St Swithuns School Winchester or Queen Margaret's School York

[cityonahill]

I'm an overseas mum and I'm trying to decide btween St Swithuns School Winchester and Queen Margaret's York for both of my DDs. My main concerns are academic excellence- GCSE and A level results as well as the amount of academic work that's expected .My DDs are quite academically inclined but I really want them to integrate fully into the school life. Which school gives them a better chance of doing that?

IMO St Swithuns is a much more academic school. I believe though that the majority of boarders are weekly and there is no Saturday school. I have a friend whose DD is a weekly boarder currently as she said there are few in at the weekend. I come from this area originally and now live abroad and would not send my DD as a boarder. I would send her as a day girl. Do ask exactly how many boarders they have in at weekends in your DDs age groups. Schools can use stats to their advantage.
I have had friends with DDs at Queen Margaret too but not for a while. Again do check the boarding numbers and also what it means to be a full boarder at that school. At some schools full boarders are allowed out overnight every weekend. Great if you live nearby, but awful if you are left in a minority at school.

St Swithun's is excellent academically but I agree with the previous poster that it might not be the best place if your DD will be in school at weekends a lot. In that position I would look more at academic schools known for being popular with overseas families. I'm thinking Wycombe Abbey, Cheltenham Ladies' etc. You want your DD to have a social life at weekends, which can be hard if there are only a handful of kids in school then.

Thank you Mendi and Goinggetstough. This has been helpful, though I can't help wondering- if St Swithuns is more academic, but Queen Margaret close of school day is later and they have Saturday school. I would have thought that would count as having more academic expectation. I agree with both on the weekend issue. A friends child in St Swithuns also from my country isn't excited at all by the fact that school 'emptys' out at weekends. And she feels that she could do with more academic work in STS. The plus Queen Margaret has over STS is that my brother lives near York and can act as a guardian. Apart from that, I'm all for academic work. Admissions for wycombe and Beneden close rather early. CLC and Downe House........not hot on them.

I live near St Swithuns - academically spot on. Other points best taken up with parents BUT its mostly weekly boarders so less good for overseas parents

Thanks Talkinpeace. Is your DD there? Anyone or any mum that can say how it works at QM?

city
no, my kids are at state comp, but friends have their daughters there and I've run corporate events there
its rather a ghost town on a Sunday morning - and if you are overseas, that is the important factor for your DD

Thanks a lot everyone