Sorry for long post - I've got myself into a bit of a pickle and need some help! It is beginning to dawn on me now that DS is in year 6 that I should perhaps have considered a wider range of senior school options. He's currently happily settled in a reasonably selective (day) prep school, so I am looking at options for year 9.
He has decided that he is not keen on our local options. Other day school options would involve catching coaches and an hour travel time each way (including walking to bus stops etc.). We're in London which is a fearsomely competitive place to be anyway, and it's got me longing for something less pressured but still sufficiently engaging to motivate my chilled out boy.
DS is a lovely, kind, slightly introverted boy who would need somewhere with excellent pastoral care - he has mild AS but has always coped well in a mainstream setting. We are the antithesis of pushy parents (from the London perspective anyway!). He is flourishing academically and is expected to pass CE at 70%. He's also very musical, likes to be active physically (and has good balance/co-ordination), isn't great at team sports but loves rugby and is very knowledgeable and engaging about all things computer based.
Although my dh has always considered boarding might be a positive for him, from a social point of view, I guess I've been more nervous - particularly worrying about bullying (although bullies do tend to avoid DS as they get no feedback from him so lose interest). I would dearly love him to develop close friendships with school friends (something that hasn't really happened at his prep school) and can see that being in a boarding house/immersed in a boarding community might help this (providing the other dc's are tolerant and kind). Definitely not looking for an Alpha type school - more one that celebrates and nurtures individuality, whilst still enabling him to reach his (fairly good) academic potential.
I did do an initial look around and he has sat the Brighton College 'Orientation' (assessment!) day but we won't know about that till after summer half term. He loves the school but I am concerned about rumours of it being a high pressure environment - so far we have avoided encouraging the over-anxiety that can develop with AS and we would like to avoid this as far as possible. Of course, we still don't know whether he will be offered a place.
I am interested in co-ed schools and ones where we can see him every weekend if he wants.
With the collective MN wisdom, are there any schools out there that spring to mind that I should also consider?
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Private weekly boarding for bright, sensitive DS
41 replies
Railworker · 06/04/2016 16:37
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