North Yorkshire Private Secondary School's.

[looselips1]

Hi,

So I'm moving from a suburban life to the country. We are not country people that much but do love the fresh air, space and tranquility of the country.

I'm just struggling to find the most appropriate school for my son. He's private now and would be entering the new school at Year 7. (September 2020)

I've looked at Cundall Manor School. Loved the feel of it but I just thought it was way too small.

I'm viewing Queen Ethelburga and Bootham.

I need to consider how he is going to be socially - as he will have to take the school bus to Queen Ethelburga & Bootham I want him to meet friends from all over York and not just the country. I want him to get friends who will go to the movies on Saturdays in York etc. He's a very outgoing child and confident and I just don't want him and a school that will wrap him in cotton wool.

Any advice from parents who have a child at these schools?

Have you looked at St Peter’s in York? Just up the road from Bootham ( but I wouldn’t call it a ‘country’ school). Mixture of York/country pupils, bigger than Cundall. It’s oversubscribed though, might be tricky to get in. They are selective.

QE and Cundall are obviously countryside, but presumably you're happy with town for school if you're looking at Bootham? I'd say it depends very much on where you are based in terms of getting into York easily and then the style of the schools themselves.

I'd suggest going to the St Olaves open day in the next week or so (The children at St P go there until 13), and you'll get a feel for it.

Of the ones you've mentioned I've been to see Bootham and St Peters, both very different! Logistically I think Bootham has a bus system but not St Peters. Funnily enought the open day was on Saturday and they did mention a potential bus scheme from the park and rides which would be so much easier for us and had been one of my biggest concerns. Otherwise if you can get into town by car or train it's doable too.

My DS is at Bootham.
He gets a public bus which comes from Easingwold into York.
One is on the east side of the A19, another is on the west side.
The Bootham minibus is on the Leeds side of York I believe, but there is talk of one on the north side.

Bootham and Peters are quite different, so you need to view both, to see which would suit your child.
There is also Pocklington, but don't know anything about it.

Any specific questions about Bootham, please shout.

What side of York in the country are you going to be living?

I'd look at Pocklington, Cundall, peters and bootham. They are all different.

(I wouldn't look at QE. We aren't allowed to talk about that on here though 🤫)

I'd also go and look at Terrington Hall. It's a fab standalone prep school that goes to 13. It'll give you some breathing space to make the right choice post 13.

Five years ago, I'd have suggested the minster school for the same reason (goes to 13), but there are in meltdown.

I don't like the Olave's Head (junior school to Peter's).

Choir Mother - can you elaborate as we’re choosing right now. Ie what’s going on at the Minster school? And what is it about Olaves’ head?

DD went to Bootham when Jonathan Taylor was Head. I don’t know how/if the new Head has changed the school but Bootham was absolutely fantastic when she was there.

There is no rugby, though - try Peters or Pock for sporty kids.

@stubiff. We moved away and DS doesn’t want to board so we have had to send him to a different school. I am still homesick for Bootham .

There are some very interesting historical threads on Ethelburga's which you may find enlightening she says euphemistically

May I ask, what did you decide, loose lips?

Have you looked at Ampleforth?

Resurrecting this thread to ask about entrance for Bootham. We might be moving up there and DS will be year 8. He is a great child, very polite and nerdy. He's clever, but is dyspraxic and dyslexic. His writing isn't very good, but he was at or above in his SATs
Do Bootham just only take the cream of the crop in this regard?
I think DS would really benefit from some of the things I've seen on their website and it might be easier for him socially as a Londoner in a private school, but I'm not sure whether they'd want him.

When we looked around Bootham I didn't get the feeling it was ultra selective or competitive at all, in fact the staff told us not to worry much at all about the assessment side of things. It did seem very nurturing and a good fit for creative, expressive children. Definitely have a look around.

In terms of settling in, there are some fab state primaries around YOrk and I wouldnt envisage a child from London having issues with being different or feeling 'out of town'. It depends where you live (I guess this applies to many towns) and there will be some with a mix of families where they wouldn't blink an eye at a new starter, and others that have very little movement

I'd also say it very much depends if they have space or not as to how picky they get ;-)

Thanks @thebluebellas! Yes, I got the impression from their website that the focus was on helping children become good people more than anything else which I really like.
Our kids have always been in state schools and that's where we come from too so I'm always aware that there may be subtle things I'm not picking up on!
The nearest state primary to where we're looking at looks lovely, but I think the secondarys are over subscribed.

Bootham is not selective although a child would need to show that they could cope with getting GCSE passes. There are tests but from what you’ve said he’s be fine. Main issue would be if there is space, but they do take new starters in each year if room.

I really wouldn't worry about children from London feeling exluded in state schools in York, though. Of the school-gate parents I know from DC's (state) primary school, a high proportion of families moved from London when their children were younger, and a lot were academics from a variety of different countries. Several have parents who technically work in London but work from home often enough to make living in York worthwhile.

Bootham and St Peters are very different, but are both considered good.

Be aware that the Minster School closed suddenly at the end of the summer term, so there is likely to be added pressure on school places locally.

That's very reassuring @VirginiaWolverine I come from a much smaller place in the North East and I remember bad attitudes towards anyone who was seen to be trying to be posh or better in any way. That was a very deprived area though.