Dragon school vs Summer fields

[Luckymum007]

Kindly share any recent information about Dragon School and Summerfields. My DS id bright, sporty and musical. He is an all rounder and is ready to try out new things and have fun.

I am down to these two for boarding, kindly let me know your thoughts. I know there are some threads on this issue but most are dated.

Surely the main question is whether you want single sex or co-ed?

And only one of them is completely boarding. Tbh I’m a little surprised that you and your DS don’t feel a strong pull towards one or the other, for these reasons!

@CountryCousin

We know one is Co-ed, however my son plans to go to an all boys senior school and I think it might be a good idea to have friends of the opposite sex till year 8.

However I also like Summerfields. So my decision is not based on coed or single sex.

Will your DS be an overseas boarder or are you UK based?

If the former I would go for Summerfields because it is predominantly boarding and all his friends will be in at the weekends. IME that is the single most important factor that determines whether junior boarders are happy or not. If their best friends all disappear in the evenings and/or at the weekends they miss them and feel they are missing out even if they have good friends in the boarding house.

Academically both will get him into the best school for him.

He stands more of a chance of playing first team sport at Summerfields. But if he is really good at his chosen sport then Dragon first teams will offer greater opportunities.

@keyboardwarrior1

Thank your your feedback.

He will be an overseas boarder, however I have also heard that there are a good number of boarders at Dragon as well. Not as much percentage wise but with regards to sheer number.

Is pastoral care great at both schools?

Whilst I have no experience of either of these schools, if I was in your position I would not send your son to boarding school until senior school.
In my experience ( another boys boarding prep) they are not nice places to be for anyone other than the local parents who are " in with" the headmaster and his clique.

The school my son attended has been described on here recently as being " very very lovely". The poster went on to describe it's " family feel". The reality couldn't be further from the truth.

Your son will do far better academically and emotionally if you prepare him from home. Lots of families do this as you see when your son starts at Eton/Winchester etc.
Best of luck.

Hmm ... What you say might be useful if the OP were enquiring about your son’s school, Highonthehillagain - but I don’t see how it helps if you have no experience of either of the schools in question! Though it’s true that there may be no discernible disadvantage in not boarding before senior school - if you can provide the educational, social and extra-curricular benefits of a prep at home.

I can only repeat that a school where everyone boards would be far better for an overseas child.

Parking is possibly easier at SF. And it’s closer to coffee shops and M&S. And so much quieter once you’re through the gates. Lovely environment. And seems to produce very happy boys.

But in the end they are both offering essentially similar products. It really does depend on which you like best (as regards staff, other parents, buildings, attitude, etc) - and you can only discern that from repeated visits. Bearing in mind that no school is perfect and one person’s experience may be vastly different to another’s.

@CountryCousin do you have direct experience the two schools in question ?. Unless your children have boarded at each school while you were overseas your comments have very little relevance tbh.

I think I realize Highonthehill quotes as mine I think that shows how children and parents can experience the same school very differently, (and it can be different from class to class, depending on teacher, classdynamics and even parentdynamics) that asking for other peoples' experience can't make up for personal experience. So visit, visit and visit again and have trial boarding nights. And if things turn sour, be prepared to change school. The happiest boarders I know are kids who started as day pupils and just love their school so much they want to stay over as not to miss out, but have their parents on stand by if they need them.

@NellyBarney I think that the OP was asking for recommendations for the final years of prep in the lead up to entrance to Eton or Winchester. In which case moving school if things turn sour is not really an option can be difficult. Neither is starting as a day boy and moving on to boarding. Having said that it was a huge mistake not to remove our son.

Boarding at senior level particular at the very selective boys schools is a completely different story. I only wish we had realized that it was not necessary to attend a prep school to gain entry into even the most selective schools. I often wonder if the mums commenting on here any experience of the schools that they are recommending.

@Highonthehillagain - sorry I don't mean to derail the thread but just wanted to say you sound like lovely mum and I'm sorry your DS had a bad time at prep. It's such a minefield and very disappointing when that happens, when all you're trying to do is give them the absolute best. I am aiming for an all boys' prep, but my boys will be day / flexi until later years. Ideally for me it wouldn't be before Yr 9, but one of the schools I am looking at has compulsory boarding in the final two years and I'm nervous about it as I wonder if you'd really know if your boys weren't happy. I mean, if they were telling you they were ok - putting a brave face on. I'm hoping that as @NellyBarney says, by the time they've been there a while they will want to board - at least weekly - because there's so much going on. Is your DS now happily boarding at senior, if you don't mind my asking?

@legoninjago1 thank you .My son loves his senior school and wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Our happy boy has returned and he has put the past behind him and is moving on. We are very proud of him. It's hard for us because we feel that we have let him down so badly. Best of luck with the school search for your boys.

That's great to hear. Glad all worked out well - and I'm sure he knows you only wanted to give him the best you could.

