6th Form Boarding - Sports and Academic

[TaxiDriverandCook]

My DD is looking to move from her girls' day school in Surrey to a boarding school for 6th form. She's fairly academic (may get a handful of A*s??) and very sporty. Is there such a thing as an academically good 6th form (single sex/co ed) which offers top quality hockey and/or lacrosse training and fixtures? Is it possible to keep both sports up?
Have spent hours looking at school websites/forums etc but would appreciate any views at all. Want a friendly school, not too posh/monied. Preferably within a couple of hours drive of the Guildford area but will look anywhere in the country! Thanks

"Not to posh/monied"
As most fees for boarding schools are at the very least £30 000 PA and bursaries not easy to get most parents although not oligarchs to a man are likely to be monied by most peoples standards. Milford is the obvious choice and friends whose sporty DC's went there were also surprised and delighted by their very good A level results. St Edwards whose results are likely to improve yr on yr with the new head supports quite a few GB team players in all sports. Marlborough also takes sport seriously but parents have a reputation for being very smart.

I think a girls school where the girls sports are given priority and it's not all about the "traditional" rugby and cricket is probably the atmosphere you'd prefer. And St Edwards don't play lax either.

Mmm. I'd have said Casterton, but they had a hostile takeover merger with Sedburgh so it's no co-ed.

There's Benenden, but they don't do hockey at all, only lax. Look at Downe House and Cheltenham. But to be honest I think Queen Margaret's, York would suit best. It's 2 hours from London on the train, do both hockey and lax, and it's a very relaxed atmosphere that still produces top academic results.

? About whether St Mary's Calne do both. Not sure.

Oakham School in Rutland? I know they do both hockey and lax, whether you could actively pursue both is another matter. I would think they train at the same time. Uppingham also play lacrosse. Both schools would have more fiixtures for their hockey squads though, as it is much more widely played. Both are Co-ed schools.

Thanks for responses.
Happygardening - have read on other posts that some boarding schools are so "posh/monied" that if pupils don't have constant exotic holidays/get picked up in range rovers etc etc they can be socially ostracised. Don't want anything like that.

Thanks for all references to specific schools. Any other suggestions welcome

Queenswood in Hertfordshire, is an all girls option which has great sport - only hockey though, but a bit closer to home.

Oh, and Malvern College play Lacrosse and hockey.

A quick 'google' brings up: Godolphin - Salisbury, Stowe - Bucks, Haileybury - Herts and Sherborne Girls - Dorset.

I like St Swithun's in Winchester. Less than an hour from Guildford. Lacrosse certainly. Don't know about hockey. Not snobby. All girls.

Have a look at Sedbergh. They have both hockey and lax, and while they're not known as a top academic school the bright children can do very well. It also ticks your box about being friendly, and not too posh.

Thanks all for the replies (including the private ones). Lots to research. Please keep suggestions/comments coming

Godolphin Salisbury if you are still looking. Has a range of academic ability and produces good results. National Lax Champions 3 out of last 4 years. Reasonably close to Guildford. Pretty grounded parents

You may find most schools play one or the other to a high standard. Hockey at Queenswood is taken seriously so team members would not have time for lax as well. Matches probably played at the same time on a Saturday. To narrow down your choice you will want to look at the standards reached and quality of coaching. What about summer sports? Queenswood is very keen on tennis. I would not go further than 1.5 hours from home if you intend to support your DD at sport. Going to York ( or other schools far away) and train journeys with all that dirty washing is a no no!

Malvern St James is all girls and cheaper than Malvern collage and list lacrosse and hockey.

I know they play lacrosse because DDs DF does.

Not too monied, certainly no range rovers amongst the two families I know.

All boarding schools have parents with Range Rovers. It goes with the territory. Why does owning a Range Rover make you a person to be avoided? Surely pleasant people can own Range Rovers? What about the people who send their Drivers to collect their offspring? Presumably they are beyond the pale! All boarding schools have very rich parents. If you join a 6th form as a new boarder the chances are you will not be big buddies with the parents anyway. So what does it matter if they have the 'wrong" cars?

I agree. Why are parent with Range rovers to be avoided! If you said the opposite and that you didn't want to mix with people who lived in council houses you would be rightly berated.

Paying 30k plus per year on ONE school place will mean you will be mixing with people who have money by default.

If u can afford 30K then maybe you are one of them too.

The post about the Range Rovers was not saying that RR drivers were to be avoided at all...

Bryanston does both sports, but may be a bit more of a posh feel? I am posting only knowing a couple of alumnae from a few years back, they were certainly quite posh though not oligarchs, and very lovely.

How about st Catherine's Bramley. I don't know about hockey but their lax is v strong (one of their sports teachers in on the England team , but lax has been good there for decades) and it is excellent academically. And is very close to Guildford.

Any reviews on Oakham school?
Please , my teen will join next year, we can’t make mind

Moreton Hall all girls plays hockey and lacrosse.

Canford?
Gréât hockey school and girls play lacrosse too.

St Catherine’s?
Kent College?

Brighton College?
Wellington?
Caterham?

I second Moreton Hall, many play at county level, and they get a good percentage into Oxbridge. And it’s a “dirty car” school, very little flashing the cash.

Is anyone one knows anything about Oakham school? Interesting what parent think about it ? My child will join next year 9

@Alanaronin- I'd recommend you start a new thread. This one is very old and people will answer the original post and not see your later question.

King's Canterbury does Lax and Hockey