Berkshire / Hampshire non-pretentious co-ed independent

[Amberkitten7654321]

Hello,
We have primary aged kids both boy and girls and are considering secondary options. They are currently at a lovely state village school doing v well. Our local state has gone very downhill and we are v nervous about it. We are unlikely to get into any other state options where we live now so are considering a move. One option is to downsize and release equity to put towards private school.
I would like to stay in the Hampshire / Berkshire area ideally and this is what I am looking for:

• Co Ed so they can both attend same school.
• Main intake at year 7 ideally, and for it not to be unusual to come from a state primary.
• not pretentious, I’m not interested in it being well known etc.
• good facilities - we have one private school near us but it’s so small and the facilities are genuinely worse than the local state! I guess they just don’t have the numbers and therefore finances to invest in good sports facilities etc.
• not a tiny school
• a good all round school - so doesn’t need to be the best at academics / sports etc - i just want them to have opportunities. It could be academically selective though as I think they’d do well.

if anyone has any ideas I’d love to hear, we’re just starting out our investigations - oldest is in year 4 but if we want to move we know it can take time.

No personal experience but I know people who are very happy with the progress their state to indie kids have made at https://www.standrewsberkshire.co.uk/

I don't have any experience with private schools but if I was in your shoes I would move house to the catchment of a good state secondary. My ds is at The Downs and it's a great school with a large rural catchment area.

St Andrews is prep, not secondary isn't it?

I've only ever heard good things about Leighton Park.

St Gabriels - Newbury
Downe House - north of Newbury
Rookwood in Andover
Sherfield, north east of Basingstoke
Bradfield
Pangbourne

Reading Blue Coat

@HaddyAbrams I have also heard wonderful things about Leighton Park but it's verrrrrry expensive (even as private schools go its at the higher end)

You could also consider Crosfields (but they don't have a 6th form, if that bothers you)

Not Co Ed but Salesian College for boys and Farnborough Hill for girls both face everything else on your list. Lots of siblings do these schools

My son started yr 7 at Sherfield (Hampshire/Berkshire boarder). We've been really pleased so far, not all pretentious, co-ed and seems to be very nurturing. The numbers in Yr 7 were double that at Yr 6 due so a really big intake who go for Secondary. My son was previously at an outstanding CofE village junior school.

Have a look at Luckley House in Wokingham as well - really nice school.

These are all great thanks so much - I have heard of some but not all of these so much to muse on.
I know many people who went to the downs and did very well. My one hesitation in moving to a different state school is how much better it would be to justify losing their whole circle of friends and starting again. I guess benefit of local state is the proximity of local friends. I think it would be worth starting again for the kids of their education was to give them so many other opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise in an independent. Argh decisions!

but many thanks to everyone.

Reading Blue Coat