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Original poster

Rugby, Ampleforth and Charterhouse

28 replies

0364925can · 23/12/2019 11:45

We are British expats in HK. Sending our our eldest to boarding school in 2021.

He doesn't get bullied at his current school but can be a bit sensitive. He has a lot of interests and loyal friends.

Has assessments coming up at the following schools so starting to really think which school to go for. Son plays rugby, plays guitar, draws but not super artsy.

Choices are Rugby, Ampleforth, Marlborough and Charterhouse.

Worried about some of the videos we have seen of Charterhouse and Marlborough (the ones uploaded by students, not official school ones).

Really like Rugby but worried our son comes across as a bit boastful (he doesn't mean to). The kids there are lovely and a very down to earth.

We really like what we have seen of Ampleforth but concerned that the safeguarding has not been sorted out. Does anyone have any insider info?

Concern with Marlborough is that some of kids seem to spend a lot of money on the high street. We are solid middle class but don't have that kind of money.

Have family all over the UK so distance not a factor.

Thank you.

OP posts:
flickeringcandle45 · 23/12/2019 14:28

Pope lifts 'pontifical secret' rule in sex abuse cases www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50824842

flickeringcandle45 · 23/12/2019 14:26

We are Catholic but decided against a boarding Catholic school for our DC because of the safeguarding issues.

I know they say these have all now been addressed, but the monastic communities still have considerable power in these boarding schools and in many cases they are made up of the same people who have been covering up abuse for the past decades.

The Vatican’s very recent pronouncements on child pornography (recognising that 18 not 14 is the cut off age) and secrecy surrounding allegations of abuse just highlight how dysfunctional their approach remains. Was it really OK for priests to watch porn involving 14 year olds until earlier this month? Was it still OK to keep allegations of abuse secret?

Michaelahpurple · 23/12/2019 13:32

Have to admit that I would hesitate to send a boy to Ampleforth these days. Not that I would think he would be molested any more, more that their chronic inability to sort out the power structure between the religious and secular side of the organisation suggests fundamental failures at every level. Also, it was once a great catholic school but now the english catholic community don’t really feel the need to send their children to catholic foundations so it really has little function now, except as a local school. Given the other schools you are looking at, I assume a catholic environment isn’t crucial for you either, so I would scrap that one. I’d it was on the list to give an easier option to get into, there are other better choices (eg cranleigh which presumably would work for you as is near charter house)

On the videos, I am afraid that that is, in my views, just a manifestation of teens plus phones. I don’t think one school will be more or less prone to that than others.

I may be out of date, but isn’t Charterhouse a soccer school? If rugby is important to him look into that. Don’t know about M on that front.