Prior's Field and manor house school

[Catco912]

Hi there, hoping some current mums at these two schools can give me some advice. My DD is looking at year seven entry sept 2025 and we loved both of these schools. She is academic and neurodivergent and on the anxious side. She wears loop earplugs to reduce noise at school and really enjoys primary school. We want to make the best choice to support her needs in secondary. I am interested as to current parents experience generally of both of these schools but also the support for ND girls needing some reasonable adjustments. I have heard a bit about PF being laid back and not on top of behaviour which worries me for a sensitive and shy girl who may not enjoy a rowdy school with bad behaviour around her. Is the atmosphere at PF a bit chaotic and not so good for someone who needs structure/routine/quiet areas? She is very musical and I wondered what the orchestras and music is like in both.
I would really value any thoughts…

My daughter left Manor House school last year and I would recommend you do not send your daughter there. She was there throughout senior school. She received no SEN support, no accomodation for her neurodiversity difficulties, some awful teaching, and there was a complete lack of any pastoral care, not even the most basic that would have been expected. The fact that it is a very small school and had low pupil numbers meant that the girls were really trapped with one another. Some of the girls were awfully behaved and would shout and swear on school premises and sometimes in lessons, also vaping in the cloakrooms and grounds at school. The teachers would just retreat and did not seem to be able to handle it at all. It was a horrible environment for my daughter to be part of and I am very thankful she has left, for a bigger sixth form, that is much better equipped to provide SEN support and accommodate her neurodiversity issues. Several girls left in senior school, particularly girls with neurodiverse profiles and anxiety difficulties. In regards to music, my daughter was not into music but a friend of mine recently pulled her daughter out before senior school and one of the main reasons was because there was so little musical opportunities available. I do not know Priors Field personally but a friend moved her daughter there from Manor House during senior school and she has been much happier there.

I’m so sorry you had such a negative experience, how is your daughter doing at sixth form now? I thought the SENCO at Manor House was supposed to be amazing for autistic girls?

She’s doing really well at sixth form thanks. It is much better being in a bigger environment with more kids and more understanding and support available. I don’t know any parents with girls with ASD in my daughter’s year at MH that would have said their daughters had a positive experience there. Several left because it was so bad. They did get a new SENCO year before last I think, and I really hope she is good. It would have been too late for her to have any impact on my daughter’s year.