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Original poster

Recommendations for liberal co-ed boarding schools in the south

34 replies

windygallows · 16/12/2018 21:52

My DD has announced she wants to go boarding - she's entering yr 9. It's all v last minute and I'm not v familiar with the schools available. I've done searches for schools online on the usual portals but finding it hard to distinguish between them without knowing their reputation or anecdotal feedback.

I'd be grateful for recommendations for schools that meet DD's main criteria:

  1. Coed
2 . 2 hour radius from London
  1. Good academics but not too pressured. She's a good student but not top of class.
  2. Offers dance and more focus on arts than sports.
  3. Liberal, community feel with a 'kind atmosphere'.
  4. Good facilities, nice looking campus if poss.
  5. Boarders and day students.
  6. Smallish class size.
  7. Uniform okay or not

It's a long wish list but any thoughts as to appropriate schools would be appreciated. Am not trying to be lazy by reaching out, just looking for recommendations from humans rather than search engines.

OP posts:
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Juls1980 · 05/01/2019 23:16

And it's Co-Ed!

Juls1980 · 05/01/2019 23:15

I had the same situation last summer and was looking for something very similar.

My daughter is at Cranleigh and has been since the start of year 9 in September. She boards. It's an hours from London. The community is incredible. There is a Dance studio, teacher, classes & performances. Their academics are good but they aren't a school who only cares about the league tables. Their pastoral care is outstanding. Visit, I'm sure you'll fall in love as we did and I have a feeling there is a girls place in current year 9 x

jessstan2 · 20/12/2018 12:23

Bedales in Hampshire is very good.

ShalomJackie · 20/12/2018 10:43

I too was goong to suggest if you are coming out to Cambridge to see The Leys then King's Ely probably ticks more boxes.

User111222333 · 20/12/2018 10:17

This reply has been withdrawn

The OP has privacy concerns and so we've agreed to take this down.

DCIJackieDeering · 19/12/2018 21:17

Kings Ely? good mix of arts and sports, Ely is 1 hr 15 from kings cross. Think it would tick most of your criteria

Takeittotheboss · 19/12/2018 21:09

Teddies ticks all your boxes. Though further afield, so do Oakham and Shrewsbury.

missflippy · 18/12/2018 21:59

Bryanston. Also def bedales

eurochick · 18/12/2018 15:21

Caterham? Might be too academic though.

Oratory1 · 18/12/2018 14:23

Sevenoaks is very academic. My bet would be Bradfield or St Edwards for location, brilliant dance, as well as other arts and drama and strong values and pastoral care.

HingleMcCringleberry · 18/12/2018 13:39

Sevenoaks might be in the sweet spot for you as well? I'm not sure about the dance part though.

Cobblersandhogwash · 17/12/2018 18:48

Haileybury.

happygardening · 17/12/2018 18:40

I second St Edwards ticks all your boxes.

motherdemeter · 17/12/2018 18:38

Bryanston?

TheletterZ · 17/12/2018 18:35

How about Lord Wandsworth College, it has a sporty reputation but there is still loads of arts and dance. Very friendly school with a beautiful campus.

LIZS · 17/12/2018 18:09

Bedes, Hurst?

VanCleefArpels · 17/12/2018 13:29

Hurtwood House is an obvious choice - as liberal as they come and focus on the arts

Original poster
windygallows · 17/12/2018 10:00

Thanks lovely people for all your advice!! St Edwards and Bedales are on our list and am looking at Frensham's. I visited Leighton Park and wasn't so hot on it - just didn't get a 'feeling' and I liked the Quaker aspect but hard to see how it was embedded on a day to day basis.

Am looking at Bradfield, The Leys and Dauntsey's now. Thanks all!

OP posts:
trudylady12 · 17/12/2018 09:53

The Leys School?

www.theleys.net/645/life-at-the-leys/wider-curriculum/dance

sendsummer · 17/12/2018 09:28

Sports are strong at St Edwards but that does not prevent an arts focus as well.

sendsummer · 17/12/2018 09:27

St Edwards in Oxford
Has strong dance including scholarships and ticks your other boxes.

Aethelthryth · 17/12/2018 08:05

Kings Canterbury; but you may be too late

Pippioddstocking · 17/12/2018 07:54

Dauntsey's near Devizes .

AnotherNewt · 17/12/2018 07:45

Bedales, though I'm not sure how much dance there. It's not a sporty school. Most pupils go home at weekends.

Oakham is lovely, but rather more sporty (but perfectly possible to thrive there even if you're not). If that looks OK to you, then just about every school would meet the not greatly focussed on sport criterion

Near London, worth looking Woldingham (increasingly popular)

Brighton College for dance and drama

MeetOnTheSIedge · 17/12/2018 07:28

Frensham ticks all the boxes, it has no uniform, teachers are called by their first names.