Swim boarding school

[Movingaround]

Looking for a boarding school with great swimming for an academically able swim obsessed daughter. (Currently year 7)
She's a v strong swimmer but no idea what the choices are outside of Millfield/ Mount Kelly/ Plymouth. Any feedback on any of the options would be brilliant. Thanks
We aren't currently living in the UK hence extra stupidity

[Gingercat1223]

I'm not sure about quality of swim coaching but Sevenoaks has boarding from Year 9, co-Ed, fantastic pool and IB rather than A levels.

[Movingaround]

Thanks- see this is the thing. I have no clue! Off to look at Sevonoaks (husband has bought good schools guide). It's hard to know how much weight to give each element.
Thanks for replying

[BellaBattenburg]

Ellesmere College in Shropshire. (Freya Anderson trains/ed there)

[AntguaGuate]

Would second Ellesmere College. Fantastic swim programme.

But do ask yourself how good your DD is and at what level she wants to compete. It can be demoralising swimming at a school with an elite swim programme if you are not good enough to get on the first team. Most of the swimmers at these schools ( Ellesmere, MK and Millfield) will be elite swimmers before they start at the schools. The schools support them but they do not create them.

It can sometimes be more rewarding swimming at a slightly lower level - especially for an academic child who wants to give equal weight to academics.

[Movingaround]

Ohh Ellesmere looks super interesting- not heard of it before.
I agree entirely on the be cautious bit. The whole thing makes me anxious! She's only 11 but thanks to time in USA she's been on a swim team since she was 5 and is top 5 vs Uk for some events, top 10 for others and top 25 maybe for pretty much everything: but I agree - I need to talk to the coaches about how she'd measure up.
She wants to be an Olympian, I want her not to be a messed up teenager like her parents were. I feel like swimming gives her this amazing focus, sense of identity and belonging and just all round is brilliant for getting away from some of the teenaged crap.
Thanks so much for replying- I really appreciate it. If anyone has any personal experience of these schools I'd love to hear it good or bad.

[Movingaround]

Ellesmere looks v small and annoyingly (as it's my only source of info) not reviewed by Good Schools guide. V selfish of them! Anyone know anything about it? Thanks

[PlatinumBrunette]

My first thought would be Mount Kelly www.mountkelly.com/ Sharon Davies etc!

[Movingaround]

Mount Kelly I really like the look of but then I found lots of negative comments on here about it! But it looks so pretty... do you know anything at all? (Sorry can't figure out how to reply to individual comments! Tech idiot)

[ChocolateTeapot23]

www.isi.net/school/ellesmere-college-6429

I would not rely on GSG for views on a school. The Independent Schools Inspectorate often provides a more nuanced view.

[ChocolateTeapot23]

ellesmerecollegetitans.co.uk/

This is the swim programme. Students well represented at European Junior Championships.

[weeblefeet]

Was just about to say google Ellesmere Titans !

[ChocolateTeapot23]

Also don’t confuse Ellesmere College near Leicester ( a small special school) with the Ellesmere College with the swim programme.

[turkeyboots]

St Mary's Calne had a lovely pool and a locally well respected swim coach. 11 year olds may fancy themselves future Olympians but its a long hard journey there as a swimmer and so many girls quit by 14, I'd aim for a school which would support her swimming than a swimming school at that age. Maybe after GCSEs a move to Millfield if she's still swimming.

[Movingaround]

I totally agree on the long term piece. Thing is my mother (aged 75) remembers being sent to a senior school aged 11 where she couldn't ride when that was her world. Not because she thinks she could have been someone but because of the way it said to her that her parents didn't value her interests and passions. To send my daughter to a school without a swim focus would be so hard after everything she's had up to this point. Also maybe it'll keep her so tired and busy she won't have time for boys or alcohol. But I do agree that it needs to have more than just swimming which is where Millfield beats mount Kelly...

[NellyBarney]

In the current team GB for Tokio swim training squad are 48 swimmers. The vast majority are either at uni or train with local clubs. There are though 2 swimmers from Ellesmere College and 1 pupil from Millfield in the team. So I guess Ellesmere and Millfield are both good options. Or you just find a day school near a very good swimming club. I assume you will need to pick up dd and drive her to GB camps/competitions etc if she makes the post Tokio team, so you would have to assess which school is most accessible for you.

