For Needing Convincing Of Merits Of London Day Schools vs Boarding For Academically Average?

[EmbroideryQueen]

Please, convince me of the merits of the London day Prep & Senior school system over boarding!

My DS is very average academically (whch seems to equate to being dim in London!) and it feels as though the only schools which can match the quality of education & life experiences offered by Public Boarding schools (which I am differentiating from academic achievement which I don't care much about) are those which are impossible to get into for an average child - St Pauls, Habs, Dulwich, etc.....

.......And that those an average child would be able to get in to are very lacklustre - little value added, lots of sitting in classrooms, dull buildings, high pupil and staff turnover, hardly any timetabled sports, very few facilities, hardly any extra curriculars and in short, not much fun compared to beautiful university style campuses offering activities such as these: fluencycontent-schoolwebsite.netdna-ssl.com/FileCluster/BradfieldCollege/Mainfolder/Co-Curricular-2015.pdf (not to mention social benefits of boarding)

Unfortunately, it would be difficult for us to send DS down the Public Boarding route, (partly because I'd find it very hard to not see him for up to 3 weeks) so I'm desperate for you all to tell me why IBU and detail the many advantages to London day schools which I've not considered as I have little experience of London days.

The Good Schools Guide offer an advice service - they may be able to suggest schools that meet your critieria

I wasn't after a state/private debate. My son went to an independent school at 11 from a state primary. It was one of the ones you mention above and we chose it because it was offering a very academic education and we thought he would do well there (as he did). If he'd been academically average we wouldn't even have contemplated private schools. A good state school supplemented by extra-curricular activities and underpinned by strong parental support will do very well by most children and London state schools are now the best in the country.

Box Hill, Ardingly, Worth or Hurst? Royal Russell already mentioned. If you still have time for y7 entry, state boarding options would include Gordon's, Royal Alexandra and Albert. Are you tied to central London as there are less selective private day schools in suburbs like Ewell Castle which may suit.

Have you asked your son where he would like to go? Where are his friends going? Rather than thinking of your feelings, do you think full or flexiboarding or not boarding would suit him? Do you think he would struggle to make friends with children at any type of school? Would he be best in a large school or small school?

Thanks everyone.

In response to those of you asking what I'm after / what would suit him, I could imagine him in a big lively school with a lot to do. He really needs to be kept busy as he gets bored easily. He is also very active, so I think being able to do something physical each day would be good, though I'm aware this could be accommodated outside of school if at a day school. He would enjoy a couple of nights a week of boarding as it seems exciting, but I'd not really want full boarding (unless he was desperate to do it). Weekly could be a possibility if he was very keen too.

Lizs
I think Ardingly, Worth, Hurst would necessitate weekly boarding as they're quite far from London, however they all seem like lovely schools so I would consider them if weekly boarding becomes appealing.

Box Hill, I will google the transport for.

Haileybury is not especially academically selective at all . I work in a non selective boarding prep and remember a child going to Haileybury who was borderline SEN for maths and broadly average in English. She was however G&T for sport, music and drama so the school is suiting her absolutely down to the ground - academic support in small classes and fantastic extra curricular opportunities. She weekly boards. I think it would be a good option for your son.

Many boarding schools have weekly boarding as a mainstream option - other relatively non selective ones that come to mind are Bloxham, Bradfield and Stowe.

Instinctively, I feel like there have to be great London day schools that aren't selective - it's the capital city, you'd think there'd be everything! But I'm not in London so can't prove it either way really.

I also think there must be lots of day schools on the outskirts that make a big thing of bussing children in and out of London.

Also definitely disagree that boarding (esp at 13+) is in any way cruel. Most children thrive on it and have opportunities beyond what they would at home. The people who lose out and make the sacrifices are the parents, not the teenagers. Obviously there are exceptions. My daughter is one of them. She's currently in her last year at our prep and all her friends are off to boarding schools and very excited. My daughter wouldn't cope and it would be irresponsible to make her try (even if I could afford it which I can't!) But, assuming parents have common sense and knowledge of their child, modern boarding is rarely a negative experience, in my experience.

manic that sounds fantastic, thanks for all the info on Haileybury.

I got the impression Haileybury officially applied different selection criteria to boarding vs day pupils? I thought it was roughly speaking, 65% CE for day and 55% CE for the boarders? (And btw, DS may only just scrape 55%).

I love Bradfield and Stowe, IF i decided full boarding was a possibility and IF I was confident he would get 55% CE.

I think the problem with London is that there are so many applicants for places that it's very tempting for schools to just increase entry requirements so they get better results. I'd love to find a suitable day school near the M25 which bussed children in!

