Advice needed - Single sex to coed for sixth form

[Onisrm]

My DD is a Y10 student in an all-girls boarding school that has 60% day girls and the rest boarding. She’s an international student and a full boarder but that isn’t the experience she’s having as majority of the boarders are weeklies and flexies. Right now, in her year group, there’re only 12 full boarders (8 from the same country) and the school isn’t doing much about encouraging integration. Most of the day girls have their own friendship groups and her weekends are extremely lonely. She has a friend or two in the year above and her only close friend is an exchange student leaving at the end of the school year.

We are strongly considering moving her to a coed full boarding school that’s not so close to London for sixth form. She’s very keen on leaving the school as she joined in Y9 and hasn’t had much luck in the friendship realm.

Wondering if anyone can recommend good full boarding schools that have a significant number of students join in sixth form? Pastoral care is as important as academics to us. After the drama of an all-girls school, we’re not keen on going down that path for sixth form. Also, does anyone have any experience of moving their DC from single sex to coed for sixth form? How did that go?

If you want everyone in at weekends (i.e. only allowed out exeats and holidays) and co-ed then there are limited choices left - Oundle, Marlborough, Christs Hospital, possibly Rugby. I don't know how much expansion there is at 6th form.

Might take a look at Canford? They mandate 50% of weekends in and while they are not uber strict about it, there is never no-one around at weekends. The reason I mention it is because they have just built an expanded sixth form centre so the school will increase by about 50% in sixth form so lots of new students. It's reasonably academic - plenty do get a clutch of A* but there's also a place for those who won't.

Thank you very much for this! I’ve received similar feedback about Oundle and know a family in Canford. Will certainly look into it.

Sherborne Girls might be an interesting option? It has extremely close links (co-teaching/extra curriculars/social events) with Sherborne which is all boys, but it avoids some of the issues that you can get with coeds. AND both the schools are very full
boarding.

Also came to suggest Sherborne Girls. Full boarding, good pastoral care and strong links with Sherborne so it has the best of both.
What I'd avoid would be a boys school with co-ed sixth form or a recent conversion of boys to co-ed, as the girls are never equal citizens in those.
I'm a Sherborne Boys parent and see a lot of shared activity, learning and socialising between the two

Thanks a lot @Ziegfeld @Chilbolton80 will certainly reach out to sherborne girls and see if we can schedule a visit.

Bryanston? Co-ed since the 1970s. Lovely grounds in the Dorset countryside and a more laid back feel than many. Lots going on at weekends. Good for arts and music.

Have a look at Ampleforth College. There is a big expansion at sixth form and a good focus on pastoral care. One of mine joined for A levels and the other joined for year 7 and they had different but brilliant experiences. It’s away from London, a beautiful space, the transport officer helps with all the transport transfers etc. it’s a positive co ed environment but with single sex family-like boarding houses across year 9-13 rather than a separate sixth form house.

Shrewsbury?

Thanks @Myexhas6kids @Sporthare @MrPickles73 Amplefort college seems
yo have had some management issues in the past, so not keen 😔 Shrewsbury & Bryanston. logistically won’t work for us based on where her guardian is.

wondering if any of you have thoughts on moving a child for sixth form though. Any tips for a successful transition?

Bromsgrove? I would check the nationality of the Boarders but we play a lot of sport against them and it’d always very busy at the weekends with their own boarders.

Or look at Peter Symonds, state sixth form with boarding facilities in Winchester?

our daughter tried a night at Bromsgrove and didnt like it at all sadly. She said the boarders and day pupils didn't mix.

where is your guardian ?

DD is currently at a coed school and planning to move for sixth form. I'm leaning towards a boys school with coed sixth form to avoid the problem of existing friendship groups.

We know two families at Ampleforth - both joined year 9. One v happy. They like the full boarding. One finds it too international. I should think Ampleforth is one of the less international schools due to location..

But is that Saturday? That would be busy as it’s a school day- what the OP needs to know is how many stay on Saturday night and into Sunday. It’s tough when the school clears out after matches ( a lot of schools say even kids not doing matches need to stay till 4pm) until Late Sunday night/ Monday morning.

St George’s in Harpenden?

if you want full boarding don't choose anywhere that does Flexi or weekly boarding..

@Onisrm I hope you find the right school that works for you. Don’t rule out Ampleforth though based on history. There’s an excellent head and deputy head. The successful transition to sixth form was made straightforward and easy because the school made it so. They were really supportive, attentive to the my DC’s needs and interests and had good communication. The boarding houses are friendly and family-like so the set up helps with the transition hugely.

Have you considered Cheltenham College? It’s a little further away than you might be thinking.

Marlborough College. Full boarding. Large Sixth Form. Heard excellent things about the 6th form.

@berkshirepanda Marlborough takes day pupils. Anywhere that takes day pupils also tends to empty at weekends.

That’s not accurate. Marlborough’s new day house, ‘College House’, opens in September for day pupils. They are required to be at school 7 days a week, with timings roughly from 7:30/8am until 9:30/10pm every day. The current arrangement for full boarding will continue as usual 7 days a week. Exeats occur roughly every third weekend, which is the only time the entire school community, goes home.

@berkshirepanda That’s very late for day pupils! Starting again at 7.30 am? That’s also early. Travelling and sleeping would be minimal if day pupils did those hours. 10 pm to 7.30 am is only 9.5 hours away from school and teens need their sleep!

Where is the guardian op?

It's best to look at the website directly; I know there is a page about it all and a FAQ. I agree it is a phenomenally long day, but it’s exactly the same as what the current boarders experience, and that is probably why they have organised it this way. I can only imagine that day pupils will live within Marlborough town itself. And I’m sure, like most schools, timings will change based on what the students are doing throughout the day or week.

There is no way that day pupils will be turning up on Sundays at 7.30am. We all know that. Once you start accepting day pupils you also accept the end of full boarding.

The Marlborough website states that day pupils will leave after 6pm and before 10pm. It will depend on what they have on. Given they have a separate Day House, it will minimally impact on the full boarding provision in the other houses.

@berkshirepanda My DDs boarded with day girls. Day girls arrived at around 8.15 but many went home after tea in y7 snd 8. Of course Marlborough starts at y9, so a longer day would be expected but if parents are collecting, 10 would be late. 8.00 pm ish more normal if dc doing clubs!