My son was at SF and adored it. The pastoral care is wonderful and the boys have an enormous amount of fun. Academically, the spread is broad: teaching for the top is very pacy and for the bottom much more supportive. More boys go out at weekends now than used to be the case; but it's still a proper full boarding school. The Dragon always seemed more like a big London day school with boarders

Thank you everyone, revisiting both schools this week. Hopefully, I come to a decision.

"I know there are some threads on this issue but most are dated."

Yes, including some from me. But they say a leopard doesn't change its spots. There's this thing called school policy and ethos etc. and therefore, certain things will never change.

What I'm hitting at is, I'd not go to Dragon even if you pay me to! And Summer Fields? What an "alternative"? I say that because it's really not an alternative; it's a god send! SF ia probaby the best of the best prep schools in the UK! No comparison...

Thank you @Peteneras for your candour.

However kindly shed more light on your disdain for Dragon School and why you are so enthused about Summer Fields. I think it my just help me make a decision.

Thank you!

Some years ago, Luckymum007, we were very fortunate to have DS won one of the most stunning scholarships anywhere on earth with a monetary value, if needed, worth then at around a quarter-of-a-million £s! - possibly double that at today's value. This was the Eton Junior Scholarship for 10-year-old boys from state schools (4 available annually) which entailed the holder leaving state school to go to a prep school - any prep school in the UK - of your choice, but with Eton's approval. The scholarship guaranteed a place at Eton for 5 years entering when aged 13 and included 3 years at a prep school as described above prior to entering Eton.

It was at this stage when looking for prep schools - 'first-time-buyer' with not a clue how the private sector works - when Eton with their incredible generosity and assistance sent us a list of possible preps to consider. The list included Dragon and some of the premier prep schools in the UK, boarding and day, (now I know, but not at the time). I foolishly mentioned 'Highgate' because it was near where we lived and had a great local reputation but in a heartbeat, back came the reply, "Highgate is not suitable".

On the day of our visit to Dragon (as arranged by Eton) the impression we got of the school was not too welcoming. This was possibly because of the fact that Dragon had got us confused with another family with the same surname. A few of our correspondence with Dragon previously had gone unanswered. It was later explained to us that Dragon had mistakenly sent the replies to another family abroad who had asked the same questions. So now we have a head who doesn't know where the tail is wagging!

Literally within 5 minutes of our visit to Dragon, we were subtly asked about fee payments. I couldn't believe my ears and thought I'd heard something else and therefore, didn't give a reply. Right from the onset, Dragon was making a big deal about the alumni that had attended the school. Simple questions that I asked had answers that led inevitably to a "famous" name.

And out of the blue, "Look! That's Jeremy Paxman's daughter over there by the gate!" I had begun to get tired by now listening to all this crap. Not a single question was asked about my son who would be potentially boarding at this school in the next 3 years.

And yes, you guessed it, Dragon wouldn't let me go any further until they got the answer as to how I was going to pay their school fees. Poor little souls, little did they know that fees would be even if it's a million £s. Needless to say, I didn't tell them the answer and by now my other half was so disgusted with the visit and walked straight back to the car.

Unbeknown to Dragon, heads of many other equally good or even better preps had been falling over themselves trying to get DS to enrol with them. The Chinese have a saying, "Big eyes you have and yet you don't see a mountain".

As for Summer Fields, I didn't know about them at the time. It was years later when DS was at Eton when I met quite a few boys who had gone there; amongst them a KS from DS's cohort and boarding house. Of the boys that had impressed me, more often than not, they had graduated from Summer Fields which was what caught my attention. They are impeccably well mannered and spoke confidently even with adults. They carry themselves well and of course, very well behaved.

The other outstanding aspect about SF is that they seem to have secured for themselves about a quarter of the Eton King's Scholarship freehold which may I remind you, is an annual global competition. Good luck and best wishes!

#This phrase has been ringing in my head for the past few weeks as I kept listening to this song.

Thank you @Peteneras. This is quite insightful and it is a pity, your son would have been a really glittering alumnus to have at their school. I see you seem to have this bias based on your visit and yes they have very famous alumni and possibly children of celebrities.

However have you heard anything with regards to pastoral care or academic/ sporting prowess? Surely you must have encountered some Old Dragon boys while your son was at Eton.

I really love SF, however I have got this gut feeling that he might miss out on Dragon.

Tough spot to be in, but I wonder why SF was not on your list from Eton and if it was, how you missed it! Could it be that Dragon is more famous and revered?

It would be helpful, in the first instance, to know which senior school you have in mind for your son? From my observations, different senior schools seem to have a glut of pupils from the same few prep schools. Put it another way, different preps seem to prepare their pupils for a few particular senior schools - a specialisation, if you like.

Although Eton have a list that literally includes some dozens of prep schools that have/had sent boys to the school, the fact still remains that most Etonians and OEs seem to come mainly from a dozen or so schools.

The list that Eton sent me previously consisted mainly of preps in and around London where I live or perhaps I told them within a radius of (say) 50 miles? Yes, I had wondered why SF wasn't included as I'm sure I would most probably have opted for it. Or maybe not as I wouldn't have known how good SF were at the time when I first started on this journey.

