Co-ed Boarding schools starting at 13+

OP I'm so glad you liked it. Its a very grounded school with very unaffected boys and girls. I hope you saw that they all full board except years 7 and 8. Well you've seen both now... you've got lots of thinking to do, i never been to MC so cant comment on that.

My son is at a prep school that does Latin. He however does not do (opted out of) Latin and his senior schools(top senior boarding schools) have all reassured us this is not a barrier at all.
Also most of these schools offer a separate entrance exam for applicants who have not followed the 13+ curriculum.

"if you say you are needs blind but still expect applicants to sit entrance papers in French and Latin,"
I personally don't see this as a barrier the schools will simply not expect pupils to do these in their entrance exam for example many pupils from HK already don't do the Latin part of the entrance exam.
More of a barrier is the yr 9 entry point, I cant see how that can be so easily got past.

"Private boarding schools have responded by filling their places with an increasing proportion of overseas students- not just the global super rich who have always been a feature of the market, but also wealthy Europeans"
"they are not necessarily a peer group whose families share the same values as most of the UK clientele"
I'm struggling to find a problem with this. As you go onto to say its an inevitable part of globalisation and something we are going to not only accept but positively embrace if we're not going to be left behind and also more importantly solve many of the words problems e.g. climate change. DS2 has two boys out of 12 in his house/year who are not from the UK he is enjoying from their friendship and he has learnt about other cultures, he also has friends from Europe and beyond in other houses/ years groups, I think its great I couldn't care less where they come from.
"And I am not persuaded by the "needs blind" narrative of some of the big public schools"
Some are committed to a needs blind admission policy, often they are the very big names with matching very big assets which they can sell off to raise money for this bursary fund.
I do agree the building of equestrian centres ect is for the super rich who expect such things, these schools are often not an the top of the academic league tables and struggling to fill their vacancies and have to find other things to attract parents. I cant see DS2's school building such things or improving their facilities!

I might not have chosen Life's exact words, but I do think s/he has touched on an interesting point relating to the changing demographic in many British boarding schools. Even 10/15 years ago the majority of boarders were from - for want of a better term successful "middle class" British families - who wanted their DC to work hard, pass exams, go on to University and then into one of the professions, civil service, forces, banking etc.

But the exponential rise in boarding school fees means that many of these people are now priced out of the boarding market - particularly if they have three or four children - and are moving their DC to the big day schools where possible or, if they need boarding, are looking at the state boarding option which is still affordable. And actually schools like Cranbrook and Sexey's (unfortunate name!) are now attracting that MC demographic that would previously have sent their DC to private schools.

Private boarding schools have responded by filling their places with an increasing proportion of overseas students- not just the global super rich who have always been a feature of the market, but also wealthy Europeans whose DC may not be performing well in their home systems and who are attracted by the English language and the A level option. There is also high demand from Russia, China and the FE. This has changed the ethos at many boarding schools and means that the peer group for British MC students can be very different to that their parents may have experienced themselves and may be looking to duplicate.

This is perhaps an inevitable result of globalisation - and perhaps the new peer group will be the new "international establishment" offering on a global scale the networking opportunities that the big public schools used to offer on a national scale. But they are not necessarily a peer group whose families share the same values as most of the UK clientele. Not the fault of the children, but it was interesting that the source of monies used to pay UK boarding school fees was highlighted in last week's anti corruption conference.

I think there is a big question over the business model now being pursued. Private boarding schools are falling over themselves to provide newer and shinier facilities - equestrian centres spring to mind - to attract the global rich and in doing so are pricing out their core market. With the odd exception - Christ's Hospital springs to mind - few are sticking to their charitable foundations. And I am not persuaded by the "needs blind" narrative of some of the big public schools. Most of them do not have the money to offer this on any scale. And even the very wealthy foundations find it a struggle. Also, if you say you are needs blind but still expect applicants to sit entrance papers in French and Latin, you really aren't. Any free places are likely to go to ex -choristers who are a special breed. And the 10%/20%/30% bursary still leaves parents with a lot of money to find.

If they continue in this way, they are going to end up as international schools based in Britain - which I think would make them significantly less attractive to their overseas clientele. And potentially lead to the demise of much of the sector.

lifeisunjust I'm interested in your comment about the "entitlement culture" that you believe exists in independent school. Could you expand on that? What are you experiences of it? Do you think this is pretty universal at all independent schools?
Secondly your other comment "children of oligarchs" what is your problem with children of oligarchs? If I wrote I have sent my DS to an independent boarding school because there are no children from council estate there I suspect and indeed hope that most on here would go up in arms so why do you think it's ok to make the same kind of comment about the children of oligarchs? One of the wonderful thing about boarding school in the independent sector is that children learn to work sleep eat and play be along side children from many different background, yes it's inevivatable that some will be children of oligarchs, many will be very wealthy, many well off, but Marlborough, discussed on here, offers significant bursaries to children of the clergy, Rugby also appears to offer generous financial support, as does Eton, my DS's school now has nearly 20% on bursaries some of 100% and is moving over to a needs blind admission policy. On top of that children in the indepenent boards sector come from all over the world.
I believe that mixing with others from such varied background promotes tolerance and understanding of difference and that my DS having learnt this at his boarding school would no more write or think comments it great here because "there are no children of oligarchs" or "there are no children from council estates".

It's definitely an academy.

