Hello, I started this thread originally so thought I’d post an update (my username has changed as I seem to have lost my original log in details!).
Anyhoo, we are now 3 years into Downe House - that’s where we ended up choosing and we are absolutely delighted 💕 in fact both my daughters are now there. They both got unconditional offers for Wycombe Abbey, Cheltenham Ladies and DH
In the end we chose DH over the others because we just felt it suited our daughters better (despite being the furthest away). WA is only a 10 min drive from us but although it is a beautiful school and we have many friends with daughters there, it just felt a bit too “hothouse”. Several friends in fact have removed their daughters since we chose our school 3 years ago because their daughters just weren’t happy there. Apparently there was a lot of vaping and alcohol misuse and ordering Deliveroo and some unhappy boarding experiences but obviously this was their experience so I can only go in what they have said. Although I do know these things to be true as some girls were suspended.
Cheltenham Ladies - we just didn’t like that boarding houses were in the town and preferred a school where houses were onsite. A lovely school but just that one issue for us and the girls weren’t quite as keen on CLC.
So, our thoughts on DH… both my girls are absolutely loving it which is just wonderful and such a relief! They both chose it as their preferred option, they loved that it wasn’t too big, it had lovely grounds and was in the countryside and it had the nicest dorms of all the schools we viewed! So far we have had no issues at all, boarding has been amazing. Hermitage House is the star house for lower school. The housemistress there is just exceptional! We couldn’t have placed our daughters in better hands. Although they had both flexi boarded before at their prep, their transition to full boarding was seamless and so happy.
Our eldest is now starting her third year at DH and is in the Upper School. She is enjoying it so much and has excelled over the last two years. She was already doing well at prep but has soared since starting at DH. She has made some wonderful friends and is genuinely so happy. Our younger daughter is still in Lower School in Hermitage and is the happiest she has ever been. She is just about to embark on her term at their chateau in Sauveterre (France). She too has soared since joining, her grades and reports are even better than we could have wished for. She has made some wonderful friends and loves the school. As parents, it is such a relief to know your children are so happy, it is hard to know if you’re choosing the right school!
Mrs McKendrick, the Headmistress, is genuinely one of the most incredible women I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. She is always on site and at the sports matches and always delights in greeting all the parents and girls. She remembers everyone and everything about them, it’s quite extraordinary! Nothing is too much trouble and she genuinely cares about her pupils. I think she is 27 years at DH now, that really says something! She really is cherished by everyone.
We couldn’t be more pleased with the journey so far. Sport is amazing, lessons and teachers are top notch, plenty of great extra curricular activities, boarding life and houses amazing and good socials with the boys schools (Radley, Eton, Ludgrove, Cothill etc).
Lovely polite, happy, well rounded girls who seem enthused about their school. It has been a wholly positive experience for our daughters and us (they have great socials for the parents too!).
Happy to answer any questions so feel free to dm me or reply on here.