Recommendations for private senior school Essex/Suffolk

[Ketchupturtle]

Hi - we are looking to move schools for our daughter who is in Yr9 at a fee paying girls school in Colchester. We are exploring fee paying schools around Chelmsford and Ipswich, would appreciate people’s experience of the co-ed private schools in these areas.

thanks, really helpful...we're just not sure how well suited our daughter would be to a really academic environment - she's done her primary school at a local school in Singapore and while they are quite focused and push them, it is different to an academic independent school in the UK....we're probably more leaning to RHS at this point ....the difference in fees is a factor too...

Ipswich School is basically "the academic" school in Ipswich.

This is just hearsay but maybe one of the others can confirm - they push their kids really hard to maintain high grades and if you're tracking lower than they deem acceptable they will ask you to leave, or you will take your exams at another centre so it doesn't appear on their official records (unsure how true the second part is)

IHS integrates everyone together yes but the boarding is very "boutique" so you're looking at a close knit boarding group with the day pupils making up the majority.

My girls are day pupils and occasionally do this thing called Day+ where they can stay until 9pm with the boarders which is nice - DH and I sometimes go out on a quick date!!

Thanks - this is what I've been worried about. It's been relatively ok securing a place - I think because they may be a bit shorter of numbers but my concern is as my daughter would
prgress towards exams they really pile on the pressure - and yes if you risk impacting their standing on league tables they ask you to leave

Yeah - I would suggest RHS, IHS, Woodbridge, or St Jos as they are all less academic.

St Jos - sport focused, as the others said maybe a little skewed boys
RHS - Good boarding, generally higher boarder numbers than others in the areas, I think a good all-round option too
IHS - Strong focus on extra-curricular activities, pastoral care and activity options etc but boarding is more boutique. Personally feel best value for money fee wise as everything is included
Woodbridge - Great all round school but again lower boarders

@dddais RHS also has a very strong music department, with excellent teaching.

@Soma is absolutely right - music is very strong at RHS, in terms of the variety, the standard and the level of participation. Strong choral tradition, marching band and great rock and pop.

I am current parent at Ipswich School if you would like any specific feedback.

There is anecdotal evidence to support kids being asked to take exams elsewhere but this appears to have been with children who have completely opted out of school and who aren't doing a stroke of work. The school has always been very clear with us that if our child is struggling to keep up with their peers to the extent that school is becoming an unpleasant experience for them this will never be presented as new news suddenly.

The school will certainly push the kids to achieve but I would not describe it as a hothouse. There is a whole class of kids doing Foundation level maths at GCSE for example as well as a small cohort winning Maths competitions. As with all schools there is a big range. The average results are higher than many schools in the area but while I'm not a statistician, if you have larger pupil numbers to start with then a few poorer grades will not have the same impact as a sixth form of 30 for example.

In my experience, kids are more likely to be exited for ongoing disciplinary reasons with accommodations being made for children with SEN who are proactively managed with additional pastoral support where it is driving difficult behaviours.

The boarding house provision is actively growing with a newly acquired building refurbed as the girls house. I assume the boys house will benefit in due course and small 2 bed lodges are used for sixth formers so they have a bit of independence and a kitchenette for snacks.