Churchers College, King Edwards Witley or Lancing College?

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I've ended up with a very mixed bag of possible senior schools for ds who is currently yr 7 in a prep school which goes up to 13

Anyone got opinions on these schools please!

Friends of ours went enthusiastically off to look at Lancing, convinced they'd found the right school having been impressed with their website/prospectus. They have a slightly quirky DS, are veteran school visitors as they already had two others in well known schools and genuinely thought Lancing looked perfect for him. They left distinctly underwhelmed, they were unimpressed by the head, found nothing different or exciting about it and sent him to another school instead. A couple from DS's prep went there just because it was closer to home than the senior schools the prep school often fed into. It's high church that would put me off immediately.
Can't comment on the other two.

Hi can't really help, but just marking the place. Our DS's are younger and at a prep which goes up to 13. We're trying to look ahead and make very similar choices. We hear great things about Churchers and it is very reasonable financially. I think it is quite difficult to get into unless you have done the junior school. Also, it is 11+ entry and they don't do a deferred entry, so if you are keen on finishing at prep school, you may have to take your chances.

Don't know so much about King Edwards - one of my sisters looked there and couldn't put her finger on it, but didn't like it.

A lot of our prep school pupils go onto Lancing, but I don't know much about it personally.

I will watch this space with interest!

Our visit completely reflected the story reported by happygardening. We too went along convinced that Lancing was a perfect school for our DS in terms of academics, boarding and sport. By all means go and look yourself: you may love it. We were disappointed in terms of the campus, standard of boarding accommodation and responses from pupil showing us around. Did not like the squirming explanations given for why as a co-ed school it had so few female governors, nor the female cleaners being referred to as "the girls". DS was disappointed as he had asked and asked to go there but after the visit he said that he found it very unfriendly and pointed out how no pupils voluntarily greeted us as we went around. (Many were too busy giving each other "wedgies" to notice us I think).

I would say that Churchers and King Edwards,Witley are very different schools - Churchers is a day school with an academic reputation, and as has been said can be difficult to get into at Senior School age unless already at the Junior School.

King Edwards is a primarily a boarding school, although does take day pupils, and doesn't have a particularly academic reputation. I don't know Lancing..

What sort of school are you looking for, day or boarding? Academic, or non-selective?

Would prefer day, ds is considered very able but flunked Reeds pre test so head suggested King Edwards as a safety net, I'm not sure about it though.
Churchers looks like would be perfect but depends on how many chasing places at 13+
Lancing again is somewhere his prep sends to

There's Salesian College in Farnborough, and also The Royal Senior School, Boys at Hindhead, both of which might be worth looking at. The latter has not long been opened, but the Girls' school is well established and well regarded..

Is this for your DS who's struggling in math? Lancing entry will be through CE they'll want at least 50% on a level 2 paper I would have thought. You need to check this and check it's doable for your DS before visiting it and deciding you really like it
I think it's primarily weekly boarding with some day children and Sat school, certainly all we know who looked at it or have gone there would be looking for boarding.

I would look at king Edwards Witley. Nephew goes there and loves it!!

There's also Frensham Heights, which depending on where you live might be difficult to get to. Has a reputation for being good for creative and artistic children, but also gets good results academically.. Is boarding, but has a quite a lot of local day pupils I believe.

According to Lacing's own website the requirement is an average 55% on level 2/3 papers at CE.