Millfield Somerset

[Tonytiger]

Does anyone have any experience of millfield ... Was planning to send my three boys but just found a social network site and was quite shocked by the amount of smutty nasty comments being posted. Since heard there are many problems with behaviour ,drinking drugs . Anyone have children there.

[goinggetstough]

Sadly these type of comments happen at all schools. I don't think Millfield is any different. What specific problems have you heard about? Drugs and bad behaviour is not acceptable there and pupils have been expelled for it but none recently.

[prepschoolreject]

I know girls there and they are all lovely children who you would be proud of.

But, who knows? I'm not friends with them on FB.

[happygardening]

A girl I work with has 3 children who were/are there and she is frantically working every hour that God sent to send 4th! The one who has just left got all A's at A level much to her parents surprise. It has a wonderful reputation for sport and that is why the first one went but I understand the next two are not sporty and they love it too.

[outofteabags]

We were looking for our DS. Ran into someone who has 4 kids go through there and has just removed the 4 th early. She says if you go and look round you will be blown away as it all looks fantastic. However for them they say it has changed massively since they first sent their first child there. She says it's become a very monied school, if you aren't loaded there is quite a divide. Her comment about girls wearing Louis Vuitton pumps to scuff around the AstroTurf is quite telling.
She has also said that before the last three years they couldn't fault it and worked round the clock to manage it but for them it is not longer right.
I think we might still look and ask lots and lots of questions!

[Cortina]

Anecdotally I've heard that this has become more of an 'academic' school of late.

When I was in my teens I think it had the reputation of being for the less academic. Perhaps a sporting talent was conveniently 'discovered' by parents where it was thought an academic aptitude was lacking?

I know quite a large group of ex pupils - now in their mid 30s - all are extraordinarily privileged even by public school standards and perhaps surprisingly given these observations, some of the most extraordinarily down-to-earth, really hilarious and pleasant, likable people I've ever met. There was a thread about this school before and others said much the same thing. Just my own observations though. IMO every school has it's own niche and these can change over time.

[Tonytiger]

Thank you for your post.... I stumbled upon the site called little gossip . Maybe I am being a little naive but I was very shocked by the graphic detail and total fixation with sex. Millfield had many more posts than any other school. Pages and pages more. Also checked bryonston and Sherborne both of which seemed far tamer. I heard rather too much time dating and drinking , lots of pressure to be cool and sexually active.......

[Queenofcake]

OMG just looked at the Little gossip Website and am appalled.

What a hateful vile website.

[Tonytiger]

It is dreadful isn't it . I am surprised the schools don't clamp down on such sites. Glad it's not just me being a bit naive.... I feel completely different about millfield after reading some of the posts.... Very upsetting thought it was amazing but now i feel like I was dazzled by the facility's ...... Shame

[didofido]

Just had a look at Little Gossip. Horrified, but it will be very useful for weeding out schools I might otherwise have considered.

[Millfielddad]

I haven't looked at the Little gossip site but then as a current parent at the school I probably wouldn't need to. If it's littered with reference to sex,drink and drugs it's probably an accurate picture of the school. The school has amazing facilities and some very dedicated teachers. In my opinion these are the pros. The school is huge and seems to place pupil retention (fees) above it's reputation. Discipline is,in my opinion, shocking. I wish I'd taken my money elsewhere!

[prepschoolreject]

MIllfielddad - can I ask why you don't?

[Tonytiger]

Millfielddad..... Thanks for your input, what a minefield it is finding the right school . Think I'll take another look at bryonston .

[Tonytiger]

Didofido.... Yes , that's what I thought glad I stumbled across it .

[millfieldparent]

millfielddad I am sorry that you are not impressed with Millfield. We too are current parents and we were worried about the size. However the house sizes including 6th formers are 50 - 60 as at most schools. The class sizes are small as are the tutorial groups. Its just that there are a lot of them. My DC neither comes from a rich family or have a particular talent. However, they have done well there. They have found their niche and succeeded with the help of the staff and us. They have had a go at lots of things. Succeeded at some and discontinued others. There is some bad behaviour but in their houses this is stamped on quickly. Drugs offenders have been expelled. Discipline may not be perfect but I would question your description of it as 'shocking.'
Can I ask as well if Millfield is so bad why are your children still there?
Little Gossip is an awful site and it would be great if it could be shut down.

[Turniphead1]

Millfieldparent - re; Little Gossip - clearly though some schools are managing to impress upon their pupils that they may not contribute to such sites at all. I would wonder why Millfield could not do the same.

[Cortina]

Millfield parent - please tell the school about the comments on this site.

Recently a young student committed suicide (not at Millfield but another public school). Well liked by many & very decent but apparently gossiped about and bullied by some. This site wasn't involved as far as I know but as far as I am concerned anything of this nature especially in the public domain should be stopped.

Schools should take action. These sites are dangerous and deeply unpleasant.

[Millfielddad]

We will not move our other children there having experienced the discipline issues. Furthermore once a child is in, and has started their GCSE syllabus then it is detrimental. We will move at 6th form.

[Tallygirl]

My academic daughter went to Millfield for sixth form (on a music and drama scholarship) from a tiny girls' boarding school. She thrived at Millfield and the school gave her the confidence and support to follow her dream of a music career. She is now in her second year at conservatoire. Millfield nurtures kids to be well-rounded individuals..not boring clones. There are also very good academic results coming out of Millfield, some great staff and the pastoral care in my daughter's sixth form boarding house was superb.

[Shepherdnotsheep]

I have two children at Millfield and I can that Millfield offers school life as something to experience rather than something to endure. It has some superb staff who are engaged in the life of the school. Many of the staff teach, coach games and live in the boarding houses as house parents. I would say it is an environment that is second to none. I wish I could reassure the parents who consider 'little gossip' to be a reflection of the whole school. My initial concerns were similar but it is a tiny minority of bored, vindictive morons that fuel this site, this is an unfortunate waste product of a school with over 1200 students.

The experience, world-class sports coaching and dedication of the staff make Millfield a choice for parents who want their children to learn what it is to work hard in and out of the classroom. The number of opportunities available are designed to find the strengths in the individual. Olympic champions have emerged who joined the school not knowing what their sport is!

It may have its fair share of difficult students, but students emerge with skills and experience few schools can offer.