Prior’s Field

[bashstreetkids]

We are considering Prior’s Field for our daughter, who is very capable academically. We loved the nurturing ethos of the school but worry a bit about the academic stretch. Can anyone with a daughter currently at the school give us an up to date view? We would be turning down offers at more academic schools, in the belief that our daughter would be happier in a less pressured environment.

Very happy PF mother here. It's a great school, relaxed and happy atmosphere and we have no complaints at all. Our dd is not particularly academic, so I can't comment directly on what it's like for the more intellectual girls, but I know there is a special group for scholars.

I am a PF alumni. Not recent as I'm now nearly 30! I loved my time at PF, I am academic in the sense that I work incredibly hard but I wasn't naturally gifted academically. I also have dysxlexia and dyscalculia. I achieved all A*'s and A's at GCSE, I left for A levels and went to sixth form college and there was a definite dip in my grades. But I still went to university and also have 2 post-graduate degrees. I don't know exactly how the school has changed over the years but it still appears to have the same ethos it always did when I was there. I loved it!

Sorry I've just realised you are concerned because your daughter is very academic! It definitely seemed to support the very able, as well as the less able. I think there was a good balance of pushing us to do our best but without lots of pressure.

Thank you so much for your replies- it’s so tempting to go for the school with the ‘best’ results but my instinct is that she will be happier (and achieve better) in a kinder, more supportive environment. She has an offer for a September 2020 start.

I would really look closely before making your decision. I've know quite a few parents pull their daughters out of PF. I would not send an academic child there. There is good pastoral care in most of the schools in the area The head at PF is not popular with everybody. It is much easier to move a child from a more academic school than PF to PF at a later date but much harder the other way round.

I'd support the comments from @rocketleagueboy. I didn't consider Priors Field at all for my girls. They went to GHS, which had excellent pastoral care as far as I was concerned l, and both were both very happy there.

I'd also agree that transferring from PF to a more academic school would be very difficult (until 6th form) whereas transferring from eg GHS to PF would be reasonably easy I'd think.

Just to add that if you are also considering St Catherine's, it's worth reading the separate thread about that. I have no experience of it but there are some very strong views being expressed.

Thanks for your comments and suggestions - all really helpful. Still very interested to hear from current parents at the school.

I'm not a current PF parent but we're in exactly the same position as you. When we compared the academic results of PF with the other school we have an offer for (which is deemed to be more academic) several of the subject results at PF were actually better. The pastoral care may well be very good at other schools in the area but you know best what kind of environment your daughter would thrive in. We have revisited both schools since receiving the offers and have decided to go with our gut instinct that our daughter will be happier and do better in the PF environment.

Go with your gut! There are some very bright girls at PF, and also those that need extra support..... they seem to balance it well and often those that may struggle academically are gifted in other areas eg arts, drama, so adds to the diversity and enrichment of the school community. Lovely atmosphere and the girls have some fantastic fun activities.... check out the activities week choices.... wish I had gone to a school like PF!

I'd really go for the more academic school. There is a lot more pressure on schools to have excellent pastoral care. GHS has fab care and a real focus on wellbeing. It actually has a reputation amongst parents with girls there as being remarkably laid back once in!
Not heard good things about PF, especially the new head. Friend who taught there short term said it has horribly disorganised and let lots slip through the net.

@bashstreetkids
Please do not send you daughter here! My daughter is currently at PF in her GCSE year. The pastoral care is awful, especially due to there being no one taking full responsibility for the role(they share it).
When they ask 'what they can do to help?', the head writes it down and agrees, however she leaves it for someone else who has no information or background of the child so they do the opposite thing. They have messed with my daughters education so much. Just yesterday we received a email of her GCSE English coursework results.
As she has had time in and out of school due to being unwell we have had to make sure we are up to date with deadlines, however a week ago they were just asking for 1 out of 4 of the coursework essays, claiming the others were not due in yet. Now they are saying that she has received 0 percent for her literature coursework! Absolutely furious.
The school has very bad communication issues and have found the they do not push each individual to preform to their best standard, and that as long as they get 100 percent pass rate at gcses with a few pupils receiving all 9s they do not care if you just get five 4's.
My daughter got persuaded to repeat year 10 (missed lots of school and had have big gaps) at the last minute with no warning. As it was in the middle of year 11, it was too late to transfer to a different school. This was so that she could get the grades thats she's capable of (7s,8s and9s) however the day before term started (after asking for her timetable she she could be prepared, several times with no reply), they emailed it and she was horrified to find she was in the same or worst sets than her original year. This really upset and made her wobble,
She decided to have tutoring for spring term 2019, so she had time to think if she should go back as it was already going to be hard especially blending in to the lower year and missing out from her original year friendship group. However she is a very social person and hated how lonely home tutoring was. However she got a confidence boost when the tutors told her that they thought she had a lot to give to each subject; one tutor (history and R.S) asked her if she was aiming for and 8 or 9, which surprised her PF teachers hardly expected anything from her. When she returned to PF the school sprang it on us that they thought she should drop all her chosen subjects! Although she was doing so well as they thought it would take the pressure off, aswll as saying to her on her first day back you do release you only need to pass 5 gcses with 4's. This shattered her self worth immediately.
The girls in higher years are disrespectful to the lower years as they think they are superior and give them looks, while the younger years will run to hold open the door looking petrified. It lacks school spirit and community.There is a rising occurrence of problematic pupils now trying as hard as they can to rebel additionally I would keep in mind that only 20 out of 85 girls stay for sixth form so its really stressful trying to find the right place which includes the process of: interviews, assessments, group discussions, scholarships at the same time as your revising for your mocks as well as getting time out of school.