Recommendations for a CO-ED FULL BOARDING school

[maverick123456]

Hello.
Looking for a suitable co-ed, full boarding school for my DS who is interested in doing A-Levels.

Looking for a few factors:

1. Full boarding. We are overseas, Looking for a school with a lot of activities going on at the weekend; no mass exodus of students.

1. Good academics.

1. Plenty of sport. DS is sporty, enjoys football.

1. Reasonable logistics for getting to airports.

Will appreciate any help/advice.

Are you thinking Home Counties? We live in Sussex, Hurst College is very good and has fabulous sports facilities.

The best ones outside of London would be areas around Surrey....as its close to both airports Heathrow and Gatwick....

DS has been placed on the waiting lists of Wellington College and Marlborough College after sitting for Common Entrance Examinations.

What are some good alternatives if the lists do not clear?

Oakham? Half day, half full boarding, very sporty (drama & art also excellent). On direct train line from Stansted and lots come that way from abroad.

Assuming by your comment about airports you're abroad although am a bit puzzled about your comment about CE and sixth entry, CE is sat to get into yr 9 not yr 12.
If you abroad you want full boarding and IMO and in my very extensive experience you want there to be lots of other full boarders this is always going to be difficult as there are not many proper full boarding schools left. Marlborough is one, St Edwards Oxford is another one less academic but very sporty, Christ's Hospital another but not everyone's cup of tea, I'm not sure about Charterhouse worth asking but be vey specific "how many proper full boarders" schools are cagey about these figures. I suspect as you might already have discovered many schools have already interviewed and selected for next yrs 6th form and your choices may be quite limited.

(Could be A levels rather than IB/PreU)

Oakham would be my first thought .

Rugby excellent
Oundle v good at the moment
Rugby the most obvious match to marl and wellington

I was also going to suggest Oakham. Not full boarding but all boarders in at weekends, with plenty going on. Saturday school and sport/activities for the rest of the day, so children don't go home for the weekends unless exeat.

King's Canterbury

Forgot about Kings good school but a bit of a slog for Heathrow somebodies put the exceedingly unpredictable M25 between the two. Gatwick is also about 11/2 hours away with a a time on the M25 but there are lots if proper full hoarders and many from abroad.

Oundle? Sporty and academic. Good track record for Oxbridge.
You mention reasonable logistics to airports as an overseas mother myself teenagers are very capable of jumping on trains into London and then the Heathrow Express. It is only a journey they will do once maybe twice a term. So although I appreciate that you won't won't want DCs having a difficult journey don't limit your geographic area too much.
For example the Paddington train goes direct to the south west. Millfield is sporty, few exeats where the whole school closes and lots to do at the weekend. Not everyone's choice I realise but do look closely at the academics as the A level results are from a sixth form of 500+. If you can get their top 100 student's results you will notice they will compare with other good schools. ( not Westminster, Winchester etc of course)

Rugby would be my choice.

Even if they say there are lots of boarders about at weekends check if they are from one particular country as in some of the south london/ Surrey schools the weekly boarders are very local but the full boarders might be eg Cantonese or Malay speakers with a few Spanish Russian and German speakers.

Ardingly?

If you don't mind further North, consider Sedbergh. Co-ed, full boarding, extremely sporty and academic enough for the bright children to do very well. Easy access to Manchester airport.

How about St John's School in Sidmouth? Competitive fees too.

Cheltenham College is great for weekend activities, and ticks all your other boxes. Heathrow is straightforward along the M4.

I know a lot of people who went to Bryanston who are all very nice and quite creative.

Bedales is another that is a bit more liberal.

Bryanston is not full boarding neither is Bedales.

If it doesn't have to be South a really beautiful school is Ampleforth. Full boarding, no mass exodus at weekends, and the most beautiful surroundings.
Brilliant teachers and good for sport, music and drama.

" No mass exodus", I presume the same could be said for Downside,Stonyhurst etc..

Isn't Ampleforth a bit full of Catholic DC who have failed to get into top public schools? All the DC I know there wanted to go to Eton etc but were no hopers.

Bonsoir

No, not really although I suppose there is an element of this like other schools. I have friends who teach there and dh taught there for a while.
There are a lot of international students and I know some parents are super rich. I can remember dh telling me tales of some of his students having 6 weeks at their castle at summer, you know the second or third home. He had a prince from some country, but a couple of local kids too. I think there is a good mix, or at least there seems to be.

Admittedly I wouldn't meet the locals who go there!