Which boarding school is currently best for swimming?

[chlorinemum]

I'm looking for some up to date information on boarding school that specialise in in swimming for our swimming obsessed son for Y9 in Sept 23. We are currently considering Mount Kelly, Millfield and Repton. Looking for info from current or recent parents on the pros and cons of each. Swimming is big factor but obviously we also want good academics and other co-curricular opportunities in case the swimming obsession diminishes.
We like Mount Kelly but worry about the size of the program getting too big with too many swimmers. Millfield obviously has a good track record but it looks like a lot of swimmer have moved away from there recently to other swimming schools which is a bit of a concern? Repton looks good but it's a new program so not much info on it.
Any up to date info on these 3 schools would be most appreciated.

@Keefusandbetina Thanks. Yes he's currently in year 7 and has his regional times

@tavinbloom

Last time there was an MK or Millfield thread we had six posters very keen to tell us how great MK was -for three of them that was the first and last time they posted on mumsnet,another poster managed one other post and two more posts is the grand total for the fifth poster...

If I was adding comments about my DCs school I would also name change as it’s a very identifying thing to post about. If I saw someone on here who had DC at the same school as mine my nosey personality would have me searching their other posts to see if I knew them. So I can understand why some people might name change for a thread like this.

The best option would be to just install an Olympic sized pool in your garden and pay for a trainer. By doing this you will be able to look at a wider range of much better schools and will not be disappointed when the school’s swimming program doesn’t meet expectations.

My son ( year 5) competed on the Uk biathlon championships recently ( Swim/run) . Millfield had entered a large number of teams and did incredibly well which reflects the high quality of their swim
Programme for this age group. I don’t know about Mount Kelly

I know someone with 3 DCs at Ellesmere college who are all competitive swimmers. They are more than happy to keep them there inspite of what has happened with regards to previous coaches. Just saying.

Plymouth College, the home of Plymouth Leander.

No personal experience of any swimming programme, but I have seen how interests and abilities wax and wane through adolescence. I’ve also seen elite young athletes have to pivot their life plans due to injury. I think the best piece of advice on this thread is to consider the various schools with the swimming programme removed- or at least as one factor on the list alongside academic, co-curricular, ethos and pastoral care. That way you can make a balanced choice that doesn’t trap your DC in a swimmer-or-nothing narrative for life. Parents and ex-parents are very often intensely invested in their own school choices and will want to validate these in their posts (look at any X or Y independent school thread). You would do better to visit and meet the staff, and think about which individuals or groups of staff you are happiest to entrust your DC to, and which school community you feel instinctively glad to join.

chilmark79 gives good advice. Someone told me the other day they sent their child to a music school and she totally dropped out of music at 16. They wish they'd sent her to a more normal school.
Ds2 is v talented at cricket. There are Uber cricket schools but for other reasons they don't tick the box. So he'll go to a sporty school where he can play cricket but not necessarily one where that's the main sport. It needs to tick all the other boxes too.

Yes I’d agree with this. I doubt my daughter will swim much beyond school (at the level she is at now) and we are very aware of not making her feel that swimming is her life - it really isn’t, it’s just a fun activity she happens to be really good at. Realistically, only a handful even at her school will go anywhere other than a few races at nationals, so it’s not worth basing your whole life around it. We’re happy with everything else she gets at Mount Kelly too - she is very happy there & having a wonderful time - even if she gave up swimming tomorrow it would have been the right choice for her.

I’ve had two DC pass through Millfield, one sporty, one not. New(ish) head getting stricter on uniform and rules which isn’t going down well, but that is my one and only gripe. Pastoral care is great, facilities are great, teachers have all been dedicated way beyond anything I’ve seen in other schools (admittedly I only have a couple of other schools to compare it with directly, but friends with kids in other well-known schools seemed to have less happy experiences). Academically it is fully comprehensive but has a separate programme (‘the 100’ or something for the top third in each year) which both dc were on, they had extra mentoring, lunchtime classes, trips to Oxford & Cambridge, etc. in a nutshell Millfield a wealthy school and it shows; if they need to throw resources at something, they do so. Fees are quite hairy, mind.

Interesting thread - did you make a decision @chlorinemum ?? Looking at options for my son, currently yr5 & Milfield on our radar. Would also mean boarding

Hi @TheOakTreeOverThere. No decision made yet. We are planning on visiting all 3 this term to get a feel for them all

Know this is an old thread but just wondering what you decided @chlorinemum as we are currently looking