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"Arty" boarding schools in London/Home Counties

11 replies

Harveypuss · 24/04/2016 09:22

My DD is in Yr 10 and currently at a boarding school in Hertfordshire. We are soon to be considering Sixth Form options. The school she is currently at only offers the IB in the Sixth Form. DD is very "arty". She loves the subject and is good at it. She also loves photography and hopes to eventually attend an Art College for higher education.

The IB offers Art as only part of a 6-subject syllabus and she would need to do another 5 subjects, which would include science, maths etc, which she is not so good at, so we are wondering whether she would be better off doing A levels elsewhere.

Can anybody recommend a boarding school (weekly or full) that has a very good Art curriculum? Would need to be around the London/M25/Home Counties area. We live overseas currently, but returning home soon to Essex.

If any of you have had experience of children who wanted to peruse Art as a subject in more depth, I'd be grateful for any advice you can offer. TIA.

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happygardening · 24/04/2016 09:38

Bedales is the first school that springs to mind, not quite Home Counties but no far off.
If you want a more academic environment the art dept at Marlborough I've heard is very good. Again not Home Counties but an easy drive down the M4.

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mummytime · 24/04/2016 10:52

Can you also look at local sixth form/FE colleges? Some of these are very set up for Art foundation and would form a good preparation for the transition to art school.
A friends DD went to somewhere in Southend that did Art (Btec?) on a residential basis.
Or you could look at somewhere like Frensham Heights (is Hurtwood any good for Art?).

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MrsSchadenfreude · 24/04/2016 10:55

St Chris in Letchworth is good for art, and I think offers an art scholarship for 6th form. DD2 is very arty and we've been very pleased with the school.

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MrsSchadenfreude · 24/04/2016 10:57

DD2 is skipping GCSE art and going straight to AS level. They've been really good at nurturing her and getting her to expand her repertoire, trying other styles and stuff.

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JellyBeanJumper · 24/04/2016 11:41

Hurtwood House Surrey
Prior's Field Godalming

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flingingmelon · 24/04/2016 11:42

Was coming in to say St. Chris. No kids there myself but friends and neighbours love it.

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bojorojo · 24/04/2016 22:34

The main school you should look at is Heathfield at Ascot, Berkshire. Their photography is outstanding and their art likewise. It is boarding so you will be used to the ethos and has top class A level results for art. Please PM me if you would like to know more. My DD also boarded in Hertfordshire (not IB school though)!