Guildford High School or Oxford High School

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My twin daughters got offers for Sixth Form from Guildford High School and Oxford High School. A really difficult decision, as both are good schools. Could anybody please enlighten me which one is more fitting? My daughters are academic and hard working, but not very much, and not very smart actually. And they are shy, quiet, not sporty. They are going to learn maths, further Maths, physics and economics. And as our family will move to the area of the school, could anyone please advise which area is more inviting and wlecoming for a new family? Thank you so much.

Guildford and Oxford are both nice places to live, but expensive. I prefer the town of Guildford to Oxford, but that is personal preference. Oxford is more quaint, but it's easier to get to London or the seaside from Guildford. The cost of living is astronomical in both places. Maybe you need to think about access to work and what you want out of life. Choosing somewhere to live affects the entire family. Educationally I am sure your girls wil do week wherever they go.

I grew up near Guildford and love it. Although I like Oxford, I'd go for Guildford for proximity to other places, transport links, ease of driving through town/ parking etc. For GHS you wouldn't need to live in Guildford as there are excellent transport links and lots of girls get the train in from nearby towns and villages which may be a bit cheaper for housing (eg Woking is cheaper than Guildford but only 10 minutes on the train) GHS also very good for academic subjects like maths and sciences, not sure about Oxford High in that regard.

I grew up in Oxford and have always loved living here. Location-wise, I couldn't think of anywhere better to bring up my children. They have always loved living in the lively and interesting place that Oxford is! I am sure your daughters would love it too! There are great links to London from the new Oxford Parkway station, so that isn't a problem for us at all.

Thinking about schools, Oxford High is known for being one of the best schools in Oxford, and the country. I looked for my own daughter and was extremely impressed with the facilities, pastoral care and of course, the academic side of things. My daughter also received offers from other schools in the area and further afield, but we chose Oxford High and I know we made the right choice. She couldn't be happier! I know they have fantastic grades in Maths, Science and everything else! We are really looking forward to her starting in the Sixth Form soon.

Thank you all so much for these informative reply and advice. Very helpful! One difference between the two schools is Oxford High offers EPQ and Guildford High offers YASS. Which one is more valued by the universities and more helpful to prepare the children for university? Many thanks.

No worries at all.

That's a good question, admittedly I have not heard of 'YASS', I think most schools in our area study the EPQ, which I know will be great for our daughters university application as it is really desired. OHS actually had an EPQ evening recently that we went to, we were extremely impressed by the whole evening - the girls really knew what they were talking about. It felt like I was back at university!

I honestly think you need to visit both cities with your daughters to decide which feels right for you, not a good idea to ask strangers on the internet to make such a big decision for you. They're both good schools. I doubt your daughters aren't that smart or they wouldn't have offers

We went to the open days of both schools and DDs joined taster lessons. They found both schools lovely, so difficult to make a choice. I found from their websites that GHS always has higher %A*/A and higher average point score per exam, while OHS averagely have higher Oxbridge % and higher Russel %. This puzzels me a bit. Is it because OHS is stronger in research, such as EPQ, so the girls have more to write in their PS?

Know GHS well. It's outstandingly good for girls of all interests and has been in England's top 10 schools for exam outcomes for years. It offers so much more than exam outcomes.

OHS has the advantage of Oxford university on doorstep to inspire. Many kids have dons as parents. IMHO the social network is academic rather than rat-race.