Best private schools in Cornwall & Devon?

[agp]

Hi there

My husband and I are considering moving to the north coast of cornwall and need to get to grips with the private schools in the area. Can anyone help? We've got three little girls (6 to 1yrs old) and would ideally like them to go to co-ed schools, with the flexibility to board or day (well I'm hoping they go day whilst at prep school!) It's hard to find out which ones are reckoned to be the best... Thanks in advance for any help/ opinions! :)

Amy

This is such a bizarre thread. I do live in Devon. I know children at Plymouth College, Ivybridge, and historically Kelly, Mount House, Blundells, & Stover. Know a MH governor as well. I am laughing my leg off at Ivybridge being described as 'chavvy'. It's actually a highly regarded state school locally (not on my list or choices, so I have no personal interest). I know a lot of current and ex Ivybridge pupils and they have all been lovely. Kind, caring, know what's important in life. Some of my favourite young people.

Never mind the schools, there are a few parents I'd be running at great speed from on this thread.

If anyone is particularly interested there's a selection of private schools in Exeter as well - to suit all tastes, although you're getting a bit far from the Cornish borders there. And of course there are the grammar schools in Torquay and Plymouth.

Oh just to add people supposedly travel from Truro for the Plymouth grammars (which is bonkers imo, but just to add it to the mix).

Propatria, I would have commented the same way were you male or female. Dont flatter yourself on it being sexist. However I suspect you must have decided to complain to MN? I cannot get my log in to work. I can only assume its been suspended although I have nothing to that effect. Hence the name change.

Everyone shoiuld be entitled to an opinion not just women. I will listen to all equally. I reserve the right not to agree. I reserve the right to have my own views and to express them - and I wont complain (unless the content is profane).

I am not xenia ( is that what you told them?).

However, I am not going to bother to justify your post with any reply.

Have a good day.

Ronaldo your language was ridiculous. Clearly you wish to be a caricature, but to be credible as a caricature it needs to be nicely judged.

And you do bang on endlessly about how brilliant you are, how unprecedently brilliant your small child is, how tremendously brilliant your DW is, how top ranking the school you work at part time is.

I'd say the lady doth protest too much.

I don't think you work at Habs btw.

Yellowtip -you are quite right, I dont work in Habs. I never said I did.I said I worked in which was higher ranking than Eton in those all too important (to some) tables. There are several schools above Eton. Take your pick. Several different ones depending on which tables you use too. Of course I am not going to be too specific as I do not wish to name the school. I work there. I am not going to bring it into disrepute in any way here - or allow others to bad mouth it.

I have never commented on being brilliant as you put it. I dont use that phrase.

I am not a caracature. I am what I am. Inconsistencies and all. Are you one of those who deems themselves to meet so many different people for so many backgrounds and to treat them all equally? One who values diversity? Or claims to? If so, then why do you have to make value judegements about people like myself and not others? There are many like me. If you havent met any others, then maybe you havent lived yet.:)

I am however sick of being accused of being xenia. We may on occassion share some views. We probably walk in similar social circles. Peoplelike us do exist you know.

Have a nice evening.

Dont flatter yourself,I wouldnt reoprt you..your post are too much fun that,why would I want to deny myself the hilarity of your posts
"we probably walk in similar social circles" is that a sport specific to North London?
Please carry on posting

propatria I'm worried now my DS's school is above Eton in the league tables!! I'm all for freedom of speach but I wouldn't want him exposed to jabed/ronaldo's guff on a regular basis! Mind you I think in one of his ramblings he condemned boarding schools.
Ronaldo/Jabed or what ever you want to call yourself I'm wrong you are not xenia the more you post i can't help but wonder if you peternas another one on MN who specialises in the bizarre!

Happygardening, I am sorry about the name change. My log in failed, I asked for a reset and didnt get the email (despite it being on my own name and main e mail , so I know my email was working) . I tried three times and so I have re registered. I know there are always those who will use multiple names. I am not one.

I personally do not like boarding schools. That is not the same as condemning them.

Why are you so combative? We can all express an opinion surely?

happygardening it's pretty easy to detect several of those attempting to hide behind name changes on these education threads; they seem to have their own leit-motif very often. Some are quite vicious, bizarrely. I think jaded is what it says on the tin though really, despite the necessary brand name change to ron.

Yes ron, I do quite like diversity, but I'm less keen on gits, particularly snobbish gits who believe they big themselves up with their embracement of snobbery.

I personally would pay good money to keep away from certain teachers in the private sector. Fortunately I've not wasted any yet.

Dont worry he doesnt like boarding schools or sport,he likes portacabins,but only in a woodland setting, his school hasnt got any hi tech nonsense,but discipline is a must, you should be safe enough..
Shame Dotheboys hall closed when it did,it would have been right up his street

The real worry is that if he is a teacher, what is he teaching?(shudder emoticon...)

Um none of you are very good adverts for your children's schools.....

"Why are you so combative? We can all express an opinion surely?"
Absolutely I very much believe in the principle of free speech. "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." but and maybe i doing you a disservice buts its your tone or perhaps more correctly arrogant rant and what appears to those on the outside to be a deliberate attempt to antagonise others that I find frankly fascinating.
Do keep posting may times I don't even comment but it does provide amusing reading.
On a more serious note those of us who send our DC's or work in the independent sector need to be conscious that many others cant send their children and you do have a very bad habit of condemning their children as uncouth yobs barely able to string a coherent sentence together. This must be highly offensive and upsetting to them in fact I understand from a previous comment that you've made that MN have indeed pointed this out to you. I believe that at the end of the day that it is only for the want of a better word good luck that enables us to send our children and bad luck can also strike anyone.

