Pipers Corner

[ConfusedInBucks]

I’d be very grateful for any recent experiences or knowledge of Pipers Corner, Bucks for my eldest daughter (currently year 5) looking to join in year 7 in 2024. I’m really looking for a good ‘all round’ school which will nurture and support my sensitive daughter. She is especially keen on drama, art, maths and sciences at the moment and, although doing well academically at her prep school, I feel a smaller, less hothouse environment would suit her better and make for a happier experience.

Pipers is definitely a great fit for the sort of girl you describe your daughter as. It was our second choice school and only didn’t end up going there because of the commute.

I have several friends with daughters there and both parents and children are extremely happy. It is a great all round school and I think suits creative girls very well. The academics have improved dramatically over the last few years after the head changed and now parents are actively choosing it over the girls grammars.

Only downside is it’s a bit of a “bubble” due to location and site but that could also be seen as a positive for some.

Thanks BookwormButNoTime that’s very helpful. To be honest Pipers isn’t that close for us either but we would consider moving. Would you mind saying where you did end up sending your daughter?

@ConfusedInBucks Have sent you a PM

I would say your OP describes the archetypal Pipers girl @ConfusedInBucks!

Haven't had a girl there myself but all my DCs have had friends at Pipers and I would agree that it suits creative arty types in particular. Also the academics are good without it being too pushy. The only note of caution I would offer is that a lot of the families whose daughters are there are wealthy – think large houses with land, swimming pools, tennis courts etc.

I know several parents who have specifically moved their Year 3 and Year5 girls to Pipers solely for the pastoral care alone. It doesn’t have the hot-house vibe at all.

Out of these, one family lives in a 3 bed 1930s semi and one in a detached bungalow, both circa £750k.
Having said that, yes, there are pupils whose parents you see on the TV & hear on the radio.

For a while the academic results dipped; I believe they’re now on the up but without significant pressure being applied.

Hi ConfusedInBucks! I’m also considering Pipers Corner for Y7 in 2024, we might see you there ☺️. The exam results (for 2022) were very good esp considering it’s a non-selective school. Have you visited yet? I had a really informal, nice tour with a chatty A-Level student - she was lovely young woman, great head on her shoulders and smart. I left wanting my daughter to attend there. There is an open day in April and you can book a private tour at any time. Good luck!

Hi all, thought I’d post here to see if I could get a sense (from someone with a daughter at the school) of the likelihood of my daughter getting a place at Pipers (Y7, 2024). We put her name down at Easter Y4 (I’m aware some of their selection comes down to order of registration). I think she will
do okay in the assessments - not top, not bottom. I just have no sense if it’s over-subscribed and if so, by how much. Does anyone know please? Thanks!

My daughter attends Pipers -we moved her from the grammar school to Pipers. I am not sure about the comment about a new head as the current head has been there for 16 years.
I have mixed feelings if I am honest. I think like any school a child's happiness is dependent on many things. I think my most significant advice is if your daughter goes ideally send her in year 6 as they take a huge amount of girls then and she will find it easier to make friends. Year 7 is not so bad but I would not send in a later year like year 8 onwards etc.
I would also say don't think for a second there is not academic pressure on the girls - if the schools grades are good than how do you think they got these? You can't have it all ways - a lovely nurturing unpressured environment but good grades?
One thing we did not consider when we joined is we assumed our daughter would stay for 6th form - I think Pipers 6th form programme has a lot to offer on many levels but that bubble someone mentioned earlier gets even smaller in 6th form as many girls look for co-ed 6th forms. The only thing is your child is then competing against other kids for these other 6th form places.

Thanks ittakes2

Hi, @ConfusedInBucks feel free to DM me on this. I have direct experience of the school and know several ex-students through my daughter and the local community as well - not sure that I want to post anything publicly that could be misconstrued as negative.

Interesting reading this...

I moved my daughter OUT of Pipers at Christmas - she is in year 9, and started there in year 6. Pastoral care was NOT high on their agenda, and they seemed to have more focus on their image as a lovely girls school, rather than caring for the girls. We moved our daughter due to bullying, and a lack of care regarding specific issues and safeguarding, and she is much happier now at the local mixed state school. I'm happy to be DM'd, but don't be fooled by the beautiful grounds and facilities.

6th form is a LOT smaller, and a lot of girls leave after GCSEs. All of my daughter's previous friends (no-one has kept in touch, and I have been ghosted by many Mums, as we are not in the 'nice' neighbourhoods close by) are all wanting to leave after year 11. Girls also start their GCSE curriculum in year 9, rather than the usual year 10, so it is not surprising that their GCSE grades aren't bad, seeing as they've been given an extra year of tuition.

Good luck...

@Woofsaidtheladybird mirrors my thoughts.

Pipers has a good financial mix of parents (normal home-owners to very rich), but the number of ostentatious cars is increasing year upon year, saw a McLaren there recently (and if you've seen the terrible tight lane that you get stuck in for 20+ minutes every day to drive to and from school, with coaches squeezing by, and the shocking surface of Boss Lane you'd want a narrow car with indestructible paint and tyres.

The girls who stay for 6th form are lovely, but look like girly clones... the girls who are broader thinking tend to leave for college or grammar leaving a very small number. The head has made comments about the girls leaving to be wit boys... might be true!

