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Secondary education

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

Oundle School vs Stowe School

27 replies

Lloydlloyd · 04/03/2021 05:53

Hi my son has got offers from both Oundle School and Stowe School for year 9. My son is a sporty child who is also good at art, but need someone to give a push in terms of academic. Does anyone has any recommendation about which school is better for him? Another thing I am considering is about which school is likely to kick out most of their own students before entering Sixth form...caus I would like my son to be more safe. Thank you very much!

OP posts:
PresentingPercy · 04/03/2021 08:22

I simply don’t understand your last sentence. Neither school kicks out large numbers of students! Why wouldn’t your DS be safe? Why have you linked the two comments?

I know a few DC who went to Stowe recently. It’s quite an isolated school (I come from that area) and no walking to the nearest town. There’s plenty to do but DC do go home quite a lot - back to London. Art is fantastic. Academics are good but they are not really seen as a totally academic school. Not so difficult to get in. Fantastic grounds obviously but not sure 13 year old boys appreciate that. Sport is strong but my feeling is that the arts are very well supported there.

I would say Oundle is more academic. I don’t know it but others will! Did you get the chance to look around both? My DD looked around Stowe for 6th form. We thought it was too isolated for her. But it had good facilities (she’s arty) and everyone was helpful.

nolanscrack · 04/03/2021 09:14

Stowe is not exactly known for high academic standards or a broad social mix.

PresentingPercy · 04/03/2021 10:46

No boarding school has much of a social mix. Some bursary dc but not the majority. OP wasn’t looking for that. Stowe is perfectly ok for academics if dc work. It’s not a top academic school but doesn’t profess to be. However dc can do well there but I think it’s isolation has to be factored in. Nice grounds only gets you so far.....

PresentingPercy · 04/03/2021 10:52

In fact their A*-B grades at A level (76%) are just below that achieved by the grammar school in the nearby town and not a single person thinks that’s shabby. Indeed people fall over themselves to go there. Stowe used to be way below RLS but not now. So the academics are perfectly acceptable for any normal DC and parent.

SeasonFinale · 04/03/2021 17:12

Personally I would go for Oundle from the two. Do you not have a feeling either way OP when you visited? Which did DS prefer?

leftandaright · 04/03/2021 20:58

I am an Oundle parent. Very happy one too. Lots of friends have children there. It’s a popular school choice. The ones who can’t get into Oundle (or similar good academic full boarding) have chosen Stowe as it’s way easier to get into. Reputation for being a bit “moneyed” which I know sounds daft when the fees are the same for all these schools. The children we know are happy at both these schools but for a bright child who enjoys other things such as sport or art, I’d recommend Oundle as a full boarding school.

Lloydlloyd · 05/03/2021 04:24

Thank you very much for all of you for giving your valuable answers. Sorry may be I am misleading when I say "kick out before entering Sixth form". I know there are very limited seats in Sixth form so there may be strong competition among the students themselves for getting back into the same school..... Or does anyone know what is the rough percentage one can successfully get back into the Sixth forms in these schools?

OP posts:
leftandaright · 05/03/2021 07:27

The only reason any one would be kicked out of Oundle is if they were not working and thriving in the school. It’s not a school (nor is Stowe) where you have competition to retain your place for sixth form. The Year 9 offer you have lasts until end of 6th form. Only if your child did something that warranted being asked to leave would the place be lost and even then there would be lots of parent/child meetings beforehand so try and encourage the child to get back on the rails. It’s absolutely not even an issue for most children and if you think that your child would be a candidate for not working and messing around then Oundle wouldn’t be the right school for them at year 9 either.
It is a school where children knuckle down and work hard and get the most out of their time there with everything on offer. I cannot wait for Covid to go and school life to get back to normal!

PresentingPercy · 05/03/2021 15:23

There isn’t strong competition at Stowe. The 6th form is easy to get into!! You could be removed for disciplinary reasons. Once you are there, you would be able to stay.

Staff7885 · 06/03/2021 19:55

I have to disagree with PresentingPercy. Stowe are very conscious of their academic reputation and as a result they do ask students who are unlikely to achieve decent results to leave...at least that was the case a couple of years ago when I there.

PresentingPercy · 06/03/2021 20:08

Most schools are lenient towards hard workers. They don’t like DC who don’t do a reasonable amount of work and don’t engage. I don’t think Stowe has major culls.

Their academic reputation wasn’t great so no doubt aspiration by the school to do better academically didn’t match their lenient admissions policy. I would suggest it’s now evened up. It was always viewed as a school you went to if you couldn’t get into others. Lots of parents accepted that was the case. For a number of years now it’s tried to up its reputation for academics.

easternenergizer · 04/05/2021 16:21

I went to Oundle 6 years ago and have met stoics since.

