Any Laxton/Oundle parents about?

[Silvertap]

We're about to start the journey with the fee to accept our ds's place.

We've considered Kimbolton and the Harpur Trust but think Oundle is the school for us.

One thing we're finding it hard to work out is the extras. It seems that at Laxton the lunches, some music and drama is included whereas at the other schools I mentioned that's not the case.

Are there any current parents out there that could give me an idea please?

[GrumpusLumpus]

Bump. Id love to hear of others experiences as well.

[stealthsquiggle]

New Oundle parent here. Are you looking at day or boarding?

[VanillaSugarandChristmasSpice]

Brace yourself...

It's good that lunches are included, but that's about it. The music & drama lessons you're referring to are timetables lessons, i.e. playing in a xylophone and putting in an annual play (sorry, "production").

If you would like DS to learn an instrument then you're looking at up to £19 for a half hour lesson.

School trips are extra. Anyone coming into school (i.e. author, scientist, historian) will also be charged out to you.

As for uniform ..... see if you can get hold of a decent second hand shop. DS has already lost one pair of rugby shorts this term.

Extra curricular clubs can also carry a charge, i.e. chess club or tennis coaching.

You're probably looking at an extra £50- £100 per term depending on the number of trips. Music lessons can bump this up to £250.

Also, look at the fee charges very carefully. Yr 1 fees go up for Yr3 and they go up another step in Yr 5.

Good luck!

[VanillaSugarandChristmasSpice]

Oh, and looking long term, public exams are charged to you, ie ABRSM music exams, GCSEs and A levels.

Just got DD's final bill and DH said "How much?? I thought she'd left!" So, school photo, sixth form ball tickets, ball photos, leavers photos.

If they're boarders then double beware the school shop.

[VanillaSugarandChristmasSpice]

Rugby mouthguard - £38 for the special school one and it's given him blisters, so off to Sports Direct for the boil in the bag one. He only wore it for 3 weeks.

[stealthsquiggle]

Aha, Vanilla, I dodged that one [smug]. We had a boil and bite mouthguard at home, so I packed it and told DS to only go for the OPRO one if everyone else was. He quickly established that almost no one was going for the fitted one (previous school insisted that they all had OPRO ones) - job done.

Are there second hand shops, though?

[GrumpusLumpus]

Besides the endless bleeding of money how's the actual school?

[Silvertap]

This is really useful stuff thank you. Ds is only 3 so it's day at
Laxton we're looking at. We live fairly close so will hopefully be able to stick with day.

I'd also be keen to hear people's thoughts on the actual schools and teaching. When we went on the open days the facilities, results and children just seemed to blow other local schools out of the water.

[stealthsquiggle]

OP - sorry, DS has just joined into Y9 (third form) so I have no experience/opinions on the junior school.

Grumpus - very very early days for us - first exeat starts tomorrow - but so far we have been impressed with the pastoral care, which was our main concern - and DS seems happy with the academic, music, etc.

[GrumpusLumpus]

How do you think a day boy would fare?

[stealthsquiggle]

It took us a LONG time to find the house that was right (we think/hope) for DS. With day pupils you don't have that choice/decision - so if I were looking at it as a day school then the atmosphere/staff/pupils of Laxton House would be a huge factor. I have never met any of them so can't really comment.

[Silvertap]

Grumpus, are you looking at day? We've looked round Laxton and I really liked the atmosphere

[Silvertap]

Bump

[GrumpusLumpus]

Yes we are looking at day. My concern is that most seem to board.

[stealthsquiggle]

20% day is higher than a lot of boarding schools, and makes Laxton larger than any other house....

[VanillaSugarandChristmasSpice]

If they take part in activities and drama rehearsals, you'll still be doing the pick up at 9pm. And after 5pm on Saturdays after matches... Hope you live locally!

[Silvertap]

Laxton seemed quite big to me when we looked round. We live about half an hour away. On the open days lots of people we spoke to seemed to live the same distance away.

[TheWomanTheyCallJayne]

My Ds also started this term (yr 9).
From what I've gathered, the houses don't mix much. Meaning I don't think it makes much difference if all the other houses are boarders and they'll mostly be associating with others in the same position as themselves. Like stealth, I can't tell you on what Laxton is like though.
We didn't really get much choice which house Ds went into. They asked us and then put him somewhere else. Dh was in new house (yes, I've teased him about it) so obviously Ds wouldn't go there.bwe did apply late though as we weren't sure what we were doing until his prep said , go for the shcolarship. I have been told by several people that there isn't such a distinction between the house as there used to be so no, that's the sporty house and that's the musical house.
I would say go and look around and make sure you meet the Laxton staff. I think the vibe you get will tell you a lot.

[TheWomanTheyCallJayne]

Sorry you have looked around. Did you meet the staff?

[LarrytheCucumber]

Kimbolton is the poor man's Oundle. Allegedly.

[VanillaSugarandChristmasSpice]

Nice building though. It's a shame that Uppingham is boarding only.

I also think that there's some confusion between Laxton Junior and Laxton House (the Day House of Oundle). Google the history, it's quite interesting!

[TheWomanTheyCallJayne]

You're right vanilla
I misread. I thought she was talking about senior day not the prep part.
It really doesn't help with that they messed about with names, laxton/fisher etc. It's not the first time I've got wires crossed as DH thinks of laxton as one thing and Ds as it as something else.

[pepperpot69]

Laxton Prep is referred to as 'LJ' (Laxton Junior) within Oundle and the House is just Laxton.
From what I have seen the Junior school has the best of both worlds with its own campus to nurture the little ones but the use of all the superb senior school facilities. No brainer if you live locally I would have thought.
The boarding houses do mix, my Ds has friends all over inc Laxton.

[Silvertap]

Thanks everyone. Sorry I should have been clearer - we're going for LJS. Partly with the hope that he might be able to get into Laxton as he gets older.

I haven't heard that about Kimbolton before but it make me smile. I did like Kimbolton and it gets some good results but I was disappointed with the breadth of curriculum and sport.