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Original poster

boarding schools in Devon

38 replies

SandraCaroline · 09/02/2018 21:20

Hi, I hope someone can give me some advise on boarding schools in Devon. We are a British/German family living in Germany and my son who is 15 years old loves England and would like to spend (at least) a year in a UK boarding school . He is not so much interested in the academic excellence but rather in experiencing British lifestyle, so looking for a warm and welcoming school with a high percentage of British boarders. He likes cycling and also would like the opportunity to try out golf and sailing (though this is not compulsary). He also would like to be rather close to the sea. He defenately doesn't want go live in a big city. So I looked at several webpages and Truro and Shebbear looked interesting. Does anyone know these schools or can maybe recommend a different (not so expensive) boarding school ? Any ideas would be highly appreciated. Thanks a lot.

OP posts:

Fekko · 11/02/2018 19:13

Bryanston? Very sporty.

ineedaholidaynow · 11/02/2018 20:31

Mount Kelly could be another option. Not as rural as Shebbear. It is also a very sporty school

Original poster

SandraCaroline · 12/02/2018 21:14

thanks for all your suggestions. I will need some time to check out all the Webpages, but I will. True that it might be better to chose a soarding school that is not quite so isolated as he might want to go into town from time to time. I love the fees of the state boaders :-) and there probably would be a high percentage of British boarders, but my son the German passport (I still have the British but that does not help) and with Brexit I don't know whether EU passport holders will still be allowed to go to state schools. Otherwise I would have gone for Sexeys. Stover/Kingsley seem to be in all German brochures, so my guess would be that there are lots of German boarders. Sommerset is fine, I just do not want him to end up 90% foreigners, so anything local (anay from international airports) should be fine. My favourate would be a local school next to a small town with an ability to Play golf (not necessaryly at school but a golf course nearby where he could go at the week-ends would be fine).

OP posts:

2toplads · 13/02/2018 15:01

Stover has its own Golf club/team who compete in school and local tournaments. There is a mini course in the school grounds. There is also a Golf Club across the road from the school. There are a mixture of international and British boarders and they have a full and fun activities programme, both on and off site. Newton Abbot town centre is 2 miles down the road and Exeter Airport is a 30 minute drive away. I have 2 sporty boys who love it there (not boarders) and me and dh have no complaints.

Chillywhippet · 13/02/2018 15:14

Monmouth School for Boys, not in Devon, but next to the River Wye so lots of rowing, Spanish, Saturday school, small market town.

BubblesBuddy · 13/02/2018 17:15

Consider how many of these schools have children that actually stay in at the weekends. So many are weekly boarding now. What will he do for the weekends and exeats?

I would not choose Devon personally. Just too far from anything for boarding ad chlaustrophobic. I know a German child that went to Haileybury (Hertfordshire) and really enjoyed it. If boarding schools have mostly local children then they will be predominantly weekly boarding for busy parents. Lots of full boarders are foreign students now. It is just the way it is. A remote school will feel very remote when he has to trek to the airport for a flight home and then back again.

Onlynever · 13/02/2018 17:28

Truro School is of course in Cornwall. It's near the centre of a relaxed small city. Most pupils are day pupils, but there are 2 boys' boarding houses (junior and senior), and the same for girls. Quite a few board from Hong Kong, and they get Germans coming for 1 term stays. Also have English boarders - mostly from Cornwall I think. They have trips out every weekend - eg surfing, horse-riding, paint-balling. There is a local golf club, but I don't know if any of the pupils play. Wednesday afternoons are for activities, and learning to sail is I think on the list of options. It is a good school, with a lot going on, in a lovely setting. Great for music, drama and sport.

OCSockOrphanage · 16/02/2018 14:42

Mount Kelly has its own (tiny) golf course, but the ambience is outdoorsy, with regular sailing, canoeing and all the usual sports (swimming, because it has a national coaching programme as well as rugby and cricket, hockey, soccer etc.) Lots of (mainly Asian) international students and the rest tend to be swimmers. I believe it's going back to Saturday school sometime soon. The school is on the edge of Dartmoor near Tavistock, which has a links course on the moor. Academically, it is improving but not being selective (although there are always some high-achievers) but it seems to do okay by most.

Scraped from other friends' views, avoid Kingsley in Bideford.

Justquery · 17/02/2018 07:33

Lomond school is in Helensburgh and near a lot of golf courses. Sailing is in the curriculum and most of the pupils are British children with a few from Germany and China.

Loretta in Musselburgh has a golf academy?? Don’t know about sailing though

IncidentalAnarchist · 17/02/2018 07:35

@brieandchilli I went there too as edgehill 😁

OCSockOrphanage · 17/02/2018 15:45

Justquery, the OP is interested in schools in Devon and Cornwall!

LimpidPools · 17/02/2018 16:46

I've PMed you OP

Harveypaulger · 19/03/2018 18:19

Shebbear College is seriously good. A really happy country school and easily the best in this part of the Westcountry. Only about 400 pupils and excellent in every respect. Our daughter loved it.

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