Girls PreP

[huntzoey]

Are there ANY girls prep boarding schools, that take boarders under the age of eleven? All of the ones that I have found are 11-18 schools.

I found Godstowe but not enough boarders.

Adcote and moreton hall take girls from 7 or 8?

Girls' Boarding prep schools are a rarity. Godstowe is the best and numbers are not really an issue with friendships there. (DD went there). From 11, more board and there is a great community feel in the boarding houses. I think other prep schools will not have large numbers either. Going to Godstowe gives a wide choice of senior schools. through schools tend to limit choices at 11 or 13. Godstowe gives you every choice.

I think the problem you will have is that there are virtually no children boarding in UK before the age of 10 or more likely 11. Parents no longer do this.

There is a handful of all boy preps with a majority of boarders (Sunningdale, Ludgrove, Cothill, Summerfields) but even they have gone over to day/weekly boarding for 8 -10 year olds. Their big selling point is that they get boys into Eton, Harrow and Winchester and that is what motivates some parents to send their boys to board aged 8.

There is no girls equivalent of those schools - partly because there is no girls equivalent of Eton etc and partly because parents (mainly overseas parents) still invest more in education for a boy. Godstowe is probably the only one- but as you say there are not many younger boarders. And most of them will go home at weekends.

If you are really set on boarding for an 8 or 9 year old and want a good number of children in school at the weekend I think your choice is limited to a handful of big co-ed preps. Windlesham House would be my first choice - but even they will only have a handful of regular 8 year old boarders.

Hanford Prep, Dorset is pretty much the only one on my radar.
Maybe Knighton House too but unsure what % board.
Godolphin School, Sailsbury has a Junior House and may offer more of a boarding atmosphere as there will be older girls around too.

Port Regis? Coed tho.

Also Abberley Hall and Windlesham House. Sorry I've only got boys but I noticed these coed ones during my investigations!

Hanford is a small school but has a reasonable percentage of boarders.

Where do you live and how old is your child? I’d probably want to be within an hour of a school.

Badminton (Bristol) - boarding from 9
Hanford (Dorset)
Knighton House
Leaden Hall
Rye St Antony - boarding from year 5

Are all girls’ boarding prep schools. There are quite a few more co Ed boarding prep schools though.

Godstowe is similar to the boys' preps in that girls mostly stay until 13 and do go to the big co-ed or girls boarding schools. They go the girls' Eton equivalents. Boys do not have all the big name schools!