Wellington college and Stowe

I don't want to hijack this thread so I'm going to start a new topic. Thanks HG and Milkshake for your valuable comments.

Colleger Radley is a great school for all rounders which is more academic than the CE passmark may lead you to believe (the results bear this out). Sport is important there and all boys play, which is something I think you have been keen on for your DS in previous posts. They would love your DS's music!! Take a look at the website to see the music diary as there is a lot I think. It is a conventional school (chapel, set exeats, boys stay on campus as it is in the middle of a field) but until you go round and quizz the boys and staff and housemasters you won''t know if it will work for your boy. I think if you accept but withdraw by a certain date you get some of the fee back, but check the small print!!

St Edwards is also great, but different! Co-ed, more liberal, but I think it is a school going places. It is becoming increasingly popular with it's reputation for doing well by each child, being very sporty with outstanding pastoral care.

Good luck!

Yes parents do visit their children regularly Summertown is within easy walking distance so there's always some where to go for tea.

When I said no exeats at Oundle, they still have half term!

Bulletpoint, I know a mother who visits her ds at St Edwards quite regularly, so I'm sure you could - and if you're near enough, you could certainly go and watch sports matches etc.

The sport worries me especially with a boy that may be coming from a school with no sports, and I mean none!

We registered in 2007 for 2014 and were on the waiting list. I suspect we've moved up because Eton offers came out in December and so some declined Radley.

Every boy I I know who went to Radley and every old Radlian (not sue if that is the correct term) is charming but jaw droppingly conventional; the last bastion of the Church of England. All have been happy there but I can't see it as school for the unconventional, might be wrong but thats my very strong impression. It does also take it sport very seriously they play hard.

HG, can you explain the contrast between St Ed's and Radley. DS has just been offered a place at Radley and not sure whether we should accept. As you know, he is a bit of a square peg.

P.S. keep posting!

Hi all I've been watching this post but as someone who shall remain nameless has been recently so rude and offensive I am now reluctant to post on specific questions about schools! St Edwards has approximately 750 children and about 100 are day children staying till 9 pm evey night of the week, the rest full board. It has an extraordinary high standard of pastoral care, is very sporty and more liberal than a school like Radley. There is an exeat evey 1/2 term.
Looking back through my DS's old prep school magazine (boring) for the last two years 10 went to Stowe all lived in either Kent or Sussex so must be full boarding. If I understood the mum of the one whose DS went to Oundle correctly she said no exeats because quite a few day children. The DS's old prep sent loads to Kings Canterbury this is also full boarding with exeats and a small % of day children. I never looked at it but I do know all sorts go there a seem very happy. The train link into London a recently significantly improved. The one who went to Bradfield a couple years ago was definitely weekly boarding. I hope this helps.

My son is sitting for Harrow in Michaelmas term too. It's all very nerve racking, especially as he is rarely consistent when it comes to testing!

Yes, I think you can go home after Sunday chapel.

I know some prople with dc at St Edwards and I think they get exeats every 3 weeks. Chapel on Sunday is compulsory I think, but my friends often visit their dc there at school quite often. It's very sporty! :)

We looked at Bradfield. Liked the school especially the fact that year 9 lived together but it definitely empties after school on Saturday. St Edwards used to have the rule that you had to stay in on Saturday nights so that stopped the exodus until Sunday. I am not sure whether that is still the case.

My gut says that your DS will get into Harrow - so I'm off to heat the oven.

My great grandfather was the first rowing blue from St Edwards. Otherwise I know very little about the school.

Well I know two boys who have left Bradfield recently. One was the son of an OB(?) and went on to Oxford. The other was less academic and is reading graphic design (or similar) at Oxford Brookes. Both sets of parents are more than happy that Bradfield stretched the boys to meet their potential.
I've got a feeling though that the place empties a bit at week-ends.
It's tricky.

Oundle is very much a full boarding school with no exeats but that may be too much. I don't think many of the top schools do actually empty out at weekends. The other option is to pick a school quite far from London but that has a large London contingent as they will stay at school at the weekends: Marlborough, Rugby, Uppingham, Shrewsbury.

Bradfield could be a good "insurance" option? I worry a bit about Wellington and Stowe - they seem "Marmite" schools to me. People either love them or hate them.
Charterhouse? Or is that too academic to be an insurance school? Would not have thought it was much different to Wellington in that respect.
Haileybury?
Now I'm just thinking out loud and not being helpful. Good luck.

A friend's son has just left Stowe - he loved it. Was out maybe one weekend a month. His brother at Eton had far fewer exeats.