My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

Education

6th Form Boarding - Sports and Academic

26 replies

TaxiDriverandCook · 30/09/2013 13:41

My DD is looking to move from her girls' day school in Surrey to a boarding school for 6th form. She's fairly academic (may get a handful of A*s??) and very sporty. Is there such a thing as an academically good 6th form (single sex/co ed) which offers top quality hockey and/or lacrosse training and fixtures? Is it possible to keep both sports up?
Have spent hours looking at school websites/forums etc but would appreciate any views at all. Want a friendly school, not too posh/monied. Preferably within a couple of hours drive of the Guildford area but will look anywhere in the country! Thanks

OP posts:
Report
happygardening · 30/09/2013 14:25

"Not to posh/monied"
As most fees for boarding schools are at the very least £30 000 PA and bursaries not easy to get most parents although not oligarchs to a man are likely to be monied by most peoples standards. Milford is the obvious choice and friends whose sporty DC's went there were also surprised and delighted by their very good A level results. St Edwards whose results are likely to improve yr on yr with the new head supports quite a few GB team players in all sports. Marlborough also takes sport seriously but parents have a reputation for being very smart.

Report
RedWineAndCheese · 30/09/2013 14:49

I think a girls school where the girls sports are given priority and it's not all about the "traditional" rugby and cricket is probably the atmosphere you'd prefer. And St Edwards don't play lax either.

Mmm. I'd have said Casterton, but they had a hostile takeover merger with Sedburgh so it's no co-ed.

There's Benenden, but they don't do hockey at all, only lax. Look at Downe House and Cheltenham. But to be honest I think Queen Margaret's, York would suit best. It's 2 hours from London on the train, do both hockey and lax, and it's a very relaxed atmosphere that still produces top academic results.

? About whether St Mary's Calne do both. Not sure.

Report
jo164 · 30/09/2013 18:24

Oakham School in Rutland? I know they do both hockey and lax, whether you could actively pursue both is another matter. I would think they train at the same time. Uppingham also play lacrosse. Both schools would have more fiixtures for their hockey squads though, as it is much more widely played. Both are Co-ed schools.

Report
TaxiDriverandCook · 01/10/2013 15:57

Thanks for responses.
Happygardening - have read on other posts that some boarding schools are so "posh/monied" that if pupils don't have constant exotic holidays/get picked up in range rovers etc etc they can be socially ostracised. Don't want anything like that.

Thanks for all references to specific schools. Any other suggestions welcome

OP posts:
Report
jo164 · 02/10/2013 23:10

Queenswood in Hertfordshire, is an all girls option which has great sport - only hockey though, but a bit closer to home.

Report
jo164 · 02/10/2013 23:16

Oh, and Malvern College play Lacrosse and hockey.

Report
Clavinova · 03/10/2013 15:50

A quick 'google' brings up: Godolphin - Salisbury, Stowe - Bucks, Haileybury - Herts and Sherborne Girls - Dorset.

Report
grovel · 03/10/2013 18:35

I like St Swithun's in Winchester. Less than an hour from Guildford. Lacrosse certainly. Don't know about hockey. Not snobby. All girls.

Report
pusspusslet · 03/10/2013 19:38

Have a look at Sedbergh. They have both hockey and lax, and while they're not known as a top academic school the bright children can do very well. It also ticks your box about being friendly, and not too posh.

Report
TaxiDriverandCook · 04/10/2013 09:35

Thanks all for the replies (including the private ones). Lots to research. Please keep suggestions/comments coming

OP posts:
Report
JugglingChaotically · 27/11/2013 23:23

Godolphin Salisbury if you are still looking. Has a range of academic ability and produces good results. National Lax Champions 3 out of last 4 years. Reasonably close to Guildford. Pretty grounded parents

Report
MillyMollyMama · 28/11/2013 00:04

You may find most schools play one or the other to a high standard. Hockey at Queenswood is taken seriously so team members would not have time for lax as well. Matches probably played at the same time on a Saturday. To narrow down your choice you will want to look at the standards reached and quality of coaching. What about summer sports? Queenswood is very keen on tennis. I would not go further than 1.5 hours from home if you intend to support your DD at sport. Going to York ( or other schools far away) and train journeys with all that dirty washing is a no no!

Report
NoComet · 28/11/2013 00:16

Malvern St James is all girls and cheaper than Malvern collage and list lacrosse and hockey.

I know they play lacrosse because DDs DF does.

Not too monied, certainly no range rovers amongst the two families I know.

Report
MillyMollyMama · 28/11/2013 17:44

All boarding schools have parents with Range Rovers. It goes with the territory. Why does owning a Range Rover make you a person to be avoided? Surely pleasant people can own Range Rovers? What about the people who send their Drivers to collect their offspring? Presumably they are beyond the pale! All boarding schools have very rich parents. If you join a 6th form as a new boarder the chances are you will not be big buddies with the parents anyway. So what does it matter if they have the 'wrong" cars?

Report
handcream · 29/11/2013 20:35

I agree. Why are parent with Range rovers to be avoided! If you said the opposite and that you didn't want to mix with people who lived in council houses you would be rightly berated.

Paying 30k plus per year on ONE school place will mean you will be mixing with people who have money by default.

If u can afford 30K then maybe you are one of them too.

Report
joanofarchitrave · 29/11/2013 20:42

The post about the Range Rovers was not saying that RR drivers were to be avoided at all...

Bryanston does both sports, but may be a bit more of a posh feel? I am posting only knowing a couple of alumnae from a few years back, they were certainly quite posh though not oligarchs, and very lovely.

Report
Michaelahpurple · 01/12/2013 14:45

How about st Catherine's Bramley. I don't know about hockey but their lax is v strong (one of their sports teachers in on the England team , but lax has been good there for decades) and it is excellent academically. And is very close to Guildford.

Report
Alanaronin · 07/06/2021 00:46

Any reviews on Oakham school?
Please , my teen will join next year, we can’t make mind

Report
MrPickles73 · 07/06/2021 07:37

Moreton Hall all girls plays hockey and lacrosse.

Report
Pandabox · 07/06/2021 07:49

Canford?
Gréât hockey school and girls play lacrosse too.

Report
LemonRoses · 07/06/2021 07:57

St Catherine’s?
Kent College?

Brighton College?
Wellington?
Caterham?

Report
Molecule · 07/06/2021 08:01

I second Moreton Hall, many play at county level, and they get a good percentage into Oxbridge. And it’s a “dirty car” school, very little flashing the cash.

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Alanaronin · 07/06/2021 08:47

Is anyone one knows anything about Oakham school? Interesting what parent think about it ? My child will join next year 9

Report
Polly99 · 07/06/2021 10:11

@Alanaronin- I'd recommend you start a new thread. This one is very old and people will answer the original post and not see your later question.

Report
Aethelthryth · 07/06/2021 10:16

King's Canterbury does Lax and Hockey

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.