Cheltenham Ladies College And Homework
Anastacia Iacono
Can anyone with a DD at this school give me an up to date view? Would love to hear about going at 11 vs 13, academic pressure and quality of teaching, sport and extra curricular, how integrated the non UK based students are - and are there more non uk based students in the 6th form as there is an additional intake then, how is the pastoral care, how's the new head getting on? How does it compare to Wycombe Abbey, Downe House etc etc
Thank you.
My experience is a little out of date in that the last girl left a couple of years ago but I have acted as UK Guardian to a number of expat friends' DDs who came to UK schools and CLC impressed me the most. The last Head made a very determined effort to develop a strategy, seeking advice from teachers in International Schools, on handling the mix of UK and overseas schools. In other schools there is a danger that other pupils, and indeed staff, and even one Head in my experience, treat those from other cultures as stereotypes and that is when you get tribes sticking in exclusive cliques speaking their own language. CLC will not tolerate that whilst valuing cultural difference. It is recognised overseas as achieving the best level of integration. It is also the choice of the expat teachers I know. All the girls I have known go through there, 7 now, have been happy and have done well.
Soul Well I was referring to the integration between home and overseas students within the school obviously since that was the question and I made it clear I was addressing it But since you mention it, yes, actually www.cheltladiescollege.org/home/SearchForm?Search=community&action_results=Go Part of the attraction to the expat parents that I know is the community involvement and the fact that the school isn't hidden away behind high walls as the others mentioned here are. The Boarding Houses are in other parts of the towns and the girls actually have to walk to school and through the town. They are not hidden and protected from the real world. It surprised me just how down to earth the school is.
Perhaps you are unaware that if you are an expat, even one returning here, you have no or very little chance of getting into a state school. There is no process for applying until you are back resident at an address in this country, even if you own a house and can prove you are coming back, so you can't even plan and are always reliant on waiting list places arising, which they don't around here. My friends whose daughters went there are teachers, have given many years to the state system, but when their daughters are unhappy in overseas schools for whatever valid reasons, they had no state option and they have appreciated the option of CLC.
As far as overseas students are concerned, they don't haven't a state option either but in these global times it does the UK a lot of good that they come here to learn and go back with hopefully positive perceptions and that ability to operate between our two cultures. Hopefully if a school has effective strategies as CLC does, that will work with the Brit pupils as well.
Sorry OP for hijacking the thread but Soul is doing the rounds tonight and doesn't appreciate it isn't all black and white, there are shades of grey.
shooting pigeons. I actually met two delightful 16 year old girls from there when I was on holiday in the South Of France.
There were lovely but totally "Jolly Hockey Sticks" and naive to the real world , which is great if you have " Upper Middle Class Multi Millonaire Parents which both had". When invited on to one of their parents yachts, they served the sandwiches (Which they Made) and wine beautifully.
However its not real life ( Maybe for them) is it.. P.S If I had a DD and the money I would not hesitate in sending her there , but that is down to the faults of the state system, and the importance of the old school tie.
I can pass on some second hand (but probably reasonably accurate) current information whilst you are waiting for the 'real deal' onebanana. Quite a few pupils joining at 13, particularly boarders and they are said to integrate well. Quality of teaching is supposed to be generally good but with some weaker elements (rumours that English teaching is variable for example), I would assume that is the same at Wycombe Abbey? Very good sport, drama, art and other extracurricular opportunities, girls do have to choose to concentrate on one team sport in their later years but the winter team sports are not dominated by lacrosse as in some girls' schools. Music groups are probably more available for the top end musicians.
The girls have a fair amount of set homework and are expected to get (rather than congratulated for) top grades. I am not sure how much they are taught to think outside the curriculum rather than just loaded with work and if Wycombe Abbey is better for this.
The more recent perception is that the balance is perhaps now too much towards overseas / high achieving Asian students and this does colour the atmosphere of certain boarding houses and the academic achievements of school generally but I don't know what the proportions are. The new head is said to be a positive influence.
Nigella. I understand and know what a fantastic school it is . The fact though is that to much your life chances and expectations are down to which school you have been educated in.
This is something i don't understand about Mumsnet who are broadly in support of wycombe Abbey/ Cheltenham /Harrow . E.T.C , but mostly vehemently opposed to Grammar Schools.....
Soul - if you thought they were naive and 'jolly hockey sticks' which you seem to see as a bad thing, why on earth did you accept their hospitality? It sounds as though they were being kind and you have thrown it back in their faces (on here at least!). Sorry to hijack. My grandmother went here and my great aunt was head of Geog - so have a sideline interest .
well i attended the sister school in London for some years and am grateful for that.
(miss buss and miss beale, cupids darts do not feel)
I know plenty of people who attended Comprehensive school and did just fine in later life.
lion. Its fantastic delightful , old fashioned to be "Jolly Hockey sticks".
If you can get though life like that , well you are a "Very Lucky person" .
there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a "Jolly Hockey Sticks type of person.
Their Parents went on to tell me what a good head "Vicky Tuck" was, who had just announced she was leaving . One of the girls had got an A in As Maths at 15 so was a diligent hard worker and a credit .
Have 2 of my Dds close friends have just joined CLC Y7.
One is not enjoying it at all. Has been placed with overseas students even tho she herself is overseas - she is English so she feels excluded. She is finding the curriculum hard going but in fairness she isn't one of the brightest by a long shot and she isn't sporty- she is enjoying however the chance to do non academic subjects for the first time. She has so far spent many weekends out of school as she doesn't enjoy the environment.
Friend number 2 parents and child happy so far. feel it's well balanced and not too much pressure.
Both girls were not overly academic.
Cheltenham does lots of marketing activities out here and it is a preferred school for Asians. I'm not sure about the % but I'm guessing reasonably high.
3rd friend left CLC year 9 as parents didn't feel the sciences were at the level she needed to be to enter medicine so transferred to a USA boarding school as she wasn't accepted into Wycombe.
3 girls we know at Wycombe are all v competitive, very smart and driven. All are GCSE year now. I wouldn't say they are aggressive but are the ones who were top 2% academically. The pressure there does seem to be intense however they all totally love the school.
The most important thing is really whether a particular school is right for your child. Everyone has unique experiences and requirements.
stressed the parents should speak to the school. One of the girls I supported had a problem with a group of overseas students in her house and the school acted very quickly and moved her to another boarding house as well as taking action on the behaviour. I am surprised a house is all overseas though? It was the practise to achieve a mix in the past.
Morning shooting - yes they have gone over this week (as it's cny) to discuss with the school. Surprisingly there was no exam for CLC for the O/S applicants at 11+ Which is why she was sent there. Really sad as she is quite miserable.
OP - forgot to add another of Dds close friends was new to Downe House at Y7 this Sept is really enjoying the school.seems the pastoral care is excellent and teaching excellent. Both the girls at CLC complained the campus is very large and spread out but girl at Downe House feels it is very inclusive.
Another friend just entered St Mary's Ascot at 13 and loves the environment as it has very good balance of Drama/ art and sports.
Anyone any experience of St Swithuns???
I agree with Stressed that the academic ability range seems quite wide for such a perceived as a 'high flying academic school'. I suppose that makes their results particularly impressive. The way the school buildings are spread out must become a plus when a child becomes more confident as I imagine it is less claustrophobic in older years. With regards the science teaching, I have heard that it was very strong so it just goes to show how variable anecdotal experience can be.
I'm not surprised by the experience of your DD's friend Stressed, I had heard that the choice of boarding house in that regard was important.
Is the strength of Wycombe Abbey due to the selected cohort of very bright girls or is the teaching as stimulating as for SPGS or Westminster?