Stratford Girls' Grammar School

If you want a school where your daughter is genuinely known, not a name on a register but a girl her teachers can speak about, Stratford Girls' Grammar is worth a close look. It sits in quiet, residential Shottery, away from the bustle of Stratford-upon-Avon, with the 15th-century Shottery Manor at its heart. The school was founded in 1958, out of a determined effort to give girls in the area the academic opportunities they had been denied, and that sense of purpose still runs through the place. Pastoral care is strong, and wellbeing sits at the centre of daily life.

The Good Schools Guide describes one of the top-performing grammars in the country, raising students to academic heights within its historic walls, and notes that parents trust their daughters will do really well here. As an all-girls' school it gives young women room to grow in confidence, and there is a settled, family feel to it. Music, drama and art have long been a real strength, recognised through arts awards, and the school keeps a global outlook with longstanding exchange programmes and overseas trips. The Manor itself, betrothal place of Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway by local legend, gives lessons an unusual setting.

The school is led by headteacher Mrs Jacqueline Cornell, who has been in post since September 2016. It suits an able, motivated girl who will thrive in a warm community where she is treated as an individual and known by name, and whose parents value calm, attentive care alongside high academic expectations. For a family looking for a small, close grammar with a strong creative life and a real sense of belonging for their daughter, it is well worth a visit.