Non-selective prep vs selective

[Shiggle]

We are looking at a non selective coed prep vs a single sex selective prep for DS. The single sex prep is more academically rigorous (I think!) but I like the idea of coed better. I wonder if a non selective prep would truly challenge the top set?

Another option is Laxton Prep moving on to hopefully Oundle but I didn't fancy the area as much. It seemed to have far more limited choices in schooling if Laxton wasn't a good fit.

Have a look at Beechwood Park, although in a totally different area to the one you are considering. Covers all bases with next schools but the majority go to either Bucks grammars or local independents (Bedford, Haileybury, St Albans, Berkhamsted). A few go into boarding school. You can live in places like Harpenden, St Albans or Berkhamsted which all have great connections into London as well as enough going on in the second two to stop you getting bored!! The Oxford to London commute is not great.

You’ll be surprised just how many people move out of London to escape the London pressure and feel like a huge weight off their shoulders. There are heaps of schools just outside London that offer what you are looking for.

I'd say soundless probably wouldn't be great as a day pupil either. Also, whereas you're not terribly set on a specific type of school or a boarding school, most at Oundle will specifically want a boarding Public school. Nothing wrong with that, but the demographic will not be as mixed as at other schools.

If I were you I'd be inclined to look for a school that has a mix of day, flexi, weekly and full boarders.

^ also, if you choose a Senior school with Saturday school and no flexi / weekly boarding you may be restricted to living very close by since there usually aren't school buses on Saturdays. Or just have a long drive. Plus keep in mind the Saturday afternoon matches giving you effectively a one day weekend.

Also, if DC has a 3 day (or at a few schools 3.5 or 4 day) Exeat every few weeks will one of you be taking time of work to stay with them? Or will they be at home alone on the weekdays?

^^ typo, soundless = Oundle

fidgett the Dragon of course is full of very wealthy families as are most expensive prep schools but it is one of those rare schools IMO that is worth paying for because of the excellent teaching at all ranges of ability, the extras and importantly it is just a very dynamic and relaxed place as are the children that come out of it. One of my DCs went there and it was one of the best decisions we ever made.
A lot of the pupils continue as day pupils at St Edwards or go to Abingdon or Magdalen College School.

I think the Dragon is out because I really don't want Saturday school. I really am after a day school. St. Hugh's has done away with Saturday school.

I suppose our other option is to move somewhere like SW London where there seem to be more choices for preps although I'm not sure where to begin.

OP, why don't you visit some schools like Feltonfleet Prep and St John's Leatherhead (secondary) to see options nearer to London. (The 2 schools have close links).

Not wanting Saturday school will narrow your choices down quite a bit, but will still leave you with many to choose from, which is good.

SW London - I thought you wanted to get away from the pushy parent tutoring madness, not go right in to the middle of it it's probably the most competitive part of London for school places.

St Hugh's sounds like a good fit really.

Why don't you try the IAPS schools search and take a look? If there are too many, filter out all the Preps which go to 13 as these probably have Saturday school and lots of boarders?

iaps.uk/schools/directory/

Shiggle at least this thread is clarifying your thoughts. You definitely need a prep that feeds mainly into senior day schools to exclude Saturday school or matches.

St Hughes is not a good fit as it feeds mainly to senior schools which are boarding or like Abingdon have sport etc on Saturdays.

I wouldn't mind Saturday matches at senior School level. I think lessons on a Saturday is a bit much though. DS likes sport and plays matches on a Saturday morning now. If DS at 14 decides he's keen on boarding I would consider it but would be more comfortable at 16. At prep level it's completely out of the question. This thread is helping to think it all through really.

I had thought SW london had more choice of private schools in general than North London but happy to be corrected. Actual grateful to be corrected because it narrows my search!

I had thought SW london had more choice of private schools in general than North London but happy to be corrected. Actual grateful to be corrected because it narrows my search!

It does have more choice but also a greater number and concentration of pushy parents wanting those schools. It's far more intense than the competition for the Preps in Hampstead and surrounding areas for example.

