State Boarding School Recommendations please!

[unwilling]

Hi, DC (Year 7) has recently expressed interest in boarding after a 1-week residential with their class. DC is quite independent, loves a challenge and enjoys being trusted with responsibilities.

We are now seriously considering it as we think it would be good to give DC the opportunity to fly the nest. This would be a Year 7 entry aged 11+

I have been doing some research and wonder if anyone can share their knowledge or experience of

RGS High Wycombe
Gordon's School
St George's
Reading School

Or any other state boarding schools they regard highly. I am more interested in excellent pastoral care. I know a lot of these schools are oversubscribed but usually have boarding places. I would also be keen to learn what boarding school children do after school?

Thanks in advance xx

Sorry I misread this as a Skate Boarding School 🤣

Burford in Oxfordshire?

If he wants to board why not go private?

St George's is lovely, had a niece there who was boarding. Pastoral care was good, warm cosy houses with lovely matrons and sound academics. I think they had regular outings at weekends. I used to visit niece there and they were open to visiting anytime so long as you gave at least a day's notice. I dont know much else about it. I hear the Anglo Hockerill school, Bishops Stortford (also state boarding) is also a good school for boarding.

😂😂 Skate Boarding would definitely be more exciting.

Burford looks great. Problem, as usual, is that the majority of the schools look great, which makes choosing more difficult. So hoping for some input from others who've had a personal experience.

We don't want to go private as we have two DC so can't afford the double cost without skipping a few meals 😂

I think you might find it harder to get a place than you expect. The reality is that most state boarding schools are just state schools with a minority of students who life in the boarding house(s). I taught in one in 1990s and even then most boarders were relatively local kids for whom the daily journey was too difficult or long. Nearly all the kids went home every weekend. I still remember seeing the one Y7 boy playing with a remote control car in the playground on Saturday afternoon. There were no other kids his age on campus that weekend.

Another thing to consider is that some state boarding schools give priority to kids who need to board for family reasons. Also with VAT the schools will have many more enquiries from people who in the past would have gone private or whose private school has closed in the past year. A one week residential is not the same as boarding full time. I am also confused by you saying you want a Y7 place but your child is already in Y7. Do you really expect to get a place during this academic year?

Burford has a lot of military families because of where it is.
Military kids go home less frequently at weekends because if they aren’t doing proper boarding they risk losing CEA (their boarding allowance from the MOD).
The disadvantage of this is that military families can be a little bit cliquey - when you see them, the parents will all be moaning about military housing and discussing their next postings.

Asking what % of pupils receive CEA would certainly be one of the questions I’d ask if looking at a state boarding school.

Holyport College, Maidenhead

Sexey’s, Bruton

There’s one near me. I’m in Frome in Somerset and there’s one in Briton called Sexbys. ETA x-posted with pp but they’ve got name right. (Strange name for a school!)

I totally agree with what you are saying, however having a higher proportion of military boarders can at least mean that the boarding provision is likely to continue longer term due to high likelihood of kids staying at the school throughout until at least the end of year 11. The school that I taught at in the 1990 no longer has boarding provision because the number of mainly RAF stations closed and therefore the number of boarders fell so the boarding became financially unviable. The clique may be worth tolerating!!

We're too far north for your list but happy to chat state boarding in general 😊

RGS is brilliant.

Don't worry about them being oversubscribed. They are mainly oversubscribed for day or flexi pupils. Boarding numbers have dropped massively post-covid as remote working became an option and less need for boarding. State boarding is majority for families who need boarding rather than independent where boarding is a tradition or a want. I can't say we've experienced the same as the pp with boarders going home at weekends - ours is always buzzing at weekends! But it only offers full boarding, not weekly.

After school, ours do clubs till 5. Then staggered down time/tea till 6. Then prep. Then house activities/a few select clubs till curfew. Staggered times depending on age.

Weekends are Saturday: School till 12. Lunch. Trip into town. Evening activities in house. Sundays: Trips run every Sunday but most boarders pick a few a term, not do everything.

I loved teaching in a boarding school, you build such a great relationship with the kids. And mine all attended as flexis. Amazing opportunities!

@BeDreamyPoet I agree with you. Military families are highly valued by boarding schools for that reason, even though they only pay a tiny fraction of the fees that other families do.