Wokingham & Reading secondary schools - state and private

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We're considering secondary schools at the moment and haven't yet decided whether to go state or independent. Do any of you have experience of these schools?

Maiden Erlegh School (Wokingham one)
Bulmershe School
St Joseph's College
Bluecoats School

We've had school visits, read prospectuses and looked at league tables. To be thorough I'm now wondering if any parents here have any personal knowledge or experience of these schools.

I didn't want to answer originally as my experience is only through friends and their kids, not my own, but as you've had no other responses I hope you won't mind.

ME Wokingham has had a really strong reputation in the past, but I've known many parents who say that they think it's not the right school for their kid - it's an exam factory, results oriented, pastoral care not great. I've known several kids leave after GCSEs (some to go to Bulmershe) because they were not happy there. Others who felt they were sidelined because they were not the most academic.

Bulmershe is oversubscribed this year and probably will be so, going forward. The last and current HT seem to have given the school a fresh breath of life. There's a very positive attitude towards the school in the local community, lots of kids I know who go there are thriving. SEN support seems to work and actually be supportive.

I don't know much about the 2 private schools, but if you're interested in those, have you also looked around Leighton Park? That might be a better choice than St Joe's if you wanted private co-ed - bigger cohort and good results I believe.