Non selective independent school in Worcestershire for 'average' child

[OutofTyme]

I'm looking at senior schools for dd3 who is coming to the end of year 4. She has AS imo, but I'm struggling to get a diagnosis for her and she's one of those who doesn't appear to be severe and has no behavioural problems. Academically she is doing just ok but she has executive functioning issues and is emotionally a few years younger iyswim. She currently is in a lovely primary school where her needs are met. But I do not think she is going to thrive in a state school at senior level. I think she needs smaller class sizes. My 14 year old is a totally different kettle of fish and does well anywhere.

So I'm thinking of Dodderhill and Bowbrook House as options. Does anyone have any experience? Obviously I would want to avoid schools that advertise themselves as selective like RGS.

We went to, Whitford, the junior school of Dodderhill. I fell out with them, big time wasn't impressed with them so we didn't proceed to Dodderhill and went elsewhere.
Years later, DD was in the same 6th form as someone who came from Dodderhill (we didn't know her, she joined after we left). The sixth form asked for a minimum number of GCSE at good grades and had an entrance exam. This girl was the only one from Dodderhill that got in. She had the smarts but not the resilience. She didn't last one term. Too used to being wrapped in cottonwool.
I looked up the leavers' destinations for that year. Although the GCSE results looked good it was all superficial because they picked soft subjects. No other girl went on to any impressive institution nor took any terribly stretching courses. I had a lovely smug moment of realising that we had made the right decision not to carry on to Dodderhill.

How about Bredon if you are close enough? Great provision for ASD.
I know a family that moved to Bowbrook from a Kings junior school and were not happy with the quality of education there.

CMOT - thank you for that suggestion - I have not heard of this school. I will look into it as it's not too far.

I think my dd is going to be a child who might need to take soft subjects so I'm not concerned about that overly. I'm more concerned about whether she's going to get the pastoral care she requires.

I don’t think Bromsgrove is overly demanding in its academic entrance requirements and most DCs who are doing ok seem to get in. It is supposed to have high added value scores although I am not sure how these are calculated. I have heard also from friends that the SEN support is outstanding. Whilst it is a large school the house system makes it feel smaller.

I have children who have been to RGS and Bowbrook and I can't rate Bowbrook enough. My two DC are very different, DC1 is not as academic as DC2 who is very able and offered academic scholarships at 2 selective senior schools in Worcester. We originally moved DC1 to Bowbrook as we (correctly) thought this would be a better fit for them. We were, and still are, so impressed that we then moved DC 2 too. I was an RGS parent for 7 years and have now been a Bowbrook parent for 4 years.

Ultimately you need to find the school that is the best fit for your child and that will be different for everyone. I actually think Bowbrook, Kings, RGS, etc are all great schools IF they are right for your child.

Bowbrook has a great reputation for children who may not fit a more standard selective school but in our experience that doesn't mean it isn't equally able to challenge the most academic of pupils too.

The best advice is look at them all and make your own mind up based on your first hand impressions.

Thank you for your helpful responses. I completely agree that it's about finding the right school for the child.

Seconding Brendon here too.

My friend's DS goes here as he has severe dyslexia and was struggling in mainstream. Thrives there.