Tons around Oxford on IAPS. I'm sure several would be suitable.

Senior schools in the county, Wiki.

Ah again ... While I'm sure it's possible to decide at 14 that you'd like to board - and to immediately wander nonchalently into a superb boarding school - the reality is that the decision generally has to be made (at least speculatively) by around 10/11, to accommodate the pre-test process (which more and more schools seem to be taking up).

To be brutally honest OP you don't seem keen on many of the things that make the better independent schools worth paying for: Saturday school and boarding for instance, (both of which facilitate breadth of extra-curricular activities). Boarding also means two other things: the catchment of the school is potentially global (rather than limited to how far parents are willing to drive) and the school is likely to be wealthy enough to have a strong cohort of pupils on bursaries - thus widening the range of backgrounds. (Obviously you don't have to pay fees to find an international student body - paradoxically it's an element more likely to occur in state schools than the average independent day school.) I'd also say that some boys (in particular) really thrive on boarding during their early teens. By 16, if you haven't done it before, I'd imagine it's more ... instrumental. And (it seems to me) you'd have to really hit the ground running to make good friends and have an influence on the extra curricular rhythm of the school. In other words - I don't imagine it's a terribly gentle option.

Are you sure you wouldn't prefer a 'leafy' comprehensive school?

Grauch I think you've probably got the measure of me! We live in catchment for a lovely leafy high performing comp that I would happily send DS to but I'm not at all happy with the very academic very pushy primaries. It's 30 in a class with no TA in by Christmas of year 1. The state primaries seem to lean heavy and early on maths and English but not much else. I don't want pushy at 5. I don't think it's developmentally appropriate. But equally I don't want to ship DS or his younger siblings off to boarding school. To say we are an academic family would be a bit of an understatement and I suppose I'm not that worried that DC will achieve academically. I want great value added teaching and a broad curriculum in a manageable class size. Soooo I'm a bit stuck!

DH floated the idea of Maidenhead as a location tonight. Off I go to research Claire's Court and St Piran's. I'm sure we'll get there in the end!

If you are happy with State and could move, then why not move to somewhere like Oxford? If you could live in the catchment for Cherwell or Matthew Arnold secondaries and maybe a less pushy Primary.

Would you consider the choir schools in Oxford? Depends a lot on how close to Oxford you'd be willing to relocate.

The boarding question is such a difficult one, until my eldest was 8 it was totally off our radar then her interests led to her boarding from 10 and her younger brother will probably board from 13. I'm glad he's been home till now but excited by what boarding school may enable him to achieve. We are also not from the UK and to say it has been a learning curve is an understatement. We found it difficult to start thinking seriously about senior schools for the youngest when we were still working out what the eldest was going to do, and might have found things easier if we had focussed on it a bit by the beginning of year 5.

Good luck finding the right combination for your whole family!

You do know there are lots of very good state primary schools in North London which get really good results for children of all abilities without the tutoring frenzy, don't you?

Plenty of dc from primary schools go to the sought-after N. London selective secondaries (and plenty of others go to comprehensives and do just as well). If you want a school that is good without being full of deranged pushy parents, you don't need to move out of London, you just need to take a teeny step outside the bubble of N. London academic prep schools.

you do know there are lots of very good state primary schools in North London which get really good results for children of all abilities without the tutoring frenzy, don't you?

Can you name any where you don't have to buy an exorbitantly priced house metres from the school and which offer extra curriculars as good as those at an Indy?

Claire’s Court takes children who cannot get into Sir William Borlase’s Grammar at Marlow and isn’t that great. I think your requirements may mean you need to look at this type of school but they are hardly the bees knees of independent schools.

Also, as there is the option of SWB G school, there is tutoring in Maidenhead!

Thanks bubbles. So where do people go for independent schools near Maidenhead? What's the school that goes with the acronym you gave? Any idea what the grammar is like? Which preps feed it?

Python would that be New College? I'd be happy in Oxford itself.