Day prep schools in Surrey which are feeder for public boarding schools?

[bluemeadow89]

Hello all,
I am looking to move to Surrey as it an easy commute to London and I am looking for pre-prep and prep schools that feed into public boarding schools, most specifically Eton. I don't want my DS to board from aged 7, I would prefer him to be a day pupil until at least 11. Are there any schools in Surrey that prepare boys well for Eton? I loved Dragon school in Oxford but unfortunately it is too far away from London.

Aldro in Godalming.

If you want a day school nearer to London try Shrewsbury House in Long Ditton/Surbiton.

The number of 7 year old boarders in UK is vanishingly small. Ditto 8, and 9 year olds. This also applies to boys whose parents want them to go to Eton.

If you are in Surrey and looking at Eton and a day school, I would recommend Rokeby or Shrewsbury House. But if you have a genuinely bright all rounder you can send him to a good state primary. He could move to a prep which offers boarding at 11 and flexi/weekly board.

But it sounds as if your DS is very small. Maybe see how he develops and decide on a senior school later with help from his school? Y5 is a good time to decide. You may find that a big boys school is not the right place for him. You need to keep your options open.

Are you looking for just a day school or are you open to a day/boarding prep? A lot (in fact most) boarding preps these days are not full boarding, so for example in a day/boarding prep your DS could be a day boy until the end of year 6 and then try some 'flexiboarding' where he stays one or two nights in year 7 and then do a term of weekly boarding in year 8 before going to his public boarding school in year 9. Having typed this I realised you mentioned Dragon school so obviously you do know about day/boarding in one prep...

Anyway, do you have any preferences on co-ed or single sex at the prep stage? In Surrey, Aldro is probably the best bet for a day/boarding prep with a track record of Eton admissions.

Other options:

Woodcote House
Hall Grove School
Cranleigh Prep (although they are more a feeder than a traditional, independent prep)
Feltonfleet

If you're wiling to look at Sussex/Hampshire/Berkshire there are more options e.g. Highfield and Brookham, but those schools might be too far if you are looking for a commuter town.

Whereabouts in Surrey? Sounds like Papplewick would suit you, ditto Woodcote House, Caldicott. They do run buses from London and some surrounding areas if dropping off yourself would be difficult.

Thank you for your suