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.

[sendsummer]

Both schools send loads to E and W and attract very very bright boys and a KS combined with W entrance and election set in the final year. Through my DCs I know a fair number who have been through both schools and ended up at E and W Dragon school is a rather special unique place including for boarders. It has a particularly strong slant towards independence and creativity (creativity in anything, not just in creative subjects) and can seem chaotic. It also seems one of the few prep schools in which DCs don’t outgrow the school in the final two years. Boys from Summerfields emerge as more traditional prep school ‘products’ but the school does that very well and the boys are generally happy and also do well at E and W.

[Luckymum007]

@sendsummer
Thank you for your post. Although I am not quite certain about which of the schools you think is better.

Also, please explain "chaotic".

[nolanscrack]

Its not a case of one school is better,its a case of what school is best for the individual child.Winchester is a top school but it didnt suit us that doesnt mean its not a top school just not right choice for us.

[Luckymum007]

Thank you @nolanscrack.

[Luckymum007]

@nolanscrack.

Typed rubbish in my first reply to you.

What do you mean by "relaxed and natural"?

[nolanscrack]

SF boys had all boarded they arrived at senior school with that background,so need for jostling,trying to be top dog and all that comes with it,they knew how to muck in,when to leave people alone etc..they, and Id say the parents are less pushy..My boys would say the biggest pains in the … at school are Dragon boys and Ludders boys,both can be rather full of themselves..

[Luckymum007]

@nolanscrack

Thank you for clarifying, I understand what you mean.

[sendsummer]

Luckymum007 chaotic probably because the school has a very informal vibe. Children run around and seem to know what is going on without a need for teachers to tell them. They certainly come out not cowed by rules and regulations and adults which is why they may seem rather confident.
Not that different really from E and W in atmosphere.

[Luckymum007]

@Sendsummer

Thank you for the explanation, interesting perspective!

[OxfordMum1983]

Know families with dc at both schools, visited both looking at schools for my dc, go to both for various matches but not had direct experience.

Dragon seems like a large factory, albeit of very high quality. They seem to select at low levels mainly by ability to pay but get remarkable results. More selective further up but not extremely selective as local super bright go to magdalen. Good at sport, but have large pool to pick from (compared to most one form entry preps locally!). Lots of local day pupils, plus smaller boarding contingent some of whom are uber rich foreigners.

SF smaller, more personalised, amazing grounds/facilities for size, boarders I know there v happy. Doubt academics or general opportunities much different from what I know.

Out of the two I would choose summer fields. The staff I have spoken to there are so kind and treat all the boys as humans (e.g. Asking my DS who was Waiting to sub in all about his interests and making positive comments about his playing despite it being rubbish) , at the dragon it all feel so like a well oiled machine.

I expect either school would be fine, just depends on the feel you think would work best for your family.

[Mum2of2]

Hello everyone
Thanks for this... we are also looking at both school for 2 boys year 1 and 7 at their current schools, we are moving to Oxford ( from abroad). I went to see Dragons 2 weeks ago- both sites and really loved them both. I found teachers and kids to be very friendly- I also loved how big it was in terms of numbers. We are coming from a very small school- i think being at a big school for a few years will help him get ready when they have to move on. Biggest advantage that Dragon is offering for us Flexible Boarding.
my older boy is not big on sports &music, very academic and Love to read - ...while the little One right now seems to loves sports. We are seeing summer fields this week

[sendsummer]

The size of the Dragon does not make it a factory any more than Eton is a factory. I think parents sometime equate smaller schools as delivering more personal attention and being cosier at junior school age. However small can also be stifling, particularly in the last 2 to 3 years of prep schools. The Dragon is able to recruit very high calibre of staff and IME deliver that personalised education whilst remaining an exhilarating place to be a DC in. They field a very large number of teams for each sport so fixtures are not restricted to two or three teams. The boarding environment and staff are brilliant and the pupils can pop back to their boarding houses at any time during the day in between lessons.

[Luckymum007]

@Sendsummer

Thank you for your input. I actually think you are spot on. I really think your opinion about out growing small preps in Year 7 and 8 is valid.

Do you have any first hand experience of Dragon?

[Luckymum007]

Thank you @Oxfordmum.

@OxfordMum1983

[Luckymum007]

@mum2of2 Please let me know your thoughts when you visit SF.

We visited SF and had an overnight at Dragon. I have now become extremely confused, my son cannot seem to pick one either. I am flummoxed that we are at this stage and so undecided!

[sendsummer]

Luckymum007 I have sent you a pm.
I don’t think you would regret going for either school if one school does not clearly appeal more. However, as well as other factors particularly since you are considering boys’ full boarding senior schools, there is a definite advantage to co-ed at prep school.

[Luckymum007]

Thank you, will check my inbox now!

[OxfordMum1983]

@sendsummer I agree size does not necessarily mean factory. That was just the feel I have had and I think the Dragon is a very good school! Summerfields is not small as far as I am concerned. It has 2 forms per year, approx 250 from yr 4-8 (note new pre-prep now open from this year). There are several other preps locally which are 1 form entry and have approx 150 TOTAL including the preprep. That is just my opinion though.
Great to have the choice of two excellent schools.

[Wallabrook]

These are both excellent schools, of a comparable academic standard, so either would in all likelihood optimise your DS' chances of a place at Winchester or Eton. But they are very different institutions so it does become a question of which will work best for your DS, family, and circumstances. With close family experience of both, they were two of my shortlist of three, and in the event we chose the third, so I have no loyalty to either. But of your two- for an overseas boarder- I would chose SF. There are few more miserable experiences for a young boarder than being in school over weekends when the majority of your schoolmates have gone home. SF isn't as full-boarding in reality as on paper (my SF nephews go home virtually every weekend) but the character of the school is that of a boarding prep. The Dragon is magnificent in many ways (and if I lived in Oxford and wanted a day school I would choose it) but the critical mass there is day rather than boarding. @Luckymum007, you don't mention whether you are ex-pat Brits or another nationality. If the latter it might be worth testing out whether particular nationalities have a strong presence at your preferred schools- if so that might mitigate the effects of distance from home. Either way, best of luck with your tough decision!

[sendsummer]

Wallabrook there are over 200 full boarders at the Dragon which I think is more than SF.

[MyCruiseControl]

@sendsummer That may be the case but how many are boys? And as the school is getting rid of Saturday school, I suspect it is because the majority of DC are now day pupils or weekly boarders.

[sendsummer]

The ISC website gives proportion of girls fewer than boys. A bonus IMO to have boys mixing with girls as full boarders in any case especially years 6 to 8.
As the school has that many full boarders the ratio of day / flexi boarding to full boarding does n’y really matter.
There is no weekly boarding so whether Saturday mornings change from academic lessons to a different format makes no difference. Fixtures which most pupils will participate in will continue to be held on Saturday afternoon I expect.
I agree that the OP should ask both schools how many boarders stay in on Saturday nights / Sundays on week ends which are n’t closed.

[Luckymum007]

@MyCruiseControl

Your suspicion is wrong unfortunately, they are getting rid of Saturday lessons and introducing QUEST, an array of extracurricular activities.

[Aethelthryth]

They're so much of a muchness for academics/sport/arts etc. that it really comes down to the character of the school and your instinctive preference. We were refugees from the pushiness of a London prep, so the slightly old-fashioned paradise for little boys that is SF suited us better than the Dragon. My godson was at the Dragon at the same time: I think that the Dragon children are a little more sophisticated and have the edge in terms of confidence; but the SF boys have exquisite manners and combine merriment with an engaging earnestness

[tegucigalpa13]

As the school has that many full boarders the ratio of day / flexi boarding to full boarding does n’y really matter

I disagree with this. OP has said her DS will be an overseas boarder so he will be in every weekend. In this case, what matters is what her DS’s best friends do at the weekend. He may be lucky and find that his best friends are also full boarders. But given how many Dragon boys are day or weeklies the likelihood is that many will not be - and he will feel left out when they disappear on A Friday night.