Are there any progressive/alternative girls schools out there?

[reallydoihaveto]

So our daughter attends a progressive/alternative independent primary and we are thinking ahead to secondary school. Other parents seem to be going down the Bedales type route but having read a bit about the benefits of all an girls education (i.e. not limiting girls expectations in science, maths, sport etc, and general academics) we would ideally like to send our daughter to one - but I can’t find anything progressive for girls. I’m thinking no uniforms, calling teachers by their first names as a minimum, maybe also self directed learning. We’re in South West London currently but very open to moving for the right school. Any ideas? Does progressive and girls school just not mix?!

[Stuffragette]

There is King Alfred in Golders Green. My son's in sixth form and loving it.

[reallydoihaveto]

Yes King Alfred sounds good but I’m ideally looking for an all girls school with with a similar philosophy - aware it might be a hopeless search!

[Zodlebud]

I think because so few parents want an alternative education these days that the number of schools offering it are already few and far between and those that do have relatively few students. To further constrain pupil numbers by gender would make these schools financially unviable.

All the schools that spring to mind are all co-Ed.

Bedales
King Alfred
St Christopher’s (Letchworth)
Summerhill
Brockwood Park

If your daughter is VERY bright then St Paul’s Girls has no uniform and is very liberal but still offers a more traditional education.

The Think Global School might also be worth a look.

Not all “regular” schools are equal though in terms of ethos. Some are very formal and traditional whilst others feel a lot more liberal and progressive. For example, the atmosphere at Moreton Hall feels very different to most other girls schools I visited.

But I fear you are looking for something that doesn’t exist.

[reallydoihaveto]

Yes I am a bit worried a progressive girls school doesn’t exist! I know what you mean about the economics of it, I just wondered if I’d missed something.

I think I would be open to a traditional girls school with a more liberal/progressive ethos - but it’s quite hard to work out which girls schools are like that. I’ll look at Moreton Hall though, thanks.

[larkstar]

Our friends what you mean by progressive and alternative - what do you want and why?

I had a very interesting conversation with a woman who had moved to Pembroke as a child specifically to access a Steiner School

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldorf_education?wprov=sfti1

[larkstar]

Damn auto-cock-up
Our friends=Exactly!

She moved from London.

[reallydoihaveto]

Ah I thought ‘our friends’ was a charming introduction 😊

I have looked at Steiner but felt it wouldn’t be right for my daughter. I felt it was child paced but not child led learning, and it also gave me an odd feeling of being wrapped in cotton wool and protected from the modern world. My somewhat fierce daughter would not have flourished.

I think I am looking for something more child led where children are listened to rather than being squashed into a mould or broken with exam pressure, and can be confident able to think for themselves. Although when I write that down it sounds very woolly and generic!

[TST]

Hello - I wondered if you had got anywhere with this request? I am looking for exactly the same thing. It seems that 'progressive' and 'all girls' don't seem very popular. Would love to know if you found anywhere x