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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Secondary Girl Boarding Schools

37 replies

Fivechildrenandamenagarie · 27/09/2014 22:07

I am looking for a secondary school for DD. For 2017 13+ entry.
She is bright, friendly, artistic, strong willed and strong minded child.
We are south west based.
Any comments on the following school?

St Mary's Calne
St Mary's Shaftesbury
Cheltenham ladies college
Badminton

OP posts:
KingscoteStaff · 28/09/2014 17:34

We have just come back from the Roedean Open Day.

I went expecting to be unimpressed, but it's changed out of recognition under the new Head. Well worth a look.

Original poster
Fivechildrenandamenagarie · 28/09/2014 19:42

I'm afraid Roedean is just too far away.
DD is keen to board but I still want to only be max an hour away.
We are south west based.

OP posts:
KingscoteStaff · 28/09/2014 20:05

I have a feeling there may be something amiss at St Mary's Calne. 2 girls I know who started at 11+ 2013 have moved over the summer and restarted elsewhere in Year 8 - v. unusual.

Purely heresay, though.

happygardening · 28/09/2014 20:06

My DS has a couple of friends at Badminton they seems very happy there.
What about Sherbourne girls he has friends there too they also seem very happy.

happygardening · 28/09/2014 20:08

There was a very recent thread about St Marys Calne on here, I doubt you'd have to go back may pages.

Original poster
Fivechildrenandamenagarie · 28/09/2014 20:13

Oh yes I had forgotten about Sherborne girls. I will add it to the list. It feels like a mammoth task going to see all the schools and remember all their different foibles.

OP posts:
Original poster
Fivechildrenandamenagarie · 28/09/2014 20:15

I am simultaneously looking at school for my DS1. Mix of co ed and boys.

OP posts:
Dustylaw · 28/09/2014 20:15

I have no personal experience of your named schools except that a friend's daughter has started at Cheltenham Ladies and that was the favoured school of the daughter and her parents after seeing a good selection of girls' and co-ed schools - though probably not in competition with the ones you have named. So far it is apparently going OK. One of the factors for the daughter was she wanted to be in a proper town (and as a personal preference and view I see that as a good thing depending on various considerations). Not one we went to see as we thought it too far and had enough schools that we liked). BTW, definitely would give a thumbs up for Roedean especially with the new head but understand what you mean about wanting proximity - it does make everything a lot easier.

MassaAttack · 28/09/2014 20:27

Westonbirt? The Royal High or Kingswood in Bath?

Dustylaw · 28/09/2014 20:33

Just to follow up, you haven't mentioned co- ed schools. Our daughter in the end expressed a preference for one particular girls' school but we very much ended up in the camp of thinking that it is the school that matters rather than whether it is single sex or co-ed. I am sure our daughter would have thrived at a couple of the co-ed schools we saw whereas all the other girls' boarding schools we saw would have been a terrible fit in our collective view. Our son is at a co- ed school and I don't see any signs of a poor attitude to girls either from him or or his school - which was one of the reasons we liked it for him in the first place I suppose!

summerends · 29/09/2014 04:46

I hear that Badminton is relatively weaker on the extracurricular provision. Cheltenham Ladies has done an excellent job with its organisation of visits and showcasing for prospective parents and pupils including attending lessons so well worth a visit. The art and art history is very strong as is drama and music (sport less successful for team sports although with some high performers). However academic results are the principal focus and from what I have heard the girls seem to be given a lot of homework compared to other equally or more academically achieving schools (my comparison being boys and co-ed). Girls seem to be carefully prepared
drilled to do well at GCSE and A level / IB but with lots of other opportunities available. It is more and more of an international school because of its prestige abroad.

happygardening · 29/09/2014 07:01

The Royal a High School is very nice but the overwhelming majority of boarders are 6 th formers.
Westonbirt is a primarily a day school, most boarders are Chinese and it's very tiny; 200 girls over 7 years and local rumours are always that it's about to close (although in fairness it's still there). Someone I know who works there told me that if the numbers drop to 199 it will close.
Kingswood is co-ed.

