Any views on these sixth forms in the Bath area please?

[mamhaf]

Hello. Our tennis-playing daughter is looking at her sixth form options, and one possibility is moving to the Bath area to attend the tennis academy and a linked school.

Could anyone give me their opinions/experiences of the following sixth forms please? She's not a super high-achiever but is bright and likely to attain A*s to B at GCSE. She's not totally sure what A'levels she is going to do - possibly French and/or Spanish, maths or physics and design technology.

The schools are:

Ralph Allen School
Monkton Combe
Prior Park College

She's currently in a state comprehensive btw, and if she doesn't board would be looking for a host family in Bath - the academy would help us with that if she was accepted there.

Many thanks!

[ChocolatEtVin]

I know someone who's had one DC through Prior sixth form and another starting in september. Both are similarly academic but were there for the music. Her eldest DC did very well academically IIRC so would recommend. Sorry I can't comment on the others.

[jo164]

You have obviously selected all of the schools due to their proximity to the University - but coincidentally Ralph Allen is probably the best coed comprehensive in Bath, (Oldfield has just become coed and is also quite highly regarded).
I think it really depends on whether you would rather your daughter went to state or private school - when comparing Ralph Allen to the other 2.
I know of children who have gone through Prior Park school, one of whom was not highly academic but all did very well and were happy - Prior Park has a Catholic ethos if this is of any interest/concern to you. Monkton is a lovely school and very well positioned for the University as well - have only ever heard good things about it. She will probably get more pressure on the academic side at the private schools, but on the flip side she would most probably get more help and attention in order to achieve her potential.
I would probably be happier with the idea of my daughter being at a boarding school where she could be with a lot of other girls who are also away from home. I would foresee issues of 'going out in town, to meet friends', etc if she was in the state school, which I think I would find hard to deal with if I was not there to get to know her friends, pick her up etc. However this may not be an issue to you! In a boarding house they are subject to the rules set out by the school - which you will agree to!
The private schools would probably offer you a scolarship for her tennis if she is very good, which could help with fees - but they would expect her to represent the school in matches - would there be time for her to do this if she is playing at the academy? Just a thought!
In your position I would go private, if money was no problem - but I would say that Ralph Allen is a good alternative if it will be a stretch.

[mamhaf]

Thanks for your replies so far.

Money is an issue - it would be a stretch for us to send her to a boarding school, and then pay for the tennis academy. So, if we thought it was the right thing, then a good comprehensive with a host family (whom we would pay of course) sounds like it could work... but we would want to be sure that the host family would look out for her in the same way as we would - ideally someone else also with a daughter at the sixth form could work out.

We may have left it too late for a scholarship anyway - she's holding a scholarship offer from another school in a different area, but the fees would still stretch us enormously, so we're thinking about that... we wouldn't be eligible for a means-tested bursary.

[jo164]

If the comprehensive route is the one that is going to suit you best, then I would have tought that Ralph Allen was definitely your best option. It has a good reputation and is close to the Tennis Academy at the University. If you want another option to look at, Wellsway School in Keynsham - a small town to the West of Bath, also has a very good reputation, good results, Outstanding Ofsted. Its about 20 mins from Keynsham up to the University so not too far to travel for the tennis.

[JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar]

Ralph Allen is very oversubscribed; would you be able to secure a place for your daughter without living in Bath?

We live six miles away as the crow flies and are too far away for Y7 entry. Maybe sixth form is different.

[JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar]

Ralph Allen is very oversubscribed; would you be able to secure a place for your daughter without living in Bath?

We live six miles away as the crow flies and are too far away for Y7 entry. Maybe sixth form is different.

[JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar]

apologies for the double post!

Anyway there must be a solution, but i don't think state sixth form and a host family are it. Admissions information here

[jo164]

Although Ralph Allen is an oversubscribed school at year 7, this does not usually apply for sixth form. The applications are done 'in house' and not by BANES (local authority), and rarely are sixth forms full to capacity. I think it is worth phoning the school to discuss your situation as they will be able to confirm whether or not you could secure a place if you wished to.

[jo164]

If you read the sixth form entry policy as Jenai has linked you to, for Ralph Allen, it specifically mentions your daughters position as an elite athlete, and it looks like she would be well catered for and looked after if she attended.
Best of luck with your decision.

[jo164]

Sorry to keep adding..... but as an elite athlete, in case over oversubscription she comes higher up the priority list than 'proximity to the school' children would anyway. Only children in care would be offered a place before her.

[happygardening]

I think its easy to assume that boarding children live very restricted rule governed lives. My DS full boards and I work at a full boarding school both schools are in cities the children all regularly go "into town" and I think you'll find that upper and sometimes lower 6 th are frequently allowed in the pub wine bars etc.

[JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar]

Jo is absolutely right - call (and visit!) Ralph Allen. Looking at the admissions information, it looks positive but i imagine you need to act soon.

What do others at the Tennis Academy do for school?

[mamhaf]

Many thanks for all your posts. I don't really know enough about what all others do at the tennis academy - but will find out when I speak to them.

We know of one other girl who attends and goes to one of the private schools (don't know which one). I think sixth form entry is different.. however, not sure how the funding works as we live in Wales rather than England - so that would be another thing to find out.

[goinggetstough]

I agree with happygardening just because they are boarding in the sixth form doesn't mean they are not allowed a lot of freedom. It just depends on the school.

I think it is important to see what the other Academy members are doing. I assume they will have a full on training regime and this could be hard on your daughter if there is no one else to discuss it with at school and juggle school work with. Plus living in a host family could be lonely. It could also be fantastic but difficult to predict. The university as I am sure you are aware is at the top of a hill... where would the host family live. Bath is a small city but getting about on buses is expensive and it is not always possible to walk.

I have friend's who had and still have DCs at Monkton Coombe and Prior Park and both have been pleased with the pastoral care and academics.

[JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar]

wrt freedom, I see gangs of teens heading into town from Kingswood School on Saturdays - I assume they're boarders rather than day kids as they're not in uniform (I don't know if Kingwood have school on Saturday mornings). Bath is a brilliant place to be a teenager.

I have friends with DCs at both Kingswood and King Edwards; they're very happy with them (although none are at 6th form yet). KES (King Edwards) is near (-ish) the University (I assume the 6th form is on the same site as the Secondary).

We found Ralph Allen very friendly and welcoming when we arranged to visit (we missed their open evening as ds was away), even though ds stood a cat in hell's chance of getting a place in Y7 so we were probably wasting their time. So yes, we got a very good impression of the school :)

[JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar]

Oh, should have said that KES is a day school. However they do offer pretty generous bursaries and scholarships to the right people - it's still worth enquiring imo.

[mamhaf]

Thanks again for all your input - we'll have a good look at all the options and the information you've given me will be very useful.

My biggest concerns, if she is accepted at the academy, would be about finding the right host family and trying to pave the way for her to settle well into a new school and a new (part-time) home - she's fully aware that could be very challenging, but she lives for her tennis, so that would go a long way.

[mamhaf]

They do have a track record of students going down this route at 16 by the way, so one of the things we'd want to do is to talk to at least one person (preferably another girl) who has, or is, doing this.