Cheltenham Ladies College, Shrewsbury School, Wellington College?

[jellybelly65]

I'm looking for boarding school for a sixth form place for start in 2024 for my daughter. Preferably co-ed and with a more full boarding feeling but with fixed exeats or times when they can come home occasionally. Looking for a school with good academics but also with a good music department and are somewhat keen on swimming. I don't mind the travelling to and from but would prefer one within a 2 - 3 hour drive so I could pop in on exeats.

We are based in Manchester and DD goes to a boarding school in Lancashire since year 7 but really isn't enjoying it. Lots of bullying and she just wants a change of scenery for sixth form. We tried to get her moved for Year 11 but couldn't obviously due to GCSE's and not many schools accepting students into this year.

Does anybody have any experience with the following schools? Especially for sixth form! Also open to reccomendations for other schools.

• Cheltenham Ladies College
• Wellington College
• Shrewsbury School
• Ellesmere College
• King's College Canterbury
• St Peter's York

Shrewsbury definitely full boarding. My DD went there and loved it.

Ellesmere College less academic than Shrewsbury or CLC. I would have thought CLC is more academic than Shrewsbury. Shrewsbury very good for music but Ellesmere strong for swimming. Canterbury sounds a long drive?

Shrewsbury is not keen on swimming - its seen as a recreational sport mostly seen by the non-sporty kids to fill up the mandatory sports quota. Big sports there are rowing, cricket and football if that's appealing. Fives, rugby and hockey are also fairly prominent. Regarding academics, you can see the results online for yourself but if I recall its dropped to 190-200 something on the Sunday Times' indies rank which isn't amazing for the amount of fees you're coughing up. The more academic kids there often complain about the school pioriting sport over academics. I got a copy of the satirical magazine the kids there make (to the ire of some of the more strict teachers) - an absolute laugh - but I did note loads of complaints about falling academic standards.