I totally agree abut the merits of boarding wrt amazing life experiences, it's just that I'd also love to have DS at home most days (as would he!). A school with a long commute at which he could flexi board some nights would be fine, but I don't thing Haileybury offers Flexi and I'm struggling to find ones that do!

I might PM you about it?

There's a good non academic weekly boarding school in Hertfordshire called St Christopher's? My friends son goes there and loves it. Pretty sure it does flexi boarding and it's on the fast train from London - around 30 mins into central London.

Thanks sidalee7, I'll investigate it.

Have you thought about Mill Hill or Highgate?

I'm not sure what they're like now, but years ago my DP looked at them for my bro who couldn't get into Habs.

Mill Hill, Haileybury, Aldenham. Highgate is hugely academic and over subscribed. Have to be honest, I wouldn't pay for any of those I've mentioned over a really good state school regardless of who was footing the fees and I speak from having 2 in prep and one in an outstanding state secondary. He wasn't going to cut it for a top tier private so we chose a state with better academics than all the above.

Ha, I was going to say Haileybury - I know some people.who went there who were distinctly average academically.

Yes, Highgate is hugely academic.

Mill Hill is becoming increasingly academic AFAIK. I think 5-10 years ago he would have had a good chance of getting in but not sure now!

Aldenham & Haileybury are on the radar, for sure.

"are very lacklustre - little value added, lots of sitting in classrooms, dull buildings, high pupil and staff turnover, hardly any timetabled sports, very few facilities, hardly any extra curriculars and in short, not much fun"

I was just wondering which school are these?

I know some have cramped sites, and have to bus pupils everywhere for many sports. But are there really many London schools that tick all the other boxes?

SquirmOfEels

Well, very few London Preps would have 6-8 hours of sports a week as country Preps do.

"Few extra curriculars" can you name any relatively non selective London schools with 100ish clubs per week like some boarding schools have? I don't think there are any! Possibly St Pauls & Habs do, but they're in a different league.

"Little value added" take for example Mill Hill. It's quite selective yet gets lower exam results than many less selective schools. I think in general, some London schools get fairly mediocre results when you consider just how hard they are to get in to.

Buildings & facilities comment - the buildings do tend to be smaller, therefore less in them (especially sports). By comparison, some senior schools outside of London have golf courses, equestrian centres, observatories etc.

"lots of sitting in classrooms" very few would be able to go outdoors to the woods / pond / sandpit for play led or hands on learning of maths / English / science etc.

"High pupil turnover" lots of international pupils who stay for a few years then move.

"High staff turnover" I think this is more true than in the country??

^ I'm not saying every London school ticks all of the points on that list, just that the above seems to be very common in London (please tell me I'm wrong, someone!).

^ please tell me I'm wrong, someone!!?

If you are considering boarding then perhaps Shiplake. It's not too far outside of London (train from Paddington) and offers full, weekly and flexi boarding as well as day. Its boys until 16 then Co-Ed for 6th form.

I have looked at the Shiplake website and cahttedo them in past and looks lovely, flexible boarding.

Bedes near Eastbourne has really good 'value added', is non selective and has an incredible campus (and a ballet school on site ). Had a chat with the deputy once and he specifically joined so his kids could go. Has a bus to station and lots of London kids heading back every Friday and finishes earlier for that purpose.

Reigate Grammar school? 35 mins from Victoria and they pick up from station?

Reigate Grammar is academically selective.

If I did decide on boarding then Shiplake and Bedes both sound great!

(Still hoping someone can convince me London day schools are excellent!)

Harrodian? St Benedicts? St Johns Leatherhead?

The newer schools (Radnor House, Kew House (?), Wetherby Upper) are probably low on 'extras'. Portland Place doesn't have much extra curricular sport, don't know about clubs.

If you do go for weekly boarding then I hear great things about Hurst.

Thanks KingscoteStaff.

I think Harrodian is now too competitive. St Benedicts is one the list, as I was told it's not very Catholic! St Johns Leatherhead I'd have to consider transport by school bus very carefully.

Interesting take on the newer London day schools. I thought Portland did sport every day? But perhaps you're right about no extra clubs after school.

IF I did go down the weekly boarding route, would you recommend Hurst over other schools in the area such as Ardingly and Worth? If so, why?

By average, do you mean 100-ish on INCAS or CATS?

There are obviously a lot more boarding spots available for average-ability students than London day spots. The advantages of boarding are largely subjective and vary from one child to another, but they can be great for sporty, sociable children.