[NellyBarney]

The same goes for everything else your dd does at school: you would need to get to school plays etc. I know schools like Millfield have children from alm over the world but the majority of kids will be quite local and parents wilm make a great effort to take part in scho life, so best to choose a school you can get to easily and regularly.

[TheBlessedCheesemaker]

Between them, my DC have attended a clutch of schools, including some well-known names. Millfield is the one that blew me away most; the whole ethos around sport (everyone has a specialist sport and it’s the norm to spend an hour in the gym with your mates after prep), the ‘top 100’ academic programme is incredibly supportive, without the kids feeling (or acting) elite, and because the kids are all at high sporting levels, there is lots of ‘failure’ which I think is far more developmentally positive than being big fish in small ponds. I am fairly evangelical about it tbh, despite my DC not being one of the very top in their particular sport. My DC was a boarder and would have hated to be a day pupil (thinks you get more out of school by boarding, enjoyed it a lot and got bored in holidays).

[mumto3bearcubs]

Hi! Well I don’t know much about most of the schools mentioned on here apart from Mount Kelly which I can advise to avoid all costs! May look pretty but that’s about it. Boarding is an overwhelming majority of students from Nigeria and Hong Kong, pastoral support is not good. Academics are so so and most of the swimmers will do a Btec course. Huge segregation between swimmers/ non swimmers ..... I could go on!

[Movingaround]

Thank you so much for the feedback. Millfield sounds amazing - i need to chat to them once this endless half term is over!! It scares me because it's big and grown up but I think that's what she needs.
Kelly- that fits with some of the other research I've done.
I'd love to keep her home but logistically it just seems like such a huge impact on everyone else. Here is easy as 50m pool ten mins from house and no traffic but in Surrey!? Hellish. And tough on my other child. We are lucky enough to be able to make this choice and hopefully get the best for everyone.
Anyone know anything about Plymouth as that also looks fab. South west works as my parents are in Cornwall so at least it's the right direction!

[Hellofromamum]

Hi, having done what you are looking at I can recommend the above advise of joining a local club in a good area. The specialist swim programme boarding schools do not cater (despite telling you they do) for year 7 students. The swim programmes pick up from year 9, this is definitely the time to move to these programmes...it is our biggest regret having done it in year 7!
We are at one of the programmes mentioned....they are all very similar and you definitely need to remember that Instagram/Facebook feeds are all showing the good things! These programmes take swimmers on who already have the talent....the results are not from their training...if you look at their children who are there from year 7 v those that come in at year 9....the new ones are faster and performing higher. These programmes are only enjoyable if you are at the top and in all their teams.
There are some fantastic clubs is Surrey....where a lot of these children move from in year 9!
Such a hard decision for you!

[Mamameee]

I went to millfield. Its a fantastic school. I would definitely send your child there. Swimming coaches and facilities are a cut above the rest.

[Movingaround]

Hellofromamum- had forgotten all about this part! It's really not the ideal age is it? But annoyingly DS is only 1 yr older so he's going into year 9 as she goes into 8... hum... I need to look at the logistics of her doing one year in surrey and settling into school/ club and then maybe moving for year 9.
Ahhhhh this half term is endless as no one around to talk to. Tomorrow I'm going to try and call places, maybe admissions are at work.
Thank you sooo much for your feedback. Sounds v wise and we will seriously look at it: any other advice on this whole crazy journey please tell me!!! Meanwhile I'll search for a school with good SEND for my DS... how did I get two such different children?!

[Movingaround]

Mamameee- so lovely to hear! It does look incredible and I hear so many positive things about it. Thanks for the feedback.

[Movingaround]

Hellofromamum.
And as she currently trains as the youngest in her group because she's big and fast then how will that work if she's in prep... ohhhh you really have raised an excellent point!!!

[FanDabbyFloozy]

Have you looked into Queenswood? A sports obsessed school with improving academics and a lovely ethos. Commutable from London too if that's useful.