But again, during the Open Day before the Junior Scholarship competitions, Eton invited the head of Papplewick prep to Eton to address the hopeful parents one year, and the head of SF the following year to do the same. It seems Eton gives everyone a chance and the prep school list consists mainly random preps that in the eyes of Eton, meet their requirements and standards. I think the other 3 successful junior scholars might have got a different list altogether.

IMO, sports, drama and music at all the premier preps will be somewhat similar. I particularly wanted a prep that has large open playing fields - that's why most of the inner London preps didn't appeal to me no matter how good their academics are. Similarly, pastoral care will be quite similar too all round unless your child has special needs of sorts.

Actually I don't think Dragon sends as many boys to Eton as SF in recent years; not as far as KSs are concerned. As you know, Eton is a very big school with 25 houses spread all across the village. There may be a handful of Old Dragonians(?) scattered all over but to be honest, I hadn't met any of them during my son's time. As I said earlier, I met quite a number of Old Summerfielders(?) But tell me, what is it about Dragon that you like?

@ Peteneras.

Thank you for replying once again.

Honestly, I am considering Eton College and Winchester. I appreciate the fact that you have also taken out time to respond to my question in such a detailed manner.

So here goes:

DS is due to start year 7 in the fall, has just recently done his second stage assessments at both senior schools and thinks he did quite well. Therefore not really looking for a school to feed us into senior schools, more like great preparation for the Election and Common Entrance.

Also, Dragon and Summer Fields had the same number of KS on their election roll in the last year and is a constant feature on the list, please see:

www.etoncollege.com/userfiles/files/The%20Roll%202019%20with%20Martineau%20award.pdf

It also sends boys to Eton in double digits yearly.

Dragon is co-ed which I quite like for the years prior to senior schools. It is also a big school ( 800 children, about half that number are ages 4 to 7 and are situated elsewhere) which some might think is a bad idea, however I think this might make it more competitive and a good transition to large senior schools such as Eton.

They also win scholarships to a wide variety of top schools, ( Eton, Winchester, Wycombe Abbey, Westminster, Cheltenham Ladies College and loads of others. In fact a third of their leavers in every year win scholarships to many schools.

They also have a large number of well read teachers from Oxford and Cambridge, heard academics is really strong, sports is formidable and music is topnotch.

Now I have visited Summer Fields and what is not to love, from the Head to the facilities, however I just feel I might regret it which ever I choose.

Hence my dilemma, sorry for inundating you with all these!

I don’t have as detailed a view as Peteneras, but will agree that we were thoroughly put off the Dragon by our visit there. Having driven 180 miles to do the visit, after long conversations on phone and email with the Registrar, the person showing us around started with ‘why are you here? Don’t you know there are no places in year 4?” And it went downhill from there. As we walked round no child looked us in the eye, no one held a door open, no teachers greeted us except for a DT teacher.

Having said that, some friends have children there who were blissfully happy and did very well. So, clearly we can all only see part of the story.

We ruled out the Dragon and luckily found places for our DS and DD at other brilliant prep schools, where they are both thriving. YMMV.

Worth bearing in mind that if Petes son was a junior scholarship boy then Im guessing his visit to the Dragon was over a decade ago.

I(as Im sure every other parent does) know boys from both schools at Eton,generally the SF boys are a little more relaxed and natural..if that makes any sense?

@Luckymum007 have sent you a DM

Thank you, both @Luckymum007 and @VivianSmith for the update and info. I must confess I do look at the Election Roll very carefully every year without fail for at least the last 15 years or more. I think I still have the Election Roll lists for each and every year since 2005 or earlier. It is in this regard that I had noticed SF stood out like a psychedelic beacon in the KS exams year after year securing two or three places each time which seem normal. Dragon had a long, long spell of absences in the Roll and yes, in the last couple or so years it had shown signs of a quiet comeback. Don't get me wrong, I didn't say anything negative (or positive, for that matter) about Dragon's academics; just didn't like their cavalier approach to my queries and visit at the time as VivianSmith has also attested.

From what you described in your OP about your son, I think Eton will suit him far better than WinColl. I've written volumes and volumes in these forums re Eton vs WinColl over the years but to quickly sum it up, Eton gives a much rounded education than WinColl and still produces the academic results. And what's more, if past performances is anything to go by, i.e. Election Roll, SF seems to be the obvious choice although prominent preps the likes of WUS, Papplewick, etc are fighting and keeping their corners. Be aware too, foreign boys especially from East and SE Asia are making huge inroads in the last ten or so years. I had predicted College will look very different in fifteen to twenty years from now unless the rules are changed.

Thank you everyone!

@nolanscrack, No not sure it makes understand.

@VivianSmith Thank you for your information, I guess some schools are better prepared than others at being welcoming and giving first impressions.

@peteneras. Thank you for your insight, I guess will have to wait and pray he gets accepted at both and bite the bullet of choice at that point. For now I will worry about the preps, though he will be grateful to get into any of these 2 senior schools!