@BeeStrudel
I think you find a bit of an exodus at many smaller girls’ schools when it comes to 6th form. It’s by no means unusual and many will seek a broader life!

I know this school reasonably well and I also know girls who haven’t got a place there. It is selective! It used to be the haven for less robust girls who wanted smaller classes or those who didn’t get into the grammars. They took more or less anyone. Not now. It used to be a very arty school but has tried hard to become more academic, therefore it selects. Everyone we know has liked it but with grammars nearby, alternative 6th form choices are readily available for quite a few.

Thanks @TizerorFizz , I agree that most private schools have a mass exodus to grammar etc in Bucks, many also go to better quality boarding schools/public schools for A levels instead of staying at Pipers - that way they get better grades and have a school with a 'name'. My experience is different, my DD found that on the outside it looked perfect, but on the inside heading into GSCEs it was very cliquey with large groups of kids who were very nasty to other girls, and lots of girls who couldn't fit in (cool kids and nerds), she also noticed that lots of the girls that didn't fit in were the less beautiful/well-off. We know and know of other gentle and gifted girls who've been bullied and have left...

But no school is perfect for all kids! Need the right school for the right kids, Pipers Corner just needs to sort out it's pastoral care (and maybe get a new head - Mrs Ness Gifford has been there a long time and has improved the facilities and academics - now time to improve the culture)

ABSOLUTELY. I totally agree with you@BeeStrudel . Sounds like your DD and my DD have gone through the same experience. Hope yours is happier and ok now x

@BeeStrudel I think the culture has changed. As it’s become less arty and more academic so it’s not what it was. It has far more well off parents than it used to. Yes. It needs to be changed as girls were hugely supportive of each other.

I know this sounds a bit odd, but my DDs went to another girls’ school - not in Bucks. We noticed a huge change in the behaviour of parents between DD1 and DD2. Eg pushing in at parents evenings. Expectations that dd is always recognised for achievement however run of the mill. Girls being given the benefit of the doubt because parents donated lots of money. Unfairness about recognition then not dealing with the fallout which is inevitable. It builds up frustrations and a pecking order that’s based on money. Dc know this. It leads to a heirarchy not based on ethos. It takes strong leadership to be fair snd stem bullying.

There has been a rebranding focus in recent years to raise the academic bar along with becoming a bit more selective. I'm not convinced. They have been turning away less academic girls but they still can't compete with the local grammars academically. Their leavers' destinations lists are broad and respectable enough but Oxbridge, medicine etc. are very rare. Still has the feel of a sleepy country school despite a few slebs' daughters there. However, it always has been good for art and drama and their theatre is very impressive. I know some mid-range ability girls who have really thrived there but I know other girls who have hated it and left. Definitely a nasty cliquey element in some year groups.

I agree, the facilities are excellent, the pool and drama (and drama teachers and productions) are first rate. The location is lovely. The school management culture seems like it's from the 80's (but are bringing in good new people) and some of the governors are old fashioned. On balance, if I'd known how the school managed student conflict and how it fails to really prepare girls for the outside world, (where multiculturalism is normal, boys live, and women work and don't just look nice), then I'd have sent my daughters elsewhere.

Yes, the theatre is lovely - woefully underused though... and the hiring in of young men from local drama groups to play male parts in school plays has left a bitter taste in many mouths.. apparently local boys schools aren't keen... makes you wonder why...

Fantastic swimming pool... which again isn't used to its full capacity..

Great radio station block - but never really taken off...

The cliquey-ness is vile and toxic. I know this can happen in girls schools, but this simply wasn't addressed, and all we were told is 'we'll keep an eye on her'.... but the tears on the field and hiding in the loos at breaktime were just ignored...

@BeeStrudel
I sent my DDs to a girls’ school and they boarded. They met boys through brothers of school friends and our own friends’ sons. This school is well respected in the Good Schools Guide for drama and never invited boys in. The girls improvise! It’s actually where Ms N-G was before Pipers. Plus Mr G.

I do think parents have cliques and pupils have cliques. I cannot understand why a school didn’t investigate bullying. They undoubtedly have a policy with clear info on bullying and their responses to it.

Unhappily we also found DDs would make up stories about other girls to get them into trouble. This was another huge culture change. The cliques made things up about other girls. Not Pipers, as I said, but I was amazed how unsupportive towards each the pupils had become. Some seemed very happy to trample on others to be heard. It’s very important schools foster friendly relationships between pupils and respond with urgency when this is not happening.

I know 2 siblings who went on to do medicine from Pipers. DF a professor/doctor. However the grammars have plenty who do and that’s where the majority go. Or WA. Oxbridge would be a stretch too. I think that’s understandable. The grammars are diverse but Pipers has never been. I think at times the rich aren’t bothered if DDs work or not. More interested in a good marriage!

Diversity depends on the grammar @TizerorFizz . Some of the Wycombe and Aylesbury ones are fairly diverse but RGS is generally more affluent. DCGS and DCHS are not very diverse at all when you look at the intakes from the local preps (Beacon etc.) and the proportion of DC who live in GX in both schools. There are definitely some very wealthy DC in both schools (Aston Martins, tennis courts, swimming pools, skiing chalets...) but I don't know of any parents who just want their DCs to marry well! Also in Pipers there are a number of local girls from more modest backgrounds who missed the 11+ and parents panicked about the alternative schools and mustered the resources to send them there. It's never black and white.