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Private 11+ or 13+ boarding or day school Southern England please?

77 replies

bottomsup2 · 13/05/2018 10:57

Hi there, I hope you lovely people can help me out please? I'm beginning the search for my son's next school. I have some ideas myself and some from the prep school Head, but in my experience Mumsnetters are awesome at coming up with those I may have missed.

We're looking for:
11+ or 13+ school within 1.5 hours of Bournemouth - so Hampshire, Dorset, Surrey, Somerset, East Sussex, or Berkshire.
Boys only or co-ed
Day school if it's within 45 mins of Bournemouth; if it's further away it'll need to be boarding
My son is academically very capable, his first try at CATS here gave him a mean of 138.
He likes sport and likes to be in the school teams, but it doesn't have to be a school known for its sporting prowess. He excels at football so that would be a sport that the school would need to offer.

OP posts:
bottomsup2 · 13/05/2018 11:04

Here's the list so far that I need to investigate. Any views on these for my son would be gratefully received, as well as suggestions for those I have missed.

Bradfield
Bryanston
Canford
Charterhouse
Dauntseys
Hampshire Collegiate - although mumsnetters say this is a less academic school
King Edwards Southampton - sounds like a great fit
King Edwards Witley - the ISI report mentions it doesn't push the more able kids very well though
Lord Wandsworth
Marlborough (though it sounds too ultra-monied for my liking)
Sherbourne
Warminster
Win College - we like it but maybe my son would be at the bottom of the sets here?

OP posts:
bottomsup2 · 13/05/2018 11:00

Pressed Enter too early, sorry!

He likes extra-curricular stuff, he's a confident child who is everyone's best mate by lunchtime, no SEN, and he would definitely need an academic school. Having said that, I'm looking at Winchester College, and knowing my child, he hates being beaten (argh) so I'm wondering if ultra-academic would not suit him, he would perhaps be better at a school where he could be in the top set for everything, but that would still push him, IYKWIM.

Many thanks everyone for any help you can offer me. xxx

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