Boarding school for dyslexic rugby playing boy

[Oystercatcher2]

Can anyone recommend a boarding school for a dyslexic boy who is a good rugby player. We are hoping to find somewhere that will give him proper help with his dyslexia but that might also be good for a non dyslexic quite academic brother. A rugby playing school within an hour and a half or two hours drive of Swindon would be the ideal. Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Check out Uppingham and Sherborne. Also consider Shiplake - the head is an ex Irish rugby international.

The automatic suggestion would be Millfield.

The two things it is best at are sport (without doubt the strongest sport school in the country) and learning support (where it has a specific focus on support for dyslexic students).

Being in Somerset, it is well within your driving distance, and it would probably also be suitable for your other DS if he has an interest in sport. In the event he isn't, there are other schools within a reasonable difference that may be more suitable.

If your son is aged 13 plus this could be an option:

https://miltonabbey.co.uk/Academic/Learn-Differently.aspx

Millfield fits that criteria perfectly

Millfield

I would have a look at Shipslake, Clayesmore, Seaford, Downside, Blundells, Sherbourne, Charterhouse, Clifton, Prior Park, Canford, wellington college, bradfield

It’s going to depend on how dyslexic he is and how bright he is etc but the above offer a good spectrum of schools with good SEN / dyslexia provision

Milton Abbey as mentioned by PP is lovely but might be too far down the non academic route - as in, most kids are non academic (it’s changed a bit lately mind you but still leans firmly in that direction)

Millfield is a particular flavour, I would say

Stowe is certainly worth a look.

Agree with techtastic.
Millfield is the only school where there is a Learning Support table with banner at the open day, the team are very open and available.

If you don’t have a current Ed Psych assessment, book it now. All the schools will request an assessment and guidance from Ed Psych.

These are really helpful replies. Thank you, all, for your thoughts and insights.

Millfield is recommended repeatedly. Do any of you know anything more about what it is like? Academics, ethos, learning support…

What age are your kids? It depends if they will be going in the Prep School or the Senior. Learning Support at the senior is very good. Small classes, much smaller than lots of independent schools. Feel free to message if you want more specific info

Colleague of my ex wife had a severely dyslexic son and sent him to Ellesmere College in Shropshire. Amazingly good dyslexia unit and a great rugby reputation.

Interesting, thank you. I will check it out.

Quick response is the academics are fair but not outstanding. I think an academic child will do well but if you are looking for an academic hothouse Millfield is not for you. However it has an amazingly strong reputation for learning support and I think that was part of the reason it was set up, specifically to cater for this.

it is without a doubt the single strongest sports school in the country.

it also has a reputation for having some super rich kids there. Like, dropped off at the start of term in a helicopter rich. Friends with kids there say this is true but their kids enjoy it there.

I recommend speaking to them and I think they have an open day coming up. They sound like potentially a good school for your DS.

The boarding schools I know begin their application process several years in advance - you don’t say how old your sons are, @Oystercatcher2.

Also, they all play rugby. Academic levels are a more significant distinguishing factor.

Bedford!

Most every school publishes info about where leavers are going.

https://www.millfieldschool.com/sixth-form-16-18/academic/university-destinations

I agree with this, but given the OP’s specific reference to dyslexia, I think Millfield’s strength in learning support perhaps compensates for it being somewhat average academically.

In terms of timing, very selective schools tend to require registration in Year 5 and assessment in Year 6. Less selective schools often require registration only by the end of Year 6 (if there is even a deadline for this) with assessment in Year 7.

My DN who loves sport and has a dyslexia type learning need had a great time at Millfield. Yes, there were some astonishingly rich children but also plenty of more normal (albeit financially comfortable!) ones. A lot of fees payed by grandparents etc. The only thing he will say is that many kids who would expect to make the ‘A’ sports squads at other schools would only make the ‘C’ or ‘D’ at millfield which could be a little demoralising. And local fixtures can sometimes be a little boring as they walk over the opposition.

Which is exactly what puts me off Millfield for my own DS. Some of the parents at his prep are shocked Millfield isn’t top of our list given how much he loves sport.

I should think Sherborne would be an obvious candidate, @Oystercatcher2 . It's a strong rugby school, would cater pretty well for your DS1's dyslexia and provide a good academic offer for your DS2. It's a broad entry school so works well for siblings whose strengths and interests differ.

I went to Millfield, and we are now looking at it for our DCs

We know quite a few current parents, and it doesn’t seem like the ethos has changed that much since I was there in the late 90s/early 00s - basically everyone has a strength and talent, and you’ll get as much support as you need to find it and then nurture it.

About half the school will be receiving some sort of learning support so there is nothing unusual or shaming about being dyslexic or ND, and the level of support is second to none. The academic standards are high but it’s happy to not be a hot house.

It has a higher proportion of day pupils than a lot of boarding schools which I think takes away some of need to be flashy - it’s not just hoards of Home Counties and London kids turning up in Range Rovers, there are lots of farmers kids, doctors kids etc

The sports reputation is obviously outstanding and well-earned, but it’s also a pretty healthy one. There is equal praise and recognition for kids doing lesser-known sports, music etc so the 1st XV don’t swan about like kings of the universe as happens in other schools

And yes the standards are high enough that kids who might make the first team at small schools might only make the C team, but they’ll get the same access to facilities, coaching, physio, nutrition support as the first team, which they won’t at smaller schools, and will probably be playing the second teams from other schools
And they’ll still be getting county trials etc if they make the standard

We’ve got some good friends who’s DD went there as a tennis star and quickly realised she wasn’t as good as she thought but the sports staff recognised that she had amazing dedication to training, and she now plays hockey at a very high level, as well as doing well at athletics. I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t have been spotted and nurtured in the same way at most schools

Another suggestion would be to research onward destination schools from Bruern Abbey and see which of these fit your other criteria.

This would have been a great idea, but Bruern Abbey have their own senior school now, so I don’t think list onward schools any more. Thank you for the suggestion, though.

Look at Shiplake.

I would echo the caution around Millfield.