Are there any good non selective boarding schools

[Lemonandpeardrops]

Looking to possibly return to uk with dc going into year 9 academic year starting September 2025.

Looking online and quite a few boarding schools seem to want you to apply 100 years prior to dc starting plus lots of tests or isebs etc. we’ve missed the boat on those I think anyway but wondered if it’s no longer possible to get in to any good schools without reserving a place years in advance as I don’t really have any solid plans yet and would rather not pay huge deposits before I can know what we are doing?! (I’m ancient and getting a place seemed much easier when I was at school)

Does it have to be boarding? My (highly unscientific) suspicion is that parents who send their kids to boarding will not be struggling with the fees and so will not be impacted by the VAT issue. But a lot of day schools will have parents who are only just coping and so will be withdrawing their kids thus leaving spaces.

Just phone the schools' admissions offices when you are ready to apply. Most boarding schools are in a bums on seats situation at the moment (maybe not Eton.. but many of them) so they are likely to entertain you at any stage as long as your DS is literate, numerate and reasonably sociable.

Just contact any schools you are interested in.

@Mumofteenandtween no it doesn’t have to be boarding but boarding most likely allows for a broader area to search for properties.

Also dc wants to board but I’m open to most schools. Trying to get my thoughts together for a potential move back to U.K.

Schools don’t advertise open places, you need to call admissions offices, but they won’t refer to to other schools.
it’s typical for returning expats to use services of schools consultants as they often have intel on schools with who might have open lists and admissions requirements.
good luck

"Looking online and quite a few boarding schools seem to want you to apply 100 years prior to dc starting plus lots of tests or isebs etc. we’ve missed the boat on those I think anyway"

I'm not so sure that you have missed the boat. There are two boarding schools close to where we live, Oakham and Oundle.

Oundle is a bit like that but even they say:

"Please contact us as soon as possible if you are considering 13+ entry in 2025."

The closing date for applications for Oakham for 2025 entry is in November of this year. But there are still tests to then do in January.

V few are completely full other than places like Eton/ Marlborough so I wouldn’t panic. One thing to be aware of is that even if schools offer full boarding as the only option ( vs weekly/flexi) that doesn’t mean that most boarders stay in at weekends- the trend is increasingly towards Saturday nights at home. Therefore I’d recommend picking somewhere fairly close to where you plan to live so you can pick up Saturday pm and drop back Sunday pm without huge round trips.

I think the days of placing your planned children on a list before they are born have passed. Even Eton and Marlborough accept applications up to the end of Year 5 for Year 9 entry. Three and a bit years is not 100s.

Also, while most boarding schools officially test in Year 6 or Year 7, many still have places available for Year 8 pupils to apply for Year 9 entry, so you should be fine. Your DC will still be expected to sit the ISEB pre-tests, attend an assessment/interview day and sit common entrance, but many schools only use common entrance for setting and are happy to make unconditional offers on the basis of pre-tests, interviews, assessments and references.

You'll be fine, don't worry. 😁

Thanks is great to hear... We are on a similar situation @Lemonandpeardrops looking at a potential return to UK or sending our eldest home to board from yr 9. The prep school the boys are at is already asking where we want to apply (eldest only going into yr 6 now) so we are starting the hunt and glad to hear we haven't missed the boat on getting them in somewhere! Will be watching for recommendations!

If you are looking for recommendations, then you probably need to provide more information, in paricular with respect to your search area. If you are based in Cornwall do you really want to be driving to Scotland and back every Wednesday and Saturday to watch matches?

Disclaimer: My kids are in full boarding but I am still running up and down the side of a pitch as often as I can and at least once or twice a week, so we have a 2 hour radius limit. If you are based overseas or this does not matter to you, then location is likely to be more flexible.

There are usually alternative application routes from overseas. You need to contact the school/s of interest to ask.

Thanks both we've drawn a 2hr limit from my parents and started visiting schools...will be lurking for a while to see what names pop up and are worth a look. Thanks

You might look at St Chris in Letchworth.

If you’re going to be based overseas then I would prioritise one of the very few genuine full boarding schools left- by which I mean schools where pupils only go home for fixed exeats and holidays- no flexibility on other weekends. Marlborough and Oundle still have this model and Sherborne boys ( not sure about Sherborne Girls). There are a few others but not many- hopefully others can advise. The shift to a flexible boarding model has been accelerated by covid and there are increasing numbers of schools where really only international students are regularly there at weekends. If your parents are happy to have your dc every Saturday night and he/she would be happy to go that’s less relevant but otherwise do a lot of research/ digging on this- speak to current parents- even 5 years ago is too long ago- it really has changed very rapidly and continues to do so.