Both schools will produce a very different student at 18 with a slightly different path.

Oundle is MUCH more academic. It's not filled with pure academic, head-in-book brainboxes like Westminster (they do thrive there too), but due to, imo, the school's strongest asset and USP, which is an incredible work-ethic and approach to their work, sport, art etc. It is why people choose Oundle. It is the school with the strongest work ethic in the midlands I feel, and the consistently good grades are testament to this. Many parents are pleasantly surprised at how well their children do when they send them to Oundle. This is an intangible asset that most Oundelians take with them and subsequently probably why they also do well at University too. Other schools with good grades at a-level have students that struggle at university because the work ethic does not come from them but the school. At Oundle, the school engenders this into students. Oundelians move on increasingly across the pond and this doesn't look set to change, so if that is of interest to you, they will cater for it

Stowe, although sometimes bashed irl for being unacademic, does get good grades for its students but having spoken to friends from there, they were allowed to relax if they wanted to maybe a little bit too much and probably could have done better. However, this is anecdotal.

Stowe is a good school and beautiful, but most are bored by 18 and cant wait to leave as it is in the middle of nowhere. Oundle, being part of a town, staves off this boredom, especially with the ability to go into pubs (AT 18!), waitrose, tearooms. I was climbing the walls to leave at 18, however.

Both are Full boarding or day, no weekly or flexi anything and same set-up (i.e day students have own house not mixed into boarding houses). This, in my opinion, is preferable and helped to engender house spirit and streamline pastoral provision. Both are run as boarding schools and day students walk to the beat of a boarding school drum.

Oundle do not throw out students in an unfair fashion. When I was there every single person who was asked to leave, imo, was done so fairly. If your child doesn't get the grades and doesn't work hard, then they will be asked to leave, but if they showed the right attitude to their studies but were having a bad exam day, then the school contextualise this. Some parents would argue their DC worked hard and it was unfair but they are 2 hours away in a car and not privy to the day-to-day goings on and it seemed fair to me whenever a student left. Everyone is made clear at the school they expect you to work hard.

Art-wise I'm sure Stowe is wonderful but not sure it is going to produce another Damien Hirst. Ditto Oundle, although the focus is on Fine-Art. Stoics do always seem to follow their passions which is great and same with Oundle. Stowe definitely helps students do what they like which is always important.

Wider student profile at Oundle, more diverse range of interests in students. Very wealthy but also very understated. Stowe more hooray-henry but also pretty similar parents. Oundelians a little more cosmopolitan and a little more international.

Oundle does not cater for everyone so if the above doesn't sound right for your DC then I would send to Stowe.

AMAZING facilities at Oundle, I'm sure at Stowe too but don't choose a school based off this. Good luck with the decision. As long as your child is happy that is the most important thing and they normally know within 2 hours of going to a place if they click with the people and the energy. :)

felizdia · 05/05/2021 19:10

I couldn't quite believe the title of OPs post when I saw it! ..

We have just been through the wringer with Oundle and are now very happy at Stowe.

I did write a really long post for this but it was so 'outing 'for my DCs that I have decided not to publish it. we have had 2 DCs at Oundle, spanning 5yrs and now have 1 at Stowe.

All I can say is that the work ethic from Oundle is fabulous but yes they (Senior Management) most definitely DO throw kids out in the most merciless fashion post-GCSE purely on results and not on any behaviour or lack of effort.
Teaching and pastoral staff at both schools - excellent.
Senior Management at Oundle - questionable (and that's being polite!)
Senior Management at Stowe - excellent

Stowe is 100% nurturing and DC is flying with predicted A levels of A*, A, B.
If you want the full version please DM me, happy to share.

easternenergizer · 06/05/2021 11:17

Apologies Feliz - I wasn’t there with new female head and have heard things have changed considerably from friends’ brothers and sisters. Certainly wasn’t looking to provide misinformation etc. or trivialize anyone’s experience.

Also wanted to point out that Oundle’s grades have very recently started to drop a little bit so maybe that work ethic is changing. Did seem watertight to me when I was there but all things change. Feliz definitely better placed to answer questions around this and the school now. Good luck Smile

PresentingPercy · 06/05/2021 12:15

What percentage are removed before 6th form? At either school? It cannot be a large percentage surely? 10% would seem high to me. So is it that high? That also smacks of poor selection at 13 too. Oundle is competitive one would have thought so why do they get DC who do not thrive? Are there behaviour issues as well in the mix?

Most academic schools have thresholds for 6th form. You would expect a top independent school to require a grade 7s T gcse in A level choices. At DDs less academic schools it was a 6 or 7 depending on subject.