MassaAttack · 29/09/2014 08:17

Fair enough happy. Op is also looking for a school for her son; I was thinking the proximity of Royal High to Kingswood might be useful, especially if they're going to be weekly boarders.

30 miles or whatever in opposite directions would be a real pain I'd have thought.

Op, I don't have a child at boarding school so mine isn't an informed opinion.

Gunznroses · 29/09/2014 08:25

Massa OP is looking for a school for her DD!

MassaAttack · 29/09/2014 08:51

And her ds1!

Gunznroses · 29/09/2014 09:37

Oh yes, just seen it further down, sorry!

happygardening · 29/09/2014 14:08

OP wouldn't it make sense to send both to the same school? Life surely would be so much easier for you. Only one school to visit for matches, parents evenings, school functions, picking up at weekends end of term etc.
What about Dauntsey? It seems popular with many in the area. Or Sherborne (I know little about it) of course has a boys and girls school I believe they come together for socials but also in the 6th form?

MassaAttack · 29/09/2014 16:31

What's Monkton Combe like? I have friends with boys there who seem happy enough, although they're day pupils. I think it's quite churchy.

Sorry if I'm bombarding you, Op!

Original poster
Fivechildrenandamenagarie · 29/09/2014 20:54

Thank you all so much. I will look up those suggestions.

It would certainly make more sense for them to go to the same school but.... an ex headmistress we know is adamant that girls do better at all girls schools. I'm not entirely sure about that but thinking back to how I was she may have a point! Also as DD & DS1 are very close in age (1yr) and she has another two younger brothers, I'm not worried about her not being able to talk to boys.

Mainly I would like a school that will get the best from her and engage her intellect and inspire her with learning. Not at all a talk order. Haha.

OP posts:
Original poster
Fivechildrenandamenagarie · 29/09/2014 22:23

Tall not talk. Damn predictive text.

OP posts:
Dustylaw · 29/09/2014 23:11

Re girls doing better at all girls' schools, I just don't think that is the case (sorry, don't want to open a big debate on it). The evidence has never seemed that convincing to me once you get through the difficulty of comparing like with like and allowing for other factors. Why not visit some co- ed schools. That will enable you to judge the girls' schools against a wider benchmark. Also, ask them the question and if they can't produce examples of girls who have achieved what you would want for your daughter then fair enough.

happygardening · 30/09/2014 07:18

I also thought girls doing better in girls schools boys doing better in coed didn't apply to the independent sector?

summerends · 30/09/2014 09:17

Girls' schools in the independent sector include those with the better academic results but I suspect from what I have heard the selective girls' schools give more homework and work them harder than co-ed or boys' schools. Since girls are mainly wanting to please and do well that regime may work best without the more slack boys Smile.

I think a confident, strong minded girl would fare well in a co-ed environment. If she had a leaning towards physics for example then she would not have to mind being in a relative minority of girls doing that subject in the sixth form. However there may be a larger pool of potential friends in all girls' schools just because of numbers. IMO girls' schools allow more variety of characters to develop without being self conscious and therefore actually have more 'non-girlie' girls.

Original poster
Fivechildrenandamenagarie · 30/09/2014 10:34

I will definitely go and see some co-ed schools too:
On my list in not particular order and some breaking my 1.5hr rule:
Rugby
Shrewsbury -I know only just co ed
Dean close
Sidcot
Bryanston
Marlborough

OP posts:
happygardening · 30/09/2014 11:27

Interesting choice of very different schools e.g Sidcot, Quaker School with a Quaker ethos, fees £24k + a mix of day flexi boarding not particularly selective, only 400+ pupils in senior school only 160+ boarders and Marlborough a big school, academic, nearly 1000 pupils, basically a full boarding school with a handful of Fay pupils, uber smart, lots of Aristocracy/ European Royals and fees 33k+ is this just a distance thing or are their reasons behind you choices?