Dont worry he doesnt like boarding schools or sport,he likes portacabins,but only in a woodland setting, his school hasnt got any hi tech nonsense,but discipline is a must, you should be safe enough..
Shame Dotheboys hall closed when it did,it would have been right up his street

Propatria, I dont know where you get the ideas from. I havent said that. I have said I do not use hi tech quite often. Most of the pupils I teach dont like it. I teach according to the way the pupils like and ask for. My school has a brand new state of the art IT suite and several other extensions in the school

I personally do not like boarding schools. I dont want my DS in one although I am happy for him to be a day boy at such a school if the school had the other things I am interested in. I dont stop others sending their children into boarding. Sometimes it can be very good for some DC

Many schools have "portacabins". They expand pupil numbers and building programmes can take time, especiallly if the school is ancient and some of the uildings and grounds listed. You cannot always build or you have to negotiate it. Sometimes portacabins can be very posh affairs but they have still arrived on the back of lorries and have been put up in weeks rather than months.

Discipline for me is a must. I think pupils need to have a standard against which they can measure. I see that the new free school in London isnt taking prisoners on the score of discipline either - so its not just me or independent schools. I also believe safety is a high priorty for DC's. That much you are right about.

The real worry is that if he is a teacher, what is he teaching?(shudder emoticon...)

I am teaching pupils. Mostly A level since you ask. I do teach some GCSE sometimes and lower school less frequently. .....and before you make any more nasty asides - I am qualified.

Um none of you are very good adverts for your children's schools.....

IMHO many are not good adverts for parenting skills either, but hey, they still have children. I am glad they do not parent my DS. :)

in fact I understand from a previous comment that you've made that MN have indeed pointed this out to you

No that was not what was pointed out actually.

One point I will make for the record. Many peopleaccuse me ofsnobbery because I often say I want my DS to be around " people like us". By which I mean share the values and attutudes we have at home. Alongside that I have said ( and it s implicit I suppose) I do not like diversity in this regard. That is not the same as saying am somehow xenophobic or any one of a number of other phobias, , its because my DS is young. I dont want him confused by the grand scale of diversity. This is quite personal. I grew up with social cultures ( social class if I can be that clear ?) at odds between school and home. My family were middle clas andmy school very working class, consequently I was at odds all the time in terms of behaviour, culture, values ..... this ranged from simple things like what "tea" was and what " dinner" was because such words were used differently, how to use a knife and fork, kind of food we had as well as values of school and education. Consequently I grew up lacking social skills and confidence - never knowing what was right - may parents or my school and peers ( including teachers, many of whom adopted W/C styles - or mayb e they were w/c , I dont know).

I am not against understanding other cultures and socialgroups, but I think DC have to know what is " the way" before they can learn other ways. There is much confusion when social classes are at odds ( not usually is not cultural . I know many DC from other cultures who share my values and attitudes - its class) and I want my DS to know what our culture is before being exposed to others.

You may not agree - thats fine. He is my DS not yours.

That post is exactly why I would never wish you to leave Ron,another little gem
"Phone for the fish knives Norman"

Goodness the two most socially exclusive people on the thread arguing about social diversity.

This thread is a gem.

I am proud of the fact that from an early age my DS's have mixed with people from all backgrounds; those worrying about where their next meal is coming from, the Sunday times rich listers and the aristocracy with their 30 bedroomed piles. We are none of these things just a middle class family but I hope that by mixing with all even those who call lunch dinner then they will realise that underneath the money and the big cars or the social housing and long term unemployment are people, some are decent some aren't and that its not knowing which way to pass the port or how to claim housing benefit that makes you a decent caring individual and that all deserve to be treated equally because no one section of society is superior.

besides the "cabins" are in a woodland setting. You wouldnt get that in a state school.

A stupid statement if I may say so. At my old state school you got (and still get) exactly that - a few well maintained portacabins but also spacious wooded grounds including a listed building to boot. Plus science labs, art workshops, pottery workshop in the old stable building... I could go on.

An old stable building in a state school? How is that possible? At least Ivybridge knows its place and sticks to concrete. :snort:

Too much emphass can be placed on building (although I was surprised how much I liked medeaval buildings) when deciding if a school is right for your DC. You cannot its judge the standard of education offered by its buildings this is utterly ridiculous. St Paul's boys has some of the most hideous 60's eyesores from the other side of the river looking more like a factory than a school but it does not seem to have has a detrimental effect on the quality of its education.

Lavolcan I am glad I'm not the only person to 'fess up to being taught in portacabins. Not all the classrooms were portacabins, obviously, and while I was at the school, they built a brand new music block and a brand new sixth form building. But the portacabins remained the entire time I was there and one of them was my form room for 3 years on the trot. And it was freezing. But that didn't stop my school being the best state school in the borough and better than most of the private schools too. This is actually one ofthe reasons why I was always a bit about the emphasis on new school buildings and super dooper wooper high tec in the last 15 years or so. I still reckon the money would have been better spent on teachers.