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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

catholic boarding schools

18 replies

shipshape · 14/11/2008 06:57

Does anybody know which catholic (or christian) boarding school has the best reputation? It is for a girl.

OP posts:
squeakypop · 14/11/2008 07:22

St Mary's Ascot

marialuisa · 14/11/2008 13:24

Would agree that St Mary's Ascot has a good rep out of the girls'schools, there's also Woldingham. Most of theold boys' schools e.g. Ampleforth, Stoneyhurst are now co-ed. depends what you want.

if you're not specifically after RC the choice is massive.

Loshad · 14/11/2008 23:23

wouldn't dream of sending a child to ampleforth. Interestingly not one of the old boys that I know has sent their kids there, whereas my ds's school is crawling with the kids of old boys - think it tells you a lot. (btw the fathers still referee appaliingly biasedly at rugby twas the same 30 years ago!)

MrsBadger · 14/11/2008 23:29

St Mary's Ascot is the best known, but consider also Rye St ANtony in Oxford

NB rep counts for little - go and see them and see how they will suit your dd

Original poster
shipshape · 15/11/2008 18:40

Thank-you all very much indeed for your advice. I'm asking on behalf of my relatives abroad who would like to send their 16 year old.

OP posts:
Original poster
shipshape · 15/11/2008 18:44

They are currently thinking of Woldingham or St. Leonards Mayfield School. Has anyone had good/bad experiences with these schools?

OP posts:
BoffinMum · 18/11/2008 20:11

Pulled my dd out of Woldingham. It was basically training future housewives to shop and be giggly in our view. Appalling. No adults in sight whenever I popped in at the weekend, mad apparently drunk housemistress who loomed at me without a bra on, indifferent teachers, half of whom didn't have a clue who she was, indifferent academic standards considering the affluent bright intake they were dealing with. Bring the nuns back!!!!

neolara · 18/11/2008 20:21

I was at Mayfield about 100 years ago.

I've got absolutely no idea what it's like now but in the olden days it was fantastic for singing and I did lots of sport but the exam results weren't great. But I don't think girls were expected to do terrible well then! It also had an incredibly caring ethos and being kind to one another and to think of your responsibilities among a wider community were all valued very highly. Looking back I can't think of a single incidence of bullying, which I now think is absolutely extrordinary.

smartiejake · 18/11/2008 20:35

I have heard really good things about New Hall School in Chlemsford Essex. Several of my friends children go there and rate it very highly.

bevelino · 23/11/2008 09:51

Does anyone have any experience of Woldingham and is it really as described by Boffinmum? My dd has just taken the entrance exam.

slummymummy36 · 11/02/2009 18:21

I know this is an old thread but I am quite new to the site so having a good nosey on round. I would be very interested on some other opinions on Woldingham. We are looking at future senior boarding schools for DDs and altho not catholic ourselves Woldingham has been suggested a few times by other parents at DDs current school. Is it really as bad as Boffinmum says???

jensharpe · 13/06/2013 07:58

New Hall is a Catholic school but I'd say only 10% of families are Catholic. Friends of mine had children at the school and left due to bullying and poor pastoral care. Quite a high turnover of staff and children. St Mary's (don't think it's Catholic) in Colchester is very popular and has a good reputation.

LIZS · 13/06/2013 08:33

Worth Abbey, Woldingham (know parents of day pupils who have been happy), St Teresa's Efffingham

Lizzzar · 08/10/2013 00:40

I know this is a very old thread, but I thought I'd comment as there us no zombie warning, unusually. I'd say St Mary's Ascot has the best reputation of the Catholic schools, but there is a strong preference for practicing Roman Catholics. I have heard rumors of it being a bit snobby too, but this may be unfair - I didn't go myself so I don't know for sure. I think it is true that girls from well known Catholic families are virtually guaranteed a place, so it is not necessarily hugely selective on entry, but despite this definitely does pretty well academically. Marymount in Surrey is also good, but really more of an international school. Woldingham is suppost to be reasonably good, but not so academic as St Mary's and more relaxed about taking non Catholics.For co-ed Ampleforth still appears to be the best known Catholic school, but again reasonably flexible entry, particularly for Catholics, so not as academic overall as the other well known publics. There's also Stonyhurst and Downside.

londonmummy436 · 08/10/2013 15:40

Friend of mine has two DD at St Leonard mayfield, one very academic 6A*s and 4As at gcse and one who is not so clever and both love it and our thriving however they said few board there so may be something to ask aboutx

zzzzz · 10/10/2013 10:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Lizzzar · 12/10/2013 02:00

I have heard of St Mary's Shaftesbury, but don't know much about it in detail. I would agree that it's reputation generally is of being a somewhat gentler St Mary's Ascot.

Trinette · 18/03/2015 22:44

Ancient thread, I know :-). However, as a former St Mary's Shaftesbury pupil, I would agree that it is a very nice school. Don't know much about St Mary's Ascot, but I enjoyed my time at Shaftesbury. Of course, I went there years and years ago (1990s), so I don't know how and if it's changed.

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