Does anyone have any experience of Old Swinford Hospital School (OSH)?

[Pastelrainbow]

We are looking at OSH as a possible school for our son who is about to go into year 6. He will be taking the test for a flexi-boarder place and we are also open to tailored boarding option. I would like to know what experiences other parents have had with the school?

Good for sporty boys and girls. Increasingly popular since they’ve started to admit girls especially from some Birmingham areas like harborne. I have a few friends that send their children and all have been very happy 😀

I know someone who sends her 3 kids there and she thinks it’s brilliant.

@France8857 @BananaSpanner That’s good to know. Do you know if those children board or attend as day students? We live locally so don’t need to board but we aren’t at a feeder primary school so very unlikely to get a day place. It would be useful to know just how flexible flexi-boarding is, or if anyone pays for tailored boarding and then doesn’t use the boarding facilities very often?

They’re day boys/girls but don’t know the details. Sorry

I think they are flexi boarders. Someone else I know, their daughter is about to start there as a flexi boarder, they have been impressed with what they have seen so far.

I know some children who attend as day pupils and some who flexi board/ board.

I think the day pupils all go in the same 'house' so there is a degree of separation between the two.

If you live locally don't you know anyone with experience, people generally tend to seem quite happy. There definitely seems to be a degree of status attached to attending OSH, you see groups of children wearning their hoody around town all the time after school has ended.

I do think it is particularly renowned for sport, particularly cricket and rugby if your kids are boys.

With the flexi boarding the child I know is in a different house from the day boys that he is friends with locally and I know that he goes home weekends and mid - week I believe. He seems happy there.

No we don’t know anyone who currently goes there. We moved fairly locally a couple of years ago (although we don’t live in Stourbridge itself) and I have heard good things about it and have been to look around at an open day but I don’t have parents of current students who I can ask questions of I’m afraid. Useful to hear that everyone seems happy there :-)

My 2 friends have their boys there. They seem happy with the school. They said the kit/uniform is shockingly expensive. However both boys have enjoyed their first year there. Lots of sport opportunities it seems.

My son is a Flexi, it’s a good school and fits in with work commitments very well. Happy to answer any questions you have.

Do they accept children on scholarships?

I don’t think so, if you score well in the exam you can be a flexi and fees are half price.

Does flexi boarding at this school mean they stay a few nights a week or that they are primarily a day pupil?

@BetsyBloom Flexi-boarders can stay up to 3-4 nights a term. They can arrive for breakfast and stay after school for clubs and prep time.

They can stay 3-4 nights a term but have full access and a long day. Basically they have access to everything boarders do but just go home to sleep. My son arrives at 7am for breakfast and I pick him up at 7pm, it may get later as he gets more prep in the higher years.

My friend's boys are very happy there. They are both musical - play instruments - and sporty.
They live locally but I think they spend a couple of nights a term there. I'm pretty sure she said they have a permanent bed, so I guess they chill in their dorm when they have free time before prep or whatever.

Do they have a chartered bus? It sounds that is very good school. Is the admission test harder than 11+?

No bus as far as I’m aware but it is located close to Stourbridge Junction train station. The admissions test covers similar things to the 11+ but it is shorter (around 1 hour altogether) and it is completed on a computer (at the school on a particular day)

No bus. I would say test is similar in difficulty to 11+ (They call it the OSHOT test). You can also do tests for music and sport ability.

Hello, can anyone tell me what foreign languages does OSH offer for GCSE? Can students take French in Years 10 - 11?

@MyLivelyBeaker I think students learn French and Mandarin from Year 7 and then can choose either of those for GCSE.

Currently French or Mandarin but doing a language isn’t compulsory for GCSE.

Just resurrecting this post to see if anyone has any advice regarding the OSHOT test? Is it worth doing any prep, and can anyone recommend any materials/tutor/anything else?

Thanks in advance!

We used the CGP books to familiarise with question formats etc which was very helpful with building speed and confidence.

We just did general 11+ prep through a tutor.

Does anyone know how many students in Baxter Hall for girls? Any heard bullying? How is general behaviour of students?