Crossword Genius

Need oar to do exercise in public school (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

roedean

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'exercise in public school' is the definition.
'roedean' can be an answer for 'school' (I've seen this before). I am unsure of the 'exercise in public' bit.

'need oar to do' is the wordplay.
'to do' indicates anagramming the letters (I've seen 'doing' mean this (doing can mean solving or working out)).
'need'+'oar'='needoar'
'needoar' anagrammed gives 'ROEDEAN'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for roedean that I've seen before include "Posh girls' school in Sussex" , "Girls public school" , "Famous girls' school" , "Brighton girls' school" , "Independent school" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.