Headington or St Helen & St Katharine??

[papamaku]

We were delighted on Saturday when our eldest DD received offers from both Headington and St Helen's schools, to join in September 2012.

But now we have the difficult decision - which to choose?

We don't currently live in the area, so location is flexible but restricted that I need to commute to London each day, and DW needs to take youngest DD to The Manor or Chandlings prep school each day (still choosing).

Eldest DD is not overly academic or sporty (except swimming), but very much into her drama and music.

Each school seems to have three major strong-points to us:

Headington:

1. The facilities (esp music, drama, art and sports) are amazing.
2. Is very international - seems to have students from all over the world (we love this).
3. Boarding - though DD will be a day pupil, great to have the flexibility if ever need "occasional boarding" for a night or two. (She really wants to experience this, especially the weekend activities).

St Helen & St Katharine:

1. Seems a very caring and supportive school environment (also the Headmistress).
2. Higher academic results.
3. Location (Abingdon) is much better for commuting to London from Didcot. Also has many more private bus routes to the school.

There's a great thread here on Mumsnet on Headington www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/625860-headington-girls-school/AllOnOnePage , but not so much on St Helen's.

Can anybody give some guidance or recommendations on the two schools and also areas/villages to possibly live?

What a nice choice. Congrats to DD.

Well done to your dd. Surely she must be fairly academic to get into both those schools? St H&K is the only one I know about. Very academic and loads of homework. My friend's dd goes there and has had to give up all of her out of school activities to keep up with it. They have a good drama group and do several performances a year and can join in with the Abingdon Boys performances.

My DD is in year 9 at SHSK. She is very sporty, bright but nowhere near the top of her year and loves the school. There is a reasonable amount of homework but it doesn't seem any worse than other schools including Headington and DD still manages to do out of school activities. We feel we made the right choice in sending her to the school.

There is a lot of music and drama but DD is not really involved in this so I don't know how it compares to Headington.

Getting one child to Headington and the other to The Manor or Chandlings could be challenging unless your older daughter uses the bus as the traffic in Oxford in general and Headington in particular is a nightmare (I work in Oxford). The girls I know in Abingdon who go to Headington get the public bus as the school bus is not very reliable; they get the 7.15 bus in the morning. Abingdon traffic is not good either but there are back routes to St Helen's and The Manor which is next door. Chandlings is very easy to get to but I suspect there could be quite a queue to get out again although I have no experience of this.

I live in Abingdon so my DD walks to school, though the large PE bag means she often ends up getting a lift instead.

Sorry this seems to have turned into an essay! I was in a similar position 2 years ago and feel for you, let me know if you have any more questions I can help with.

@BensonBunny oh my, 7:15am is very early to catch the bus, and we aren't really morning people :)

You mentioned the Headington private school bus isn't very reliable - in what way?

Are there many girls that catch the public bus together, as I wouldn't really be comfortable sending DD on it otherwise? Also, it is a specific bus number?

Thanks for the insight though.

I know two girls who go from Abingdon to Headington together, I'm not sure if they get the X3 to Oxford and change or get the X13 to the John Radcliffe, should be able to find out though. From what I remember the problems with the school bus were to do with it being caught up in traffic both before and after picking girls up in the afternoons.

Is Headington prep not an option for DD2?

I

Sorry, posted too soon.

I'd be tempted to choose Manor/St. Helen's option, and live in one of the villages close to Abingdon.

Don't forget there will always be those evenings when one or both DDs has a match/rehearsal/school trip, and are too late for the bus (I find this happens at least once a week!), so you have to pick them up anyway.
The joint SHSK/Abingdon School bus service is very good (my son uses it).

If you need to commute from Didcot, some villages/towns worth exploring which I know are on the bus routes are:
East Hendred (v v lovely)
Steventon
Drayton
East and West Hanney
Sutton Courtney
Blewbury
Upton
Wantage

We used to live in Abingdon, and I do really like it, so I would choose SHSK on that basis

And I would buy...this house, and she could walk to school.

Seriously, though, the Abingdon-London commute can be fairly lengthy depending on time of day, how much farther do you have to go after Paddington?

Blewbury is lovely, but a bit £££, there are some lovely houses in Stevnton and Sutton Courtney... well, all the places soda says really!

Hi I'm in a similar dilemma, my dd got a place at Headington, Oxford High and St Helen and Katharine. I prefer OXH because it is more academic, I also look at the oxbridge hit rate. Does anyone know anything more about the schools, pastoral care and so on. My dd is an august baby and needs a very warm welcoming environment in addition to the challenge.

Hi MauAnt, I only know SHSK as that is where my DD is. We have been very impressed with the pastoral care there.

perhaps ask OHS about their Oxbridge offers for this year? I gather rather a diff story to usual - nothing on website which says a lot

Just on the Chandlings v The Manor.. I would definitely go for The Manor - it is such a wonderful wonderful place. Sure Chandlings has many good things going for it but The Manor is an extra special school. The children are loved there and every child is looked after as an individual. You would be giving your child a wonderful education and, I'm sure, a many happy memories. The Manor is a great and letting girls be girls and nurturing them whilst providing the highest academic education.
On the St H/K v Headington, I would go for St. Helens, though don't know the school very well - Headington does not come across as much bigger, slightly impersonal. St H/K is more academic I think. Hope it all gets sorted.

Also, The Manor children use the St H/K buses - they share a bus which could be very handy.

That is concerning and implies that the oxbridge hit rate has dropped?

Just a thought but if you lived in/near Headington you could commute to London by bus - there are two services going slightly different routes, both running frequent buses that are comfortable and have wifi!

MauAnt - If I remember correctly, last year they had a record 40% Oxbridge offers. A blip, so not so surprising if it has fallen back this year.

Is any of this info useful OP?

Have you decided on a school?

Well done to your dd by the way, I know girls at both schools, and they all seem happy.

Do post again if you need any more info on the area.