Senior Schools in/near Colchester

[Colchesterborn]

Hi! Asking for a friend who is looking for a private senior school in or around the Colchester area for their son (currently in Year 5 so they have time to look around a bit before making a firm decision) and there seems to be a huge choice. They have decided they would be willing to travel out towards Felsted and Ipswich if absolutely pushed but a bit closer to home would be ideal. My own child goes to St Mary's but this is obviously not going to help! Any thoughts please? He is very sporty and loves both his rugby and athletics, and he's middling on the academic front (before lockdown started!).

The Royal Hospital School has to be worth a look. Not in Colchester, but not far, and Colchester is definitely on one of their bus routes. There's plenty going on (well, normally there is...) - loads of sport; and academically they take a fairly wide range of abilities. I'd definitely recommend it - great ethos, lovely site and facilities, fab teaching...

Day or boarding.

Finborough is amazing and I'm sure their buses run to Colchester.

Good question, really they are looking for a day school. I've heard previously heard of RHS but haven't heard too much about Finborough. Is there a big difference in atmosphere between schools that run from Pre-Prep all the way through to schools that are solely a senior school?

RHS is about half and half day / boarding, and it works well. Possibly an advantage of being 11-18 only is that it takes from a huge number and range of primary / prep schools - locally and beyond.

Holmwood house in Colchester currently goes up to 13 but is expanding in the next year or two to go through to year 11.

@Colchesterborn, another vote for Royal Hospital School (RHS), in normal times there seems to be tons going on, and the pastoral care is very good.

Thanks all - a couple of schools there that we will look at, RHS especially but also Finborough.