Am I missing any schools?

[Argentum13]

Evening all,

We are currently in the process of looking at schools for my son who is in year 5. We have taken him to see Oundle and Harrow and we all really like both of these schools (albeit I know they are very different).

I have previously visited Eton, Sevenoaks, Wellington, Marlborough and Canford and don’t want to take him to see any of these schools - Eton and Sevenoaks are too academic, I didn’t warm to Wellington and I prefer Oundle to both Marlborough and Canford.

Sherbourne, Bryanstone and Bedales are not schools that I would consider.

My son is middle of the road in terms of academics (CAT score of 118), but has dyslexia which does cause him to struggle in some subjects. He’s lacking in confidence in terms of academics, although he’s perfectly bright. He can be cautious about trying new things mainly because he’s worried he’s going to fail, although he’s fairly sporty. He’s an incredibly kind and generous boy and has very good emotional intelligence. He can sometimes be a little sensitive and has a strong sense of fairness and right and wrong. He will be better at a school where he can be gentle motivated and stretched a little and not left to his own devices.

He will have a brother boarding on the outskirts of London so we’d rather limit our choices to schools within two hours of London by car. We have toyed with the idea of visiting Radley and Rugby, but they seem fairly similar to Harrow and Oundle (in that order). Are there any other boarding schools that we should consider? We are due to see Charterhouse even though we realise that’s mainly weekly boarding and will require one of us to travel over every few weeks for weekends and to farm him out to London based godparents and aunts/uncles for other weekends.

Im surprised that Radley is barely mentioned. To most, it remains firmly in the elite band of boarding schools. Academics are serious and they will look for a CAT score (ISEB SAS average) of at least 120 but they also look for strength in music, sport (particularly rugby and rowing) or Drama and boys who interview well, so its not just an academic lens. Pastoral care is very strong and the boys are polished, but they are cognisant of SEN and can support those that need it.

Teddies or Radley. Both brilliant in different ways.

Another vote for Radley! From what you describe OP it could work for your son. Definitely worth visiting the school

I would definitely take a look at Bradfield which I think has an ideal vibe for a child like your son if they can convince you the weekends are good enough, but I’d agree that Radley seems like it should be near the top of your list.

Thanks, all.

We’ve tried to avoid schools that are similar to those we’ve visited and really liked. For example, we love Harrow so I’m torn as to whether it’s worth visiting Radley. They are fairly similar and have similar entry requirements so we couldn’t use Radley as a back-up for Harrow. Ditto Oundle and Marlborough, they are fairly similar, but we much prefer one to the other (we visited Marlborough a few years ago for DS1 so are confident we can rule out visiting it again).

We already have a place booked on a Radley open day in June, which I had planned to cancel, but I will reflect on whether we should go given the comments above.

My friend’s dyslexic child is very happy at Blundells in Devon. 2 hours by train from London.

Do consider Bloxham - they are very good with dyslexia.

As a parent of a DS who holds/held unconditional offers for both Harrow and Radley for 2027, I can say with some confidence that Radley is not a back up school for Harrow, they are quite different schools. The only similarities are all boys, full boarding. Radley is only a back up school for Eton, no others. It stands on its own as an academically strong all rounder school. One of the most successful schools for sport in the UK, and strong in music, drama, DT and Art. It very much retains its core UK pupil market with a smaller international cohort but is significantly weighted towards UK pupils. Harrow is now hugely international - this has been debated extensively on these threads and in the media, so much so that the essence of the school has changed and the pupil mix has become so internationally imbalanced that inevitably, parents seeking a traditional UK public school education, now feel short changed culturally.

Unless you have Eton on your list, Radley should likely sit at top, unless you are so set on Harrow and are completely comfortable with what it has become over a number of years.

See below:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/boarding-school/5349525-harrow-school-a-diluted-global-brand?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

Thanks @MrsDiddy. Eton is definitely not on our list. We are very comfortable with Harrow as it currently stands, but will keep an open mind and visit Radley to see if it might be a better fit.

I would choose Bradfield or Canford for a more sensitive boy.
Harrow wouldn't be on my list. Oundle I think is a good choice.

Parent of three (very different) Radleians here - v pleased with it but apart from being all boys/all boarding I don’t think Harrow and Radley have much in common really as others have said.
But as full boarding and a good school it would still be worth a look - no idea why people keep recommending non full boarding schools though when clearly that’ll be a pain for you (Harrow and Oundle are both full boarding as well so no problems there).

For a dyslexic boy with a CAT of 118, the school’s headline learning support provision matters far less than two specific things: whether the support timetable runs parallel to enrichment activities (many schools schedule it at the same time as art, music, or clubs, creating an invisible two-tier system), and how the housemaster handles the gap between academic frustration and pastoral care. A sensitive boy at a school where those two systems don’t talk to each other is the most common reason mid-term pastoral problems arise. Bryanston, Millfield, and Uppingham all have reputations for these things being genuinely joined up. I post more at @boardingschoolguide

I would have suggested Sherborne but you’ve dismissed it. Have you considered the Taunton schools - Queens in particular was always good for dyslexic children. But I’m not sure how full boarding they are anymore. Millfield might also be good but very expensive. I like the look of Repton but I have a swimmer.

Thank you @SleepyLabrador. Those are incredibly useful points that I will have to consider.

Thanks to everyone else for all of the suggestions. We are really only looking for full boarding within two hours of London however so many of the schools are simply not in the right area.

Not as elite as some of the schools mentioned here, but Bedford school may fit your criteria

Lord Wandsworth College in Hampshire would fit your criteria - have had friends whose children have done very well there both academically and in all other areas, it sounded a fabulous school.

I’m another mum to vouch for Radley. Academically excellent, really good SEN department, lots on offer if your child isn’t a top scholar (strong in sport, music and drama) but what has been most important in our choice is their pastoral care. We have a SEN child too, and I feel confident from what I have seen, and what I have heard from other parents, that they will support him and help him thrive.

Is Radley considered very academic? More or less so than Oundle?

Christs Hospital?