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Berkshire, RG7 4NR
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Based on 11 ratings:
4 by Alumni
4 by Current Pupil
3 by Parent
(4 ratings without reviews are included in the scores)
2 reviews not shown (Why?)
Reviews
| By Alumni (2007) - reviewed on 27th Apr 2008 |
In 2005, I was offered a major scholarship (worth about £9300 per year) to study A levels in Padworth College. There I spent a total of two years, and really enjoyed my life as a student there.
I have to say that, being quite a small college, Padworth may not have all those 'stunning' facilities as some of the other UK independent colleges do. However, it provided me with a cosy, homelike atmosphere and a friendly, welcoming international community. As an international student who left home and came to study abroad where everything was unfamiliar, that was far more important to me.
What I would really like to highlight are the teachers and staff in Padworth. When I was in Padworth, all members of staff, including the principal were known by their first name, and they really cared about me, and treated me as their friend. They are really understanding and helpful, and helped me with both my academic studies and general college life.
It may be true that, academically, Padworth do not perform as excellent as some of the top independent colleges in the UK, but it is fair to note that Padworth is a non-selective college. I believe that anyone with a fairly good academic background and prepare to actually do some work, will benefit from the teaching system in Padworth, as you do get a lot of individual attention. (I myself, someone who had never been taught in English before, ended up with 4 A grades in A-level, which I found quite satisfactory)
Padworth is by all means not a college in which you have nothing to do but studying. It does provide you some opportunities to get involved in all sorts of activities. I successfully achieved my Duke of Edinburgh’s Broze Award in my first year studying there, and was half way through my Gold by the time I left the college.
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| By Parent - reviewed on 24th Apr 2008 |
In the two years my child has been a day student at Padworth College I have seen a huge difference in his confidence, and his standard of work. The school offers diligent, caring hands on help, always ensuring the very best is exercised for the student. Added to this the aspect of protection is ever present. Much needed in this day and age. Padworth College is a little gem tucked into a beautiful and safe setting.
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| By Alumni - reviewed on 23rd Apr 2008 |
I am an alumni Student from Padworth and will always look upon my time there with great fondness. I was amazed at student teacher ratios, having come from a public school were classes are 30 students to one teacher. At Padworth my largest class was 10 students to one teacher, and the smallest was 4 students to a teacher. The campus is beautiful, set in the English countryside, surrounded by fields of horses. The teaching staff were caring and encouraged students to think for themselves, though some were quite strict. I found Padworth to be excellent Preparation for University life, were there isn't anyone to chase you around,remind you to do your work, and to stay out of trouble. The staff at Padworth encouraged self-reliance and responsibility.
My learning experience not only came from the classrooms, but also from the extra curricular activities that I chose to participate in. One of the most memorable experiences I had was the Duke of Edinburgh hike. It was not always a smooth ride. (When you take a bunch of city girls and get them hiking in the countryside carrying all their belongings on their backs for three days, the sparks are bound to fly!!) Having said that it created a sense of solidarity, accomplishment, and some great friendships. Many of my friends from Padworth went on to Universities in the U.S. and Canada, as well as Staying on in England for University. I have now finished my Honors degree and went on to travel the world and teach. I learned so much about different countries and cultures, which has helped me in both my travels and in my career.
Padworth is no ordinary school it is a way of life, and an expectation of success. I would not hesitate to recommend it to others. The memories that were made there have helped to form the person I am today, and I would like to offer my thanks to all the teachers there who took an interest in my future.
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| By Parent - reviewed on 23rd Apr 2008 |
Our daughter's overall experience at Padworth College was excellent. The academic standard and staff proficiency are exceptional! The teachers are of the highest caliber and give personal attention to the students. The House Staff are caring and make the students feel at home and the Principal is extremely experienced, warm and goes out of her way to ensure that the School maintains a very high standard. The University adviser is a big help with applications to Unversities in the UK. In my opinion, the points mentioned in the review by one of the students is baseless, inaccurate and grossly mis-communicated.
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| By Alumni (2006) - reviewed on 23rd Apr 2008 |
Padworth is not always perfect, however if I was advising someone on education. I would highly recommend Padworth. I have spent time at Padworth and state schools in this country. Padworth is very peaceful and relaxed. It's a college and the atmosphere shows this, it's got more of a family feel, if something was wrong or someone needed help it would be noticed. There is also a very good teacher to student ratio. The average class size I would say is at least half that of most state schools, giving a much better learning environment. Another huge bonus of Padworth is its surrounded by beautiful countryside rather than polluting busy roads. I cant vouch for all of them as I do not know, however all the teachers I have encountered have been excellent and are there because they want to teach.
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| By Current Pupil - reviewed on 16th Mar 2008 |
The school's academic standards do not stand out from a public school's. The facilities are very poor and things that are promised to coming students end up not happening, being delayed, or totally not being there. The school has some teachers that teach very well and some teachers that teach very badly or do no teaching at all. The school offers "scholarships" to only British students for some reason, letting them pay only 10% or less of the regular tuition for no apparent reason, except for the fact that they are "low income." I found this appalling, since these students had worse grades than me, worse behaviour than me, and more money than me, but were still given a discount while I paid the full price.
I also found appalling the state of the pastoral care. The girls' house is in far better condition than the boys' for the same price. There is an enourmous amount of theft in the boys' house that is totally ignored and dismissed by the house staff. Locks did not appear on the doors until February, even though they were promised from September.
Overall, this school is a waste of money and there are far better schools out there. Even a public school would be a much better bet than Padworth. The website and open days are misleading, be warned. Please think twice about coming here.
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| By Alumni - reviewed on 4th Feb 2008 |
Studied there for 2 yrs, far too many Asians and could hardly practice English speaking skills. School facilities were inadequate but I must admit the teachers there are of very good quality, they teach you with their hearts!
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