Sorry but I think boarding school is awful - why send your child away?!

Thanks all, I wanted to hopefully find the school then work backwards around where to live as I can live anywhere in the uk.
Pleased to see I’m not alone though!

@Lemonandpeardrops I think you can probably approach the two (house and school) in tandem as there's likely to be more than one good option. I would shortlist a number of schools that look a good fit based on coed vs ss, academics/ ECA specialisms - sport/ music/ performing arts etc. and general vibe (buying a short membership to the good schools guide website can be useful here). Then call/email admissions to find out about late applications. You will be told that they may possibly have one place left and have to formally register and pay a registration fee, and then go ahead with whatever assessment they have for Year 8 students. As you're overseas they will likely facilitate that online.

In terms of academics, it can be hard to determine where to aim because if you ask on MN you get very subjective views of what academic/selective means - I looked at their A level results to at least get a ranking/ idea of the type of student they are likely targeting. I also considered whether my DC would be happier somewhere where they were mid packers, top ranking or in a daily fight for academic survival .

You might also have preferences in terms of quite school specific things, like house structure, dining arrangements (house vs centralised), uniform, weekend flexibility, Saturday school or not, phone policy etc.

HTH- I applied for DS from overseas during covid using the scattergun approach as I had no opportunity to do any open days or visits and the school he was at was a through school which didn't get involved in applications to other secondary schools. Poor child had to do ISEB in solitary in a windowless cell at the British Council but it all worked out ok.

You could look at Bradfield? I hear very good things and think their intake is fairly broad.

Vote for Oundle from what you are looking for. Went there, highly recommend, not much wrong with it but happy to outline where it might not be great, certainly not a utopia (nowehere is lol). Full boarding 850 pupils and 250 day students. No in-between weekly or hopping home for a night.

Very popular school so I would get in touch now, they are probably full but can put you on waitlist if someone drops out of going there although with VAT hike Im sure all these schools will have more places than usual.

Fully endorse others saying choose a full boarding school. Any school with less than 50% full boarding can become fractured socially (weekends with some friends not there are lonely). Most have this weekly boarding model now off the top of my head some Co-Eds are Wellington, Oakham, Charterhouse, Teddies, Bradfield, Canford. Differing percentage of full boarders, others can confirm numbers.

Oundle and also Marlborough great choices (also v popular). They a basically the same. Oundle has more day students but anyone boarding has to stay there and with 850 full it feels full boarding, the day students have to walk to the boarding school drum (some come in on weekends), never leave unless it is an exeat or holiday even if you live 20 mins away (which I did). Doesn't preclude parents seeing you on weekends for a lunch or after sport for a trip to pub/coffee shop but never nights away. Students from both are individual, driven and ready for modern world in my experience. Both quite monied, Oundle is much more understated though.

Uppingham is also full boarding one day house and quite good.

Rugby also full boarding and in Oundle and Marlborough bracket, town is a lot worse though (not sure its that relevant though truthfully, everyone who I know who went loved it and didn't think it mattered).

Good luck.

Why on earth would you come onto a whole boarding school board, let alone thread just to say that? Go have that debate on AIBU if you like but this is for parents who are using it, for perfectly valid reasons.

We still had boarding schools emailing us in year 8 to see whether DD wanted a place. They just want bums on seats. And friends of ours have swopped schools during year 9 and the schools still have space!

Yes, Sherborne Girls is proper full boarding.

And you haven't missed the boat, just phone Admissions teams.

I think many people find it quite shocking that you wouldn't want to be near your children for as long as possible. My almost year 9 child is my youngest and the thought of missing out on any time with her for a serious amount of time is inconceivable. She spends lots of time with her friends and interests but she still needs me most days for a check in.
It feels very out dated.

We were left without a place at the last minute but still managed to get 2 offers - one conditional one unconditional - at the start of July24 for entry in Sept24.

Why come on this thread? 🤔
You might not agree but different strokes for different folks.
My son boarded and just finished and is now at home. Had a fantastic experience and did amazing in his A-levels and has his first choice for university. Sending him away again. Lol