Progressive/Liberal Girls Secondary Schools around Greater London?

[CestLaVie2022]

Newbie post so please be gentle. :) We're not originally from the UK, currently live in London, and are looking for a girls secondary school for Y5 DD who is very bright, athletic, super kind and empathetic but not so interested in the rote memorization and regurgitating facts style of learning so we're on the hunt for a more progressive/liberal/modern style of secondary school. We're based in central London but have flexibility to move within an hour's commute. Interested in both state and private options.

Wish list includes -

• All girls
• Smaller secondary school size - 600 students or less ideally
• Day school if private
• Campus with some outside green space and athletic options on-site like tennis, football, swimming, etc.
• Kind, nurturing, supportive, friendly, collaborative culture which encourages risk taking and learning from failure, trying new things, exploring, growth mindset, etc.
• Solid academic performance including STEM subjects but no hothousing or overt competition or perfectionism culture, i.e. be the best you can be, support your classmates, practice makes progress, etc. Not interested in the school being the top of the league tables per se, more about the value add
• No uniform or modern uniform with trouser option
• IB sixth form option would be amazing

Any ideas for this unicorn of a school? :) Thank you!

It's mixed and larger than you want but you should probably start with Bedales and if it's too liberal then go for a girls school like Tormead in Guildford that has a liberal minded head, read posts about Tormead on MN. I'm presuming you already know about King Alfred school in Hampsted - liberal but not academic perhaps solid academic etc.

I have boys so don't know much about it, but would Sydenham High fit the bill?

I think you are looking for a unicorn, sorry.

You may have to decide which of your criteria you are prepared to compromise on, as I don’t think any one school can meet them all. But for the kind, empathetic, progressive educational culture you are looking for you should look at Sutton High (in Sutton, obviously) and St Margaret’s in Bushey.

NB Sutton High is all-girls but St Margaret’s is gradually moving to co-ed from all-girls. Doing it that way round means it doesn’t have a macho tradition, so I think it would be a shame for you to rule it out without consideration. It has wonderful grounds with all sport (including swimming) onsite.

Both have uniforms and neither currently offers IB, so you’ll have to decide how important those factors are to you.

Have you considered ASL in St John's Wood, Dwight or Harrodian? They are more progressive than most schools from what I've heard. But progressive style schools don't really exist in the UK as you describe (in my opinion!). Can't think of a single sex school that fits any of your criteria but I think the GDST schools aim to strike a balance that you might be happy with.

Prompted by the other thread how about Hampton Court House? Progressive liberal mixed etc.

Just another idea following on from ASL,
although large and mixed for campus, liberal, IB, no uniform try
ACS Cobham
ACS Hillingdon.
For Hillingdon in particular the pupils aren't local but come from as far as Oxford and central London.
Check out the fees and term dates too.

Progressive liberal often means co-ed (in tune with rest of the modern world outside the UK) than all-girls (the preserve of tradition only found in UK and former empire countries).

one thing to consider with a school that offers IB and A levels is the time tabling. When we looked at Whitgift, a student explained that in order to fit it all in, some IB classes started either super early (like 7:30) or ran into the evening. Not sure how accurate that is or if it is universal for schools offering IB

Thank you all so much! Lots to think about and like everything in life, sounds like we'll have to compromise on some thing(s)!

Some schools may have a more “liberal” vibe - but ultimately the curriculum is what it is - and so lots of memorising and rote learning is just part of it if you want to get decent grades.

Hi OP, in this case unicorns do exist, or at least they almost exisit! There are loads of schools that fit your shopping list. I agree with all the PPs and you have some very good choices above. I now mention Tormead because I am familiar with it, recommend it and because like many other schools, it does fulfil your requirements.

Tormead is literally everything on your list apart from IB at sixth form. I would suggest you go have a look. Plus if your DD is year 5 going on year 6? (although she'll have to be properly assessed), she'll benefit from joining the prep school and thus skipping the horrors of the 11+ process to get into the Senior School - alongside your unicorn list, that was one of the biggest drivers for us!
Anyway happy hunting - the posts above are testament to how lucky we all are to have so much great choice!
Ps. Make sure you go see these schools in action, always try and get personal tours during the school day... if covid allows!

“Progressive” and “private school” don’t go together.

Have you looked at SPGS? No uniform, very liberal ethos (few rules, lots of choice on GCSEs, very little rote learning outside languages). Only issues for you would be no IB (does A levels and Pre-U) and some people see it as a hothouse. I think it’s only a hot house for girls whose parents ask them about every test mark and if they can work out if they were top or not. The school tries its best to counteract this, but there is an element of it.

If you could move further from London the Mount in York might fit some of your requirements,

the king alfred school, golders green nw11.
but is co-ed.
has a lovely easy-going feel, very laid back; encourages creativity and individual expression, while developing leadership and caring aspect.
does not encourage the usual sharp elbowed parental types.

www.kingalfred.org.uk/upper-school/

@Sashamia

Progressive liberal often means co-ed (in tune with rest of the modern world outside the UK) than all-girls (the preserve of tradition only found in UK and former empire countries).

You’re making it sound like single sex schools are a bad thing? Considering the high reports of sexual assault that takes place in mixed sex schools, I know what I’d prefer for my daughters if I had a choice.

@Soontobe60 There are higher rates of anorexia and bulimia in single-sex schools

Woldingham is the most obvious one

It's liberal in the sense is a relaxed traditional school, lots of actresses seem to spring from there. Girls commute from South London. It was originally Catholic, but now just broadly Christian. Don't know about trousers or bac.

@HighRopes

Have you looked at SPGS? No uniform, very liberal ethos (few rules, lots of choice on GCSEs, very little rote learning outside languages). Only issues for you would be no IB (does A levels and Pre-U) and some people see it as a hothouse. I think it’s only a hot house for girls whose parents ask them about every test mark and if they can work out if they were top or not. The school tries its best to counteract this, but there is an element of it.

Bloody hell!! Nothing against St Pauls but if the OP wants kind and nurturing these are not its leading characteristics...

Actually..

you could also look at Stonar in Wiltshire - it's gentle more than liberal but very nurturing. All girls till very recently now letting in boys but gentle ethos. Very small. Used to be very non-academic posh girls school, but switched over to focusing on slightly quirky kids who want a small environment. It's not selective, but the results for those who are academic are good. Great new head. Part of an international group of schools with strong links to Spain. Mostly day.

You could plant yourself somewhere that would be an hour from London and a half hour from Stonar I think.

Also worth looking at Westonbirt, may or may not work geographically.