I'm not sure Sexeys is even an academy, it looks like it isn't and LEA controlled but hard to tell from the website. I have no idea how it is funded or why it has such good facilities for a state school.

Yes my son is in state boarding.

DS in Year 9 at Shrewsbury. The girls are already well integrated. DS said it feels very much like a mixed school, NOT like "a boys school with girls added on". Boarding is full boarding. DS is a day boy but boarders make up 80% plus. We're very happy with it.

Although I would agree that Sexey's facilities cannot possibly compete with the top independent boarding schools, Eton apart, I'm sure it can't match Harrow, Stowe, Bradfield, Rugby etc.

Hmm..but Sexey's had all these facilities before they became an academy. Is your son's school also a state boarding school?

I have no idea how Sexeys funds its facilities. My son isn't at that school but I visited 2 times, just not convenient as south-west England so harder to get home. Maybe it's an academy? That's how state schools go these days to get funding. My son's school got 25 million and everything was built new or refurbished 2 years ago, with years 12 and 13 in en-suite double and single rooms, it's like a posh new university hall of residence.

I know Sexeys has a boarding house built in the last 5 years and refurbished its other 2, sports hall is new I think, has an indoor pool, masses of playing fields. But physical facilities are not of the same standard of my son's school. However, they have a significant number of full term boarders, as well as weekly boarders. It's the amount of activities provided for them which made Sexeys stand out amongst the state boarding schools I researched, offers similar levels of activities to my son's school.

Lifeisunjust How does Sexey's fund all theses facilities? I don't know ,ugh about the school, but read its funded by local council as well as independent charities. How does this work? I'm just wondering why all other state schools do not have this provision. The imbalance with other state schools is incredulous.

I don't think Eton counts as "most schools".

Around my son's state boarding school in a 15 mile radius there are 5 private boarding schools, all of which have full boarders, but all offer flexi/weekly too. None of their facilities come up quite to the level of my son's school, well one does just about. But that's not why my son is in state boarding, it's rather nice he has such facilities, but the reason he's there is financially I could get a loan to cover 2 years there and the complete offerings of the school, the afternoon activities mixed with academic, the evening and weekend activities, I found nowhere else quite like it. It's boarding only. I visited a few state boarding schools where day pupils were the majority and knew immediately that priority was the boarding experience, over the school's overall academic reputation.

State boarding is a varied as private boarding, but without the price tag and with less "entitlement" culture and there are no children of oligarchs, EU nationals only!

If you really need boarding and you also need a significant bursary then you are taking a big risk in not considering a state boarding school. After all, financially it is equivalent to getting a two- thirds bursary and there are many of those on offer at boarding schools, relative to the number of people who would like one. Alternatively, consider Christ's Hospital where there are a substantial number of bursaries available - it meets all your criteria except for being in the South East rather than the South West. Perhaps you are getting too fixated exactly what level of facilities counts as amazing and what that really has to do with the educational experience and opportunities on offer. Above and beyond the 'usual' level of amazing facilities, how exactly does it matter?

It appears from reading Sexey's inspection reports that less than half the school board and not all of those are "termly boarders", I personally wouldnt want my DC boarding at a school where boarders are in the minority, be it state or independent especially if I was looking for full boarding.
I'm interested lifeisunjust that you say that the facilities at your DS's school are better than most independent schools you obviously haven't been round Eton . IMO it's not necessarily the facilities that make a school a good school or the right school for your DC. I looked at Eton and the facilities are pretty mind blowing, in contrast I would say the facilities at my DS's school are not particularly impressive but for me and many others I suspect that not what we're paying for, the wonderful thing about independent ed is that it is just that, and although I accept that many independent schools are pretty similar they do remain free from constant government interference and can of course opt out of league tables etc. I think this independence has a massive impact on their ethos. DS2 school very firmly walk its own path in every way, at times this is a truffle tedious leaving you thinking why? But generally I think it's great as it's completely free to offer things that it believes represent its ethos and are right for its pupils and most parents have fully signed up to its approach. Few I have to say will send their DS's there for the facilities!

If you have only thought but not looked at Sexeys, maybe it's the right time. Many are full term boarders there with very full school and social lives.

My son is at a state boarding school and you'll find few private boarding schools come anywhere near the facilities there, which is not why he is there though, I know teachers teach and not facilities. My son never rests. He doesn't need to be at a private school to be in that position.

Why don't you go with state boarding? Could be as little as 9k for an entire year. Sexeys is south-west, 7 day boarding, one of the top state schools in the UK, in Good Schools Guide, in Tatler ratings.

Sounds as though she may well be a good candidate for an allrounder award at a school like Cheltenham if she is academically strong, plus a potential award standard for DT and sport. It might be worth having a conversation with the school that you were considering this option as it might influence whether they put her in the academic scholarship set or not if she is borderline.

Having had a dd in a top girls' boarding prep, no-one spoke to us in y4! In Y5 there was an approach regarding taking the county 11 plus the following year and an enquiry regarding where we might be interested in going at 13. It seemed to be Y6 where open days really got going for most but few applied to co-ed schools for y9. Most went to girls' schools which seem to have a shorter lead-in time. However the scholarship group was identified by y6. The head never spoke to parents about schools - it was delegated to a deputy. I would not discount anywhere if you need a bursary/scholarship. Is she in the scholarship set? That will give you an indication as to whether a bursary is realistic.