Alderley Edge School for Girls

Since September 2024, Caroline Wood BA PGCE, previously deputy head for pastoral care since 2011. Has worked in education for over 25 years. Following her geography degree and PGCE from University of Leicester, she was a teacher and housemistress at

Pupils join nursery at 2+, pre-prep at 4+ and prep at 7+. Many join in between including mid-academic year. Informal assessments for tinies, with the addition of maths and English from year 3, ‘although we try not to make them realise they’re being

Very little drop-out after prep – just four girls left the year of our visit, two due to relocation, one to Manchester High and one to the King’s School. A quarter leave post GCSEs, either to the very good sixth form college Sir John Deane’s or to

In 2024, 50 per cent 9-7 at GCSE; 31 per cent A*/A at A level (52 per cent A*-B).

Rewind the clock a decade or so and the local perception was that while a lovely school, academic stretching was not necessarily a driving force. Not so now, say parents, who report that girls are ‘engaged and stretched’ and ‘well tracked’.

Handily the ‘amazing’ SENCo is also a trained dyslexia (the most common SEN need at the school) assessor so can carry out in-house assessments. Other girls have dyscalculia and dyspraxia, while growing numbers have autism and a small minority ADHD.

‘I’m so sorry, I’ve got to rush to my lunchtime club,’ apologised some of our delightful year 5 and 6 lunch companions. Wisely the school takes the view that a lot of problems can be eliminated if girls are kept occupied. Options include chess,

‘D’you think you’ll win?’ we asked the year 5s we met who were playing rounders against a local school on the day of our visit. ‘Oh yes!’ they beamed. The school are also regular winners on the netball scene, as well as being competitive in hockey

Small size of school ‘allows staff to really know the girls and quickly support them whenever they need it,’ said a parent. Several told us they had chosen the school over larger local schools for this reason. There are dedicated heads of year, a

Half the families live within five miles of the school. Clusters too from Altrincham and Hale, the remainder dotted here, there and everywhere including a smattering from Manchester. Perception is of daughters of footballers – the reality is there’s

Fees competitive for the area. Reductions for siblings – 10 per cent for the first, 20 per cent for the second and 50 per cent for the third. Academic, music, performing arts, art and sport scholarships available in year 7 – includes small fee

A warm school with a real buzz. Attitudes towards learning don’t get much better than this, and the girls are keen to take advantage of all the school has to offer on the extracurricular front. As nurturing as it is ambitious.