To ask if anyone has any experience of DC moving away for college (not uni)

Was that due to the child wanting to pursue an agricultural or animal related course or because the child's parents had decided to move abroad?

It's such a big difference boarding because you're following a passion.

I know of a pupil in year 11 that went here and boarded, it was fine for them.
https://www.hartpury.ac.uk/college/student-life/accommodation/

Perhaps it might not be a bad idea for this DS to be out of what no doubt since his father’s infidelities is a pretty fucking awful environment at home. No wonder he’s pushing this so much!

The lads father cheated on them all when he wanted to get his dick wet.

Too busy packing

Don't think OP is coming back is she?

Not for a week's bloody half term. Too long and far too expensive

So you chose to do that because you were focussed on your horses and wanted to be at a college that catered for that in the same country as your family
You weren't dumped there because your Father couldn't be trusted not to shag around if left unattended

I went in to halls of residence at 16 for 2 years at an agricultural college, i loved it!! Was brilliant fun, some of the best times of my life to date! i didnt go home at weekends as my horses were at college with me, but i did see my parents as they took me to competitions most weekends.

People have babies at 16 and live in flats looking after a baby human. of course a 16 year old, who still has family around, will cope just fine at a residential college - even more so if they are the ones advocating for it!

However, what would he do in the holidays? Fly out to you?

We know plenty of kids who have done this because they went to equine college at 16, and many students live in there, due to the nature of the course, timetable, and expectations of being fairly immersed in the life. There is a lot of support in place in those cases, and so it works well. In addition, the people who I know who have done it have had parents maybe an hour or two away who have visited most if not all weekends or brought them home most if not all weekends. It's very different from somebody attending classes in the day and being more or less left to their own devices every evening and weekend. And also, unless in a specific setting like equine college, there are fairly few 16-18 resident students and so creating a social circle could be challenging.

So it's not that it's a bad idea per se, it's that it very much depends on the setting and the distance and the circumstances. What OP is describing sounds pretty rubbish for the child if I'm honest, and it's odd to read a post from a parent who seems so oddly unfocused on their child's needs versus those of their husband.

Realistically, his options are finding an alternative here as he wants to stay or go with them because at the end of the day they are his parents and they said so.

Plenty of people move all the time, all over the world, at any point in their education because of whatever circumstances. Putting aside OP’s motives, the usual option is “you go with your parents”.

Of course teenagers will always be more resistant, but it still happens and life goes on.

Go ahead and choose your husband over your son. Just don’t expect your son to have a close relationship with you when he’s an adult. My mother made that same choice, (though the circumstances were different) - while we get on fine, I live on the other side of the world now.

Just saying.

Yup. Affairs are the result of a selfish person. Who will always be selfish. There will be zero thought or care from the father about how this will effect his son.

The proposed set up has disaster for your ds written all over it.

But probably happy about all the new opportunities there will be for himself

😬This too. It's really, really sad for the kid though.

He's probably sadder his wife is joining him .....

OP has already answered that a few pages back. Apparently he's "a bit sad" that he doesn't want to join them overseas 🙄

What does the lads father feel about all this?

The difference being she had a home she could return to
Mum wasn't going living abroad to look after dad who cannot keep his penis in his pants!

There's a difference between choosing to leave home at 16 and having home leave you.

If you insist on doing this @AmpleDenimDreamer then find an appropriate boarding school for your son so at least he is looked after.

I would not let him stay in college halls at 16. I'd look for a boarding school for him. Look for a school with high percentage of full boarders as there will be a great social life at weekends and lots of sports.

My daughter boarded at college for 2 years when she was 16 (and only just 16 as she is an end of August baby). It was an agricultural college in the middle of nowhere and we had no way of getting her there. The main reason for her boarding was because she was doing equestrian studies and there was now way I could get her there for the very early starts on a daily basis and hold down my own job and look after my younger daughter.

She absolutely loved it. She had her own room in a block of about 20 rooms - all girls. They had their own common room and kitchen. The boys had their own space opposite to them. All meals were catered for but having their shared kitchen meant that they could get themselves basic meals and snacks (it didnt have amazing cooking facilities).

They had staff that lived on site who looked after them and kept them busy in the evenings. There was something going on most evenings - cinema trips, bowling, mini bus to the shops via Mcdonalds.

There was no accommodation available at a weekend or holidays - I used to pick her up on a Friday afternoon and take her back on a Monday. It was also close enough (about 45 mins away) so that if we had anything going off at home she could come to it so never missed out.

But whilst she loved it I dont think I could have sent her if I couldnt get to her within an hour if she needed me.

OP, what happens if your son is ill or has an accident ? If he needs a bit of emotional support and, you know, parental love and interest? 16 is no age to feel cut adrift. I’m sure he’s enthusiastic now at the idea, but when reality licks in and he’s out of money and food and just wants a home cooked meal and a family home to chill what does he do? I couldn’t imagine not being within a few hours drive of my teenagers, or a quick train journey home for them. I’m sure you can find a host family to look after him but I’m sure he will feel surplus to requirements and a long way second to your priority of better jobs. It’s a sad situation.

Because he hasn’t joined the army…he’s just living his life wanting to finish his education in his home country like most 16 year olds and his parents have (supposedly) decided to leave the country.