the school but not very happy, she has been telling me some horried stories about a Latin teacher! I guess that put me off from even looking at it.
I thought of the common Entrance route but the 13 plus choice is mainly boarding. I don't really want my ds to board:( Not that I have anything against it, it's just that I have only 1 ds and I don't work.

OP posts:
MidnightHag · 25/11/2011 17:35

LP is a quaker school; very child-centred philosophy. From my experience, a lot of the kids who go there are quirky, highly individualistic ; have not thrived in more mainstream schools, but love LP. Don't think it would be the school for your son if he is academic: our local comp gets more kids into Oxbridge. Some of the teachers sound a bit eccentric too.

ColourMeWithChaos · 25/11/2011 17:37

If you are going to go common entrance route then you can't afford to wait around because the deadlines for registration for some schools for 2013 entry have already passed.

Original poster
BlueElephant90 · 25/11/2011 18:16

Midnight: That's what I was told this afternoon as well and I was hoping to hear something different as it is a day school.
ColourMeWithChaos: Any idea regarging the day schools with entry at 13plus?

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Original poster
BlueElephant90 · 25/11/2011 18:18

Grovel: You talked about a good reputation, please tell me more! Any positives please?

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ColourMeWithChaos · 25/11/2011 18:24

I know for definite the Wellington College (they accept day at 13plus I'm pretty sure) had a deadline of 30th June this year for 2013 entry. (My brother is hoping his son will get in there for 2013 entry)

missmiss · 25/11/2011 18:46

How about Royal Grammar School Guildford?

soda1234 · 25/11/2011 19:55

Abingdon is predominately a day school. Would need to be registered by May of yr6 for pre-test in October of yr7. Then offer made conditional on CE results.

They also have a "Junior school" (yrs 7 & 8). I'm pretty sure they will already have filled all their places for 2012, but it's worth a phone call.

The bus service has a route from Reading.

The school suits academically able boys, the sporting, music and art opportunities are fantastic.

Why not have a look at the web-site.

BensonBunny · 25/11/2011 22:09

I know lots of people with boys at Abingdon (DD is at St Helen's which is the girls school along the road) and most of what I hear about the school is very positive. I think the entrance exam for year 7 entry to the senior school is usually in January, at a similar time to the girls? schools locally. I'm sure they will have info on their website.
You can also look at their prep department, which is a separate school and takes boys into year 7 as well. I know several boys who failed the year 7 entrance exam so went there instead (not sure if they managed to get into the senior school for year 9 though).

Original poster
BlueElephant90 · 26/11/2011 09:17

Thank you so much for all your replies, I will check all the schools mentioned above, Thank you again,

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mummytime · 26/11/2011 21:15

RGS still gives you time to register, but I think if you don't get into Reading you probably won't get into RGS. You could try Salesian in Farnborough. I like Leighton Park, but I'm not a pushy parent (and don't have kids who respond well to pushing).

Original poster
BlueElephant90 · 27/11/2011 15:07

mummytime: Do you have a ds/dd in Leighton Park? So far I haven't spoken to anyone with dc at the school?
All what I am after is a school where my ds will be happy and reach his full potential. Pushy means different things to different people, for some people I am not pushy. I just want my ds to do his best not to be the best at any cost. However if Leighton Park is not stretching the highly able as one of the posts suggested then it's no good either. Please help me with more details.

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Punkatheart · 27/11/2011 23:18

I have a daughter at Leighton. There are a number of academic children there, as well as very artistic ones. The best way is to visit the school and judge for yourself. No one can tell you the best school for your child. My DD, after some false starts, has found her home.

Yes, be wary of pushing. My DD very nearly cracked at a school which did just that...Leighton encourages and praises.