Wychwood School Oxford

[Trickychoices]

Does anybody know this school? I understand that there has been a change of ownership and head teacher recently, and wondered if this was a good thing or a bad thing? Was the old head pushed out?

Hi there. No real change of ownership apparently, just a long-term partner brought in to support the future growth of the school. The change of Head is completly unrelated, Andrea Johnson was cherrished, but wanted to step back after 12 years. The new Head (Jane Evans) was Andrea's prefered candidate. I suggest you make an appointment to see for yourself, it is a wonderful environment where all the pupils are encouraged to be he best version of themselves.

Unfortunately, the school is going Co-Ed in September 2023. So disappointing.

Great school! DD goes there and loves it. Has been there since the age of 11 and has been completely transformed from timid, insecure and academically failing to happy, sociable and with a belief that she can achieve anything that she wants to in life. Very good pastoral environment, very individualised teaching. Pupils can do loads of extra curricular activities. Most pupils are unfazed by the prospect of co-education - it may change the atmosphere of the school a bit especially in the more senior years but the majority of parents are keeping an open mind. The big plus of the school is that it is very small so the atmosphere is intimate and nurturing. It's a bit quirky and unconventional in many ways - might not appeal to people attracted to big name public schools. The school was precarious a couple of years ago but has been bailed out by an investor who is passionate about education and has his own child at the school. As far as I know it is now on a pretty solid financial footing with demand going up. Only concern of parents is that it shouldn't expand too much! We like the warm, family atmosphere where everyone knows everyone else.

I don't think going co-ed will pose too much difference tbh. I don't think you are going to get boisterous alpha males applying. There currently is no provision for boys who would benefit from a Wychwood style education, so I thinks it's a good call actually.

The old head was definitely NOT pushed out. No worries there. She stepped down for personal reasons.

OP - have you been to look around? If not, do. It is quite different from other much larger schools.

If you want a truly nurturing school, that works WITH your child to achieve the best possible academic results (medicine and oxbridge included), then WW is your place.

We love Wychwood and the teaching is great. The new Head is as passionate as the previous head and the new owner is putting a great deal of investment into the school which can only be a good thing.

We have friends with dc at wychwood and I would choose it if I had girls (two ds’ here) - not been coed in time for us. Lovely supportive school but will get the best results from your child. I think the move to coed will be helpful to sort financial future and given other local options I seriously doubt the ‘alpha’ male group will be flocking there.

Is this a self promoting thread?

There have been other threads on the school recently which suggested that a lot of parents are very unhappy with the move to co-ed (and the high prevalence of gender ideology in the school), so this thread surprises me. I thought the move to co-ed was to shore up the finances? If there’s no financial problem, why go co-ed at all?

Sorry for being direct and honest. Most of the girls going to Wychwood are those who were unable to get into OHS, SHSK or HS in Oxford and nearby areas. I don't avoid the possibility that some parents prefer a small school for their DDs. I am also not saying that Wychwood is worse than other girls' schools, but it is definitely not in the mind of most parents in Oxford.

I have to disagree with you MumGPT, my daughter was offered places at the other schools you mentioned but only wanted to go to Wychwood.
What a wonderful decision she made, not only has she achieved way beyond expectations academically but she is the most amazing well rounded girl.
Such a shame more parents don’t recognise what a school like Wychwood can do for their child.

@mumGPT to your first point. I am a parent of an extremely academic child at Wychwood who is certainly nowhere near an exception to the rule within their cohort or the school as a whole. To say most girls were unable to get to OHS, SHSK or HS is factually inaccurate, it is simply a personal choice and a desire to select the very best fit for the child.

I think it is short sighted to think of WW as a less academic school.

It has a hugely wide academic intake, and because it is so small, they are able to teach to each pupil's strengths.

It just has a different, more calm ambience than the larger schools nearby as it is so small.

Hello, does anyone have any more information on this school now that it is co-ed, new leadership. What is boarding like? Are there many UK boarders? How does it support those teens who may be more sensitive, anxious and in need of extra support? How many boys have enrolled? Any other big changes? Would love to get some more in-depth information. Thank you!

new leadership seems good as far as I know. Not many boys there at the moment. Support is absolutely excellent. That is what WW does, and it does it extremely well. Teaching is excellent.

Don't know about boarding - best to go and look around and see what you think.

Boarding: majority Chinese

Leadership: Okay head, but senior teaching staff are outstanding. New head not as connected to the students as individuals as old head, who made a point of teaching to get to know the students.

Teaching: outstanding in most subjects. Physics a bit crap last year, Chemistry, biology, English, history, maths and languages excellent. Drama outstanding. Not much opportunity for ensemble music or minority subjects due to numbers, but brilliant drama opportunities.

Pastoral: outstanding, but bear in mind that the outstanding reputation for pastoral care means a higher proportion of students who NEED it than you might find at other, more academically competitive schools. This might seem obvious, but do keep it in mind.

Boys: Very very few

The boarding is very good - small, fun, fairly diverse. The girls have a good time together and are well supervised. There are a few boys in their own quarters who seem quite happy. The school has outstanding pastoral care. Teaching is very good in most subjectives but dependent on individual teachers. It caters to all abilities. Bright students thrive; struggling students get a lot of individual attention. Drama is outstanding and excellent for giving everyone with an interest an opportunity including stage management. The number of boys at the school is growing. My daughter joined in year 7 and it completely transformed her for the better so I can't praise this school enough. But you need to like the small, niche atmosphere.

I should add that my daughter is still at the school and is enthusiastic about both the addition of boys and the new Head of school.