Lots of localish DC go to Stowe and they really are not monied! Utterly depends what circles you move in but London dc always appears to have more.

In the Midlands. Rugby is a great school. Hope the op has made a decision though.

easternenergizer · 06/05/2021 12:43

Agree with Presenting Percy. Always good to speak directly to school to find out these figures and other parents with experience of both like Feliz. These will be the best indications. Can't think Oundle throw out 10% (thats 20 pupils) at GCSE but I could be wrong now.

Oundle does have a very clearly communicated threshold for staying on in sixth form and the pace at sixth form is fast. But it must be distressing when a child does have to leave and find a new school so do think there's a fine line. It sounds like some who don't thrive at Oundle can thrive at Stowe as indicated above so it certainly isn't a 'better school' for everyone.

Rugby is a good school but I find students there don't follow their passions as much as Oundle or Stowe and come out as all-rounders, jack of all trades master of none. But in many ways similar to Oundle. VERY unsnobby school and people always super friendly. :)

CaribouCarafe · 06/05/2021 12:55

I'd recommend Oundle - I went to school there as a day pupil from 2005-2012. The town is beautiful, the school's facilities are amazing, there's a wealth of extra-curricular activities, the sports and arts provisions are great, and I feel like the school helps kids reach their potential.

I don't recall anyone in my year being kicked out before sixth form for reasons other than breaking school rules, however the year groups are so large that it may have happened without me realising!

I don't know anything about Stowe though, so can't offer any comparison.

easternenergizer · 06/05/2021 13:15

Have to say - agree with Caribou Carafe from my experience too. It was one of if not the best co-ed in the UK when we were there. But Mr Bush seemed to know what he was doing. Not sure new lady is having same success. Feliz will know.

Elij00 · 06/05/2021 17:43

Tbh I don't think Oundle's academic standards have dropped that much if they have in the first place. I just think many schools in the England are becoming more Academic and when I say Academic, I mean they are becoming ever more selective at 11 and 13+. So the Academic gap between an Oundle and a Stowe is much narrower than it was in the past.

easternenergizer · 06/05/2021 17:53

The results have definitely dropped slightly in the last 2/3 years. There will be many reasons for this you are correct ( syllabus, pre-u selection, kids not taking a levels as going to America taking SATs) and the standards could be the same. Maybe other schools have also dropped too. It might be due to the introduction of linear a levels, it would be interesting to hear what @felizdia think/knows about this.

tonicwaterparty · 06/05/2021 18:26

@PresentingPercy

In fact their A*-B grades at A level (76%) are just below that achieved by the grammar school in the nearby town and not a single person thinks that’s shabby. Indeed people fall over themselves to go there. Stowe used to be way below RLS but not now. So the academics are perfectly acceptable for any normal DC and parent.
The difference being that the grammar school is free, but Stowe costs the far side of £21,000 for a day place... Hmm
easternenergizer · 06/05/2021 18:42

Tonic - The choice of going to these schools is different and personal for everyone. But the local grammar whilst, yes, providing the same results, does not offer anything Stowe offers the minute you step out the classroom.

Elij00 · 06/05/2021 19:19

Oundle's result seems to fluctuate on a yearly basis it seems. As with all school, results will depend on academic a particular set is.

2019 2018 2017 2016 2015
79 85 81 87 87 A*/A/B

The above results looks solid to me. It places Oundle a level or so below the most Elite Academic schools in the country.

felizdia · 06/05/2021 19:33

@easternenergizer thank you yes, I do know that the years above my boys at Oundle did spectacularly badly in their Maths A level about 2 yrs ago. There was uproar from the parents. The following intake of A level students were firmly told that they were going to be worked so hard to succeed in maths and restore the teacher's and school's reputations. I know some (boys only) who consequently dropped maths even after achieving 8s and 9s at GCSE level because the pressure was too much.
There is an undertone from the staff that they are not able to communicate well with senior management anymore for fear of repercussions. They are certainly not allowed to speak out!. Even the rugby coach was banned from sending emails directly to parents!
@CaribouCarafe so glad you had a great experience, it really was a super school when Mr Bush was there and that is the reputation we knew it for. We joined the same year as Mrs K-D took over!

I can assure you my boys were never in any disciplinary trouble. They might have had the odd 'pink card' but I would have been worried if they didn't!

Really hope Oundle finds it's feet again soon, most of the staff are fantastic and deserve better.

easternenergizer · 06/05/2021 19:42

@felizdia Oh dear. I had heard mutterings along this line and thought maybe was just rumour and the results were anomalous. I'm sure her tenure won't last if this continues - certainly was a first-class place when I was there, but I left just before Mrs K-D. Hope Stowe treats you better. And wow, pink card, that brings me back to early rainy mornings.

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