Sherborne School

[MK143]

I am choosing boarding schools for my son from Sep 2017. Now is probably in advanced stage. Need advice from someone who know the school well.

1. The school facilities scattered in the small town. It is an open campus school. Is it bad? Is it difficult to control the boys discipline, e.g. dating, smoking etc.

2. Is the school lacking facilities compared with other boarding schools?

3. Pastoral service?

4. Are the teachers good? or laid-back?

It's a nice school (we are told) and was very popular among DS's peers. He has only stayed in touch with one friend who went there (of 10 in his year), saying only that they all turned into their fathers. One of our cousins commented that Sherborne turns out "really nice chaps".

Back to you. What do you and your son want or need? Very few good public schools lack faciltities or good teachers, and most are very sound academically. Don't know enough to comment on pastoral care or teaching style. We would have looked at it, but did not want a boarding school.

I think the fact that students are allowed out in a small town is good news. Sherborne is a very naice MC town in Dorset, so not much serious vice. Drugs/alcohol are ubiquitous in the UK if the child is looking for them/excitement.

Are you enquiring from overseas?

Thanks a lot for your advice. Don't want to be too specific here.

Sherborne is a lovely school, we know several boys who are there, and we considered it very seriously for our DS. It has a very positive and friendly vibe, but you will need to visit it personally to know if it is right for your son.

All I can say is that I believe that it will be worthwhile you making the effort, the visits are very thorough and you will have the opportunity to have an in depth conversation both with the Registrar and with one of the housemasters.

The new Head is amazing and the school has a really positive vibe.

Sherborne is a lovely town and the boys conduct themselves incredibly well in public- they are a pleasure to be around. At any boarding school there is an element of smoking/ drinking. The staff at Sherborne do not turn a blind eye to it. It is no more of a problem than anywhere else and dealt with robustly.

How to choose between Sherborne School and Cheltenham College for my DS? No special needs in art, sport or music but prefer a school with better discipline, caring and academic.

One problem with Sherborne, is that unless you are one of the elite in sports, music, academics you get little attention and left to feel a bit of a loser.

The usual spiel about all individuals being recognised and supported is not a reality here either.

Exams results are also pretty poor given ££££ outlay. So if that is your focus, it's not for you.

They are obsessed with becoming academically on a par with some of the other top achieving public schools whereas what they should do is recognise that Sherborne was a far better school when it just did it's best for all boys.

Oh and don't even begin to consider it, if your DS has any kind of SEN.

hmm positing without saying you are the dep heads wife is a bit naughty - not in the spirit I would say.
Does anyone know if the intake is mainly from just a couple of preps? i have heard that Bryanston is taking from Sandroyd and Port regis making the first year hard for boys from other preps to break in and make friends.

@ASlisburymum - How do you know she’s the deputy’s wife? Even if she is, she has a right to post. You outing her is rattler poor form.
Everyone has a right to anonymity on MN. It’s down to the OP to do her
research properly and sort fact from fiction.

Completely agree Biscuits.

Off the topic, but know for fact Sherborne Girls have a massive bullying problem, massive. .

There was a tragic piece in The Times yesterday (10/6) about a Sherborne boy who had to leave the 6th Form a year early and restart the year at another school because of the wrong choice of ALevels. Not many details but he took his own life in his first year of university. I think I'd want to know more about how the school handled his problems at that time.

Hello @wakemeupbefore ,
My daughter is due to start at Sherbourne Girls in September and I am troubled by your post. Is your daughter there ? Would it be possible to give more information as I know from personal experience how soul destroying bullying can be. You can PM if that's easier.
Thank you in advance,

Scoobydid, not my DD but DD of a good friend. I can't say much more as it could be identifying the family; it was recent and a very devastating experience. I hope the school has put measures in place to prevent such awful behaviour by groups of girls.
I wish your DD well.

There was a story in one of the newspapers and though didn't say which school but did sound like Sherborne girls. Awful bullying.