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.

@BewitchedorBewildered
But you are then not seeing “old money” at boarding school! Pipers isn’t like that. Or no one admits to it! Very narrow objectives in some instances I found . “People like us” etc…..

I know quite a lot who went to Pipers who didn’t get the 11 plus. The vast majority. The “go to” school if you can scrape the fees together and don’t like the secondary modern offering. Particularly in families where other siblings have gone to grammars.

RGS has JH nearby. Two boys schools. WHS is the single girls’ school. So is more diverse. CGS serves a diverse town. DCG doesn’t. BH isn’t that diverse. Depends where schools are, what the alternatives are, and areas the schools serve. RLS isn’t very diverse at Buckingham. Population and preferences of parents tend to steer who is in which school. Ditto with Pipers.

I honestly never came across that mentality at WA @TizerorFizz. Sounds very old fashioned. Anyway back to Pipers.OP I think schools can be quite marmite and your own instinct about the school and its fit for your DC is by far the most important consideration. I know a number of go-getting girls who have loved their time at Pipers. One of my best friends had a DD there right through to 6th form and the DD says she couldn't have enjoyed school more and felt a real sense of loss when she left. The setting is quite lovely too. I would also look at Berko and RMS if they make sense logistically. They are both very solid options. Good luck.

@BewitchedorBewildered
It wasn’t WA.

However like most school, be certain DD is the right fit for the school. There are hugely variations.

@TizerorFizz I know which school Mrs N-G came from and admittedly WA is a different school. However, I was responding to your comment that I was not seeing the "old money" at boarding school when in fact my DD went to WA. We found the parents there to be very inclusive and overwhelmingly supportive of their DD's career aspirations.

I’ve certainly seen a very different outlook elsewhere, admittedly by a minority. It’s not unusual for a few girls to not seek out stimulating careers I’m afraid! It’s nothing to do with WA. All their girls are top at academics.

I believe you. It's just a bit sad that's all. One would hope we had all moved on a bit from Jane Austen times!

Very succinctly put, Pipers Corner School suffers from (nod to Jane Austin), Pride and Prejudice. Hoping to never go to another assembly where the head refers constantly to "Pipers' Girls" like they are some seperate species from the girls in the High Wycombe catchment area that they generally pull their students from!

Sorry to Jane for getting her spelling wrong

More Pipers Corner GCSE age friend issues and bullying occurring, the local therapists are probably upsizing their houses. Great senior school but not a great senior school. the sooner the head is changed the better

Latest installment, top socially adept bully in Year 10 receives end of year award for being fair in sports. What a horrible school.

The students need to say something

“Fair in sports”? Since when is that praiseworthy?

We pulled our daughter out of Pipers - it used to have a reputation for being nurturing, and I think the junior school still is, but we would not describe it as a nurturing school in any sense now and I no longer recommend it to others. It was more a case of surviving at Pipers rather than thriving at Pipers.
I see above comments about the drama centre and it is great - but all the plays we have seen there over the years have no depth. I still remember the 9-5 play where the lead 6th former who played Dolly Parton's role was wiggling her cleavage on stage, crawling on the floor sticking her bum up at the boss...and I was wondering WTF? Because Pipers are trying to find plays with lots of roles for girls they tend to go for anything with a lot of dancing - I assumed they would put a modern twist on some of these plays but nope its usually about the girls playing traditional female characters in sexy outfits. All rather bizarre if they are teaching the girls to be independent forward thinking women! If your daughter is interested in drama ask them what senior school productions they have put on in recent years.
And also ask them why they ripped the main toilet doors off - the girls were told it was because the younger senior school girls felt nervous being in there with the older senior school girls.

@IamfeelingSad It used to have a reputation for nice but dims! It’s now selective. Maybe girls get choices in drama? Sounds like fun to me. Did you want Shakespeare?

Considering you say your daughter's didn't go to Pipers I am not sure why you are so invested in this thread. And I don't think you know this school as well as you think you do as the year 10 or 11 girls are offered a chance to do Shakespeare as support for studying Shakespeare in the English's curriculum. What I do expect is for Pipers to take on more socially meaningful plays not regurgitate old hollywood fizz plays where the female roles are always and only portrayed around their sexuality.
Pipers teaches Brecht political plays in drama and in English (like most of the country) they study the political play The Inspector Calls...why not do a political play to reinforce teaching?
Look at the photo pipers has posted itself on the website as an example of the last play they did - great opportunity to showcase the girls but what they have chosen is a photo of the girls on their knees highlighting the main male character surrounded by four men. This main male character is a paid adult male actor - as is the three of the other adult male actors and the final man is the pipers drama teacher.
Facilities | Pipers Corner School
Drama, Music and Dance | Pipers Corner School
But to be fair I do think its an improvement on last year's photo where the pipers actor was in her Dolly Parton outfit.
And sure - do some hollywood fizz its light entertainment but they ONLY did hollywood fizz for the senior plays in the years my daughter went there.

If you are the south side of Bucks Claires Court in Maidenhead might be one to look at. A lot of parents choose it over grammars for the pastoral side. Excellent for sports and creative arts. Down to earth.

They took off the toilet doors to stop vaping and girls hiding. It’s moronic

No drama choices, you either sing or don’t get a part. Simple

Hello again ittakes2, I thought I’d retry this thread to ask you if you have any sense how over-subscribed the school is (I’m looking for a Y7 place for my daughter in Sept 2024). We’re not eligible for the grammars as we won’t be living in beaconsfield until summer 2024, feeling quite worried as school options are quite limited beyond the grammars! Thanks!

@WestLondonMother There is a school bus from Beaconsfield to Berkhamsted School which is more academic. Applications still open for 2024 I believe.

Thank you BookWormButNoTime, I have visited Berkhamstead and just didn’t like it 🤔. My daughter is not at all sporty and I don’t really like the link to the cadets (I understand it’s not obligatory of course). Hard to explain but I just could not see my daughter there. Thank you for taking the time to reply 😊

Claires Court Maidenhead . Lovely nurturing and underrated school

Royal Masonic also has a school bus from Beaconsfield.

Further afield, Queen Anne’s and Queenswood also offer weekly and flexi boarding and several girls from Beaconsfield go each year.

Headington has a bus route to Beaconsfield. Plus there’s boarding options in Ascot.

Hi, we absolutely loved our time at Berkhamsted, great teachers and communication, a real sense of community and place, and obtained strong A level results (with Oxbridge guidance too). Had an incident of bullying that was handled quickly and efficiently and left no issues, bus from Beaconafield is excellent and has lots of kids of different ages on it. Genuinely very sad to have left. Couldn’t be more different to Pipers Corner which is a shallow, budget version of a real private school like Berkhamsted.