Concerns at Wychwood School, Oxford - seeking other families

[Galanthus78]

The situation re Wychwood going co-ed is of great concern to my DD who is a pupil at the school, and to us. We've given the powers-that-be a chance to reassure us, and DD has talked extensively with staff; if anything, we've become even more concerned. DD has now asked us to actively seek her a place elsewhere, which seems a real shame after several (mostly) happy years there.

Are there any other parents around?

Specifically, we have 3 main concerns, which I'll go into, below.

@Frazzledfish
Im not that far from Oxford. It’s not true to say a school is doing well with 108 on roll when it can take 165. Finances must be difficult. If parents want a trans school where there are boys, that’s up to them, but whether that’s a model most will want is another matter as it’s no longer a girls school.

All sounds a bit odd to me. I would have expected that most people who prefer girls’ schools are either on the traditional/conservative side, or have gender critical leanings. Neither of which is terribly compatible with being a kind of “trans-politics-oriented school.”

With the numbers of 11 year olds going down across the UK over the next decade, I think things will be tough for small schools and some may start doing all kinds of things to reinvent themselves - some less successfully than others.

@user1477391263
It will be interesting to see how this reinvention works! I wouldn’t necessarily expect an 11 year old girl to know if they welcome trans Dc or not. I doubt if they understand the implications.

Girls’ schools are common in Oxford where both the High and Headington are girls’ schools.

@thegoodlife88 Sending you a DM.

If anyone wants the inside track on Rye, my DD14 is there, we aren't religious and there are lots of girls there who aren't or who are Muslim etc. The religious aspect is lowish key but they do GCSE and go right across the political spectrum visiting and studying all religions.

Thankfully studying gender ideology is not in the curriculum .

The pastoral side of the school is second to none. They are mixed in prep but the secondary is single sex as is the boarding/flexi boarding.

My DD has flourished there.

What does this mean?

@pasturespastures this popped up and I read the thread before realising it was an old one.

Quite shocked by your comment that you don’t “really” hold it against the school that they have a significant number of neurodiverse pupils. I would have hoped we had got past those sort of attitudes and most parents would see ND pupils as having equally valuable contributions to make, not being begrudgingly tolerated.

And gender ideology is not on the curriculum jeaux90

@Newme2016 was that a question?

I was making a joke.

Gender ideologues talk about it the same way fanatics talk about their religion. Which is why I made a joke that it isn't on the GCSE RE curriculum.

My DD is ND BTW. I prefer her to be taught that there is no right or wrong way to be a girl.

Lots and lots, that site would be of significant interest to developers. Can be made far higher density.

@Newme2016 In later life, DC are more able to make informed opinions. When they are young, they don’t have the experience to do this and can be influenced by all sorts of inaccuracies. Girls really do survive in adult life when they meet other people! They meet poor people too, and ones with different views on all sorts of things. Not just privileged Wychwood ones.

This was a school for girls. It’s taking up a new marketing position which has alarmed some parents. It’s woefully undersubscribed, as Bruton was. It’s on a valuable site. Bruton was all guns blazing with a new head too only 3 years ago.

@Newme2016 I’m surprised by your comments as well. ND pupils are not less than other pupils (sounds like you are saying well there are some everywhere so can’t be avoided) or there as a learning experience for your children. They are just as valuable members of the school community on their own terms and have so much to offer. Your comments reek of ableism.

@thegoodlife88 and @Wonderingwillfully

Are you able to share any more on this with me?

trying to do some research on JE.
On Linked in, it doesn't say what she did between graduating and 2015.
Can someone DM me please?

Somerset Gazette has the answers. Cannot see any skeletons.

All these comments are very strange indeed. I have been informed the school had an amazing ISI inspection at the end of the summer and has been approved to expand its pupil capacity. In terms of neuro diversity, on quick check it is trending to the same (or less) ratio's as Rye St Antony, Bloxham, Cokethorpe, OLA ... There is also an immense amount of investment into the school this summer to enhance the facilities, including a new sixth form space, wellness hub, IT suite etc. As a parent in the school, we are extremely happy, it is certainly not 'woefully undersubscribed' .. in fact there is a distinct buzz

I find it all very strange too. I am a parent too and can’t wait to see the improvements done over the summer.

I don’t actually think the people commenting are parents at the school.

I find it very sad that people who do not know my daughter’s school and the excellent ISI outcome plus all the amazing work being put into this lovely school have the audacity to comment so detrimentally. The Head has worked tirelessly with parents, staff and particularly the pupils since starting last year.

Aren't Rye about to have their 5th Head in 4 years?

@Mikimoto no, DD is entering year 10 same one since she joined year 7. New one just starting now but she was head of a school that won awards for boarding so I'm really pleased. Current head has been great though.

@laporoch It was listed as having 108 pupils last time I looked with a capacity of 165. So even if lots start, it’s under subscribed. No getting away from that and to get the numbers up they need the boys.

And reading the last isi inspection, if this had been a state school it would have been inadequate due to not recording safeguarding info to meet regulations. Isi are, of course, a soft touch. Plus perception is everything. It’s non parents who decide to use a school in the first place. With 103 pupils in 2015 and not many more now, it’s hardly thriving. It’s surviving.

I thought this too