Chichester- no private senior schools?

[LollipopGiraffe]

We are considering a move to Chichester to time with eldest starting year 7. We would like to go private but are struggling to find any private schools, especially 'good name' or decently academic ones around this area.

Any ideas on this?

Seaford College, Duncton? Yes. It’s not got many private senior schools. Maybe DC weekly board at Brighton? Or other schools with that facility?

Have pm'd you.

Portsmouth Grammar is fairly close?

There is also a bus to Brighton College but it would be a long, long day. Weekly boarding is an option. It’s highly academic, big bucks and is a bit controversial though.

Seaford College - don’t know much about it but it has good sports facilities.

Lots of Chi kids get the train to Portsmouth Grammar.

Ditcham Park School is pleasant and goes up to GCSE level.

Another option is Churchers in Petersfield (and Bedales is also at Petersfield).

State school wise, Bishop Luffa has a very good reputation (but is CofE so if you’re not at least temporarily religious you’ll be down the list), the Free School has a great new campus and is popular, and there’s Midhurst Rother College to the north. I’d avoid Chi High.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll have a look into them.

What makes Brighton College controversial out of interest @Novium?

Other house option is nearer Winchester which is buzzing with schools, but we prefer the Chichester area house we have finally had an offer accepted on. Hard!

Used to live near there. Your nearest option is seaford. Nice place; good dyslexia support, but not a heavy hitter in terms of results.
further afield you have Brighton, lancing, hurst pier point, roedean (girls only), ardingly. DD nearly went to roedean, we liked it a lot, and people we know with daughters there v happy.

Another thought - most of above start at year 9. So you might be looking at a local prep first anyway. Westbourne Lodge the best in my view.

Loads of DC get the train in to Portsmouth for the Grammar or the High

Portsmouth High School - girls only , Portsmouth Grammar - both sexes

@LollipopGiraffe Brighton College has a rep as a real hothouse and ruthless with kids that aren’t all 9s / all A* material. Plus a large overseas contingent with money and all the problems that attracts.

Ardingly is also a great school, about an hour or so away though but their flexi boarding could be an option.

@Novium
Clearly that’s ridiculous. They don’t get all grade 9s there. Or all A* at A level. No school does. It’s not St Paul’s, Winchester or Wycombe Abbey. It’s sporty and, like many schools, will want grade 7 or 8 at GCSE for further study but it really isn’t a noted academic powerhouse.

Not ridiculous - got it first hand from friends DC who was there for 6th form. It’s hothouse - lots of pressure to get top grades and Oxbridge offers. Lower achievers are managed out.

Brighton is clearly positioning itself as a competitor to St Paul’s et al - hence the HMs broadsides against single sex schools. He wants the London parents to send their kids to him.
i looked at it and disliked it greatly. But some rave. You pats your money and takes your choice.

Portsmouth Grammar, Portsmouth High (GDST), Seaford College, Lancing College, Brighton. Preps are Westbourne and Prebendal, going up to Year 8.

Lancing college, Christs Hospital and Farlington in Horsham?

They won’t get so many Oxbridge offers now. Private school offers are dropping. Yes, I can see they get good grades but this school clearly suits the right child. So know your child! If not academic enough, look elsewhere. Most schools do want decent grades for A level study but not everyone gets A*.

@TizerorFizz , Brighton College with Richard Cairns at the helm is 1 of the most ambitious and results driven schools in the U.K. if not Europe. Due to the private schools issues with Oxbridge BC is repositioning the Sixth form with an US university focus to pacify the parent expectations.

Parent expectations? So they are choosing that school for the results then. They are surely then not surprised at how the school operates. How do they think schools get Dc into USA universities? Extra curricular, hard work and money. Oh, and good results. So it’s all parent driven? I did avoid schools like this but seems others know what it’s like but still go there? Why would anyone do that if it wasn’t suitable?

It's quite a way from Chichester, tbh. Most Brighton College kids from there would weekly board. So if that's not likely, I'd discount that, particularly in years 7-9.

So prep school is best and move at 13. Usually if there are no day schools from y7, DC stay at the preps. Then there are options at 13.

What about Great Ballard? Prep + Senior. Very strong on supporting good mental health. Have a new Head of Adventure and lots of extracurricular. A good sprinkle of international families. Smaller than Seaford but seems to be punching above it's weight.

Great Ballard doesn’t have a Sixth Form. I tend to think that limits who goes there.

We’re currently considering a move back to the U.K. and although we love the Chichester area (I grew up nearby) the lack of good private secondary schools is making us look more around the Guildford area where there are seemingly lots more options.

Thanks for all the feedback.

I was still very stuck and now our house has fallen through so back to the drawing board anyway. To be honest, the school thing has really put us off Chichester.

We were interested in Churchers mainly. The other ideas on this thread were all too far or involved boarding which is too expensive for us.

Now looking again and including Winchester and Haslemere areas in our search as there seems to be more school options from there.