Poole/Bournemouth prep schools

[Unknown8943]

Hello, I’m looking into prep schools in the area as we are moving down. I really like the look of Yarrells and bcs. I will have a reception starter and year 3. Can anyone share what the schools are like please? Pros and cons. I will be visiting both soon.

thank you

Hello. I'm not familiar with those schools but another one to consider is Dumpton. It's in Wimborne but they have buses running from Poole and Bournemouth. A lovely school with amazing facilities. Is not selective but a strong culture of effort and just giving it a go.

Might also consider Talbot Heath prep if you have girls?

BCS I think is IB primary curriculum. I am not a fan of that personally as I think the kids that are weaker on the basics end up behind, but some parents really like it. Also I believe it's a for-profit school which is quite unusual in UK.

I know its very early to be thinking about it, but be aware that Yarrells only goes up to Year 7 whereas schools that the preps often feed into like Canford and Bryanston only start in Year 9. If you're targeting the grammar schools then that's less of an issue. BCS is a through school as is Talbot Heath.

Other schools that I have no experience of but might be worth looking at - Castle Court and Ballards.

Also, you accidentally posted this in the boarding school section so may want to move it to primary education- can ask MN to do it.

A friend of mine was very pleased with Yarrells and both children got into the grammar school from there. My understanding is BCS is not very academic.

Maybe post in another forum if you aren't looking for boarding info as not everyone will check this board.

Park School is excellent and very well located.

BCS is owned by a chinese state backed company and all the senior leadership left in the last year.

I have had a few friends children go through Castle Court which was very good.

Does anyone have any thoughts between Castle Court and Dumpton? Do both do common entrance in Y8? Looking for a feeder school co-ed into 13+ independents in Dorset.

As a parent with two children at one of them I’d argue they’re pretty similar. CC used to be viewed as the more academic. I’m not sure that’s now necessarily true or at least it varies by year. I would visit both and see how you feel as it’s likely to come down to personal preference. CC typically has more students targeting the grammars and Talbot heath from year 7 so some years are thin in Year 7/8 as a result. Dumpton mainly feeds Canford, Bryanston and Claysmore and there for years 7/8 can be fuller.

Sorry- re common entrance, yes, common entrance or scholarship exams in Year 8 depending on requirements of the school they’ll be going onto. So, for example, if students are sitting the canford scholarship exams they do those instead of common entrance. I’m not sure how old your dc are now but the places for year 9 are secured in Year 6 so common entrance is increasingly just a formality.

Thank you. Appreciate your reply.

Castle Court has a new head this September. The last one was in the position for only 5 years. This it normal to have relatively short tenure of head?

Yes that is quite short but I’m not sure it was an entirely successful appointment so possibly good to have a change. I think headships are like any other job- sometimes it just doesn’t work out.

@illiterato thank you for the info as I’m searching for an answer to the same question at the moment and comparing Dumpton and CC. Anyone had any experience of the new head to say what that’s meant for the view of Castle Court?

@Sage2025 what did you choose as the best option in the end? We are weighing up the same question for September!xx