If you could send your DC to any independent school, which would you pick?

[PelicanDaisy]

Looking at schools and have got sidetracked to schools far away/not the right age range/too expensive/boarding/wrong sex etc but my 'dream school' or 'intriguing school' shortlist for DC would be (I realise this sounds like an advert, not intended - I am just genuinely interested in these schools/have spent way too long trawling websites)

Hanford Prep (dreamy school, not sure boarding would suit my DD (or me!) but I like the idea of the school and how it gives that impression of providing a real childhood, not just an education) Knighton Prep looks similarly dreamy
Highgate School N London (don't know why, I just like the grounded feel it has)
Wetherby/Pembridge (would never fit in socially but would love to see what it is like at such a celeb-ridden place and I like the central London/townhouse aspect) similarly would love to see Westminster Under.
Wellington College (love the idea of all the initiatives and out the box thinking combined with the traditional public school feel)
Kings College (same as above, think it just looks wonderful for the right boy who could be sidelined as geeky elsewhere)

Anyone got their own list/schools?

It will be fine I'm sure.

There is a high drop out rate at these schools when some kids realise the reality isn't what they imagined & they miss their local friends, social life or decide they arnt actually single minded enough about their specialism - it's just a hobby after all. Homesickness is too much for a few as well.

But they do get to be with other like minded kids & totally focus on their goals, plus their academic teachers understand their constraints.

If you mean St Paul's, why not just say it?

MrsBanana

Because we're part of a club talking about a secret (and we're being childish and silly). Back to being straightforward and forthright now. Soz.

MN - brilliant description - spot on!

Abingdon for boys. Academically excellent while supporting some idiosyncrasy. Musically/dramatically outstanding. Above all, an exceptionally enlightened sports policy where those who choose to do traditional team sports can do so and compete at top level, but boys with interests elsewhere are allowed to focus on them. (It's big enough so that these goals can work together.) Close to Oxford but with a country feel, lovely grounds, near a river for rowing and good pastorally. Both day and boarding options and a mix of local and global boys.

ArcangelaTarabotti

As a 17th century nun with no children how would you know?

Sorry, still feeling silly ...

I obviously believe Winchester is for my DS the best. Amazing pastoral care, very academic but also a wonderful broad intellectually stimulating curriculum, daily "div" lessons which are unexamined covering a huge range of topics, awesome results, lots of different sporting opportunities, no major/minor sports unlike most full boarding schools in fact no sport at all if you're so inclined, wonderful music, great drama and very strong art dept if that's your thing. Great for the quickly lone wolf as there's no pressure to conform, the camaraderie between the boys is pretty special as is the relationship between the boys and dons, one of the few remaining true full boarding schools, and best of all just about managing to resist the temptation to become too much of a brand. Many of the buildings and grounds do have a "dreamy" feel about them.
This is true hands off parenting. It's also liberal with surprising few rules, not too much meaningless ritual which is surprising considering it's age and reputation, based in a city so although a bit of a bubble in some ways it's not completely isolated from the rest of the world.
Not for all of course but it works for us.

MN164

happygardening
Definitely agree that lessons in things that are not examined is vital - crucial for the DC mental health to enjoy learning for its' own sake, and to feed their curiosity and independent thinking.

St Trinians
St Custards
possibly The Chalet School but I am not sure that the pastoral care is that good

Knighton House is very outdoorsy and jolly, but those red dungarees would put me off...

Mine would be the prep school I went to. Sadly it's now become co-ed so it would never be quite the same.

Three - re Highgate - the "portacabins" the jr school is in is a temp school that's better than most permanent schools I've been in. Certainly much better than the old building they moved out of. It's not ultra academic in the manner of NLCS, Habs, Westminster, St Paul's - et al but pretty academically selective (thus the kids who join at 3 but that probably would struggle at the juniors and so go elsewhere after year 2 - but not that many afaik.)It is quite a lot more expensive than other independent schools locally though.

tell you what about Highgate though - the boys are incredibly arrogant and rude. My godmother lives in Highgate Village and is always moaning about them chucking stuff onto garage roofs etc.

MN164

Couldn't agree more - DS starts in Sept (CE willing [crossed fingers])

Obviously Kingscote is best, though!

balletgirlmum

If there are a high number who drop out, their parents must be really rich.
at dds future school unless you give a full terms notice it is 10k up front for fees. As most of them don't pay fees, I doubt if many parents there have a spare 10k in their pockets.
I think the specialist schools may be different though as not many drop out of these.

Most of the children who drop out do tend to give the terms notice from what I gather so dd has told me now of a couple who ate leaving in July.

Also some are "assessed out", more so at the end of year 9 but some schools assess out every year.

I'm not privy to whatever arrangements have been made for the odd student who has left part way through the first year. The one I know of personally was on a school bursary not an MDS so I assume they only had to pay their usual fee amount which would be around £4.5k

The one at the end of my road! No more having to run mine three miles to the bus stop to catch the school bus at far too early o'clock in the morning!

Our dream school is one where the children are happy and able to fulfil their potential and where the ethos of the staff is in alignment with our own from a social and moral pov. one of the main competitors to the one of the river ticked the boxes for us mainly because it was closer

My friend's DS went to UWC Atlantic College in Wales for his sixth form years and had a blast. I would have liked my DDs to go there, or even to one of the UWCs abroad, but they weren't adventurous enough.