Mount Kelly (Senior)

[fwew1]

We are looking to move from where we are in Dorset to get our son placed in a good independent school. We're not into the 'traditional' old English boarding schools and so we're pretty stuffed where we are. I know Kelly has had problems and has not had a good reputation over the years but we love Dartmoor and I wondered if the new head and the merger are having a positive effect on the quality of what the senior school has to offer? I'd be very grateful for any responses - I'm not looking to start a b*tch fest either. Thanks.

We took a leap of faith and joined at the merger and been hugely impressed with Mark Semmence. He's a good mix of having come from the "traditional" old English boarding schools (was deputy at Rugby) so knows how a school looks when its successful but has also brought with him a good business head and understanding of what he's trying to create. His wife, Alison, is also very nice, very committed to the school and very switched on. Mark has also been assembling quite a team around him (new deputies from Dauntsey's, Marlborough etc) who are all being brought into make Mount Kelly a real power house in the Westcountry. Yes, you will get a bit of bitching about how things used to be but, on the whole, it seems to be tailing off as they've done a great job at moving the new school forward. I would recommend it and think we'll see a lot more changes (for the good) over the next few years. There seems to be a lot of interest in the school so numbers are creeping up, making it all much more secure as well as building a war chest to start putting in new facilities. Its also clear that he's looking to get the academics improving too so, all in all, I would recommend having a look.

Cornwall's view accords with what I am hearing too. A couple of families I know have taken the plunge and seem pleased. DC looked but decided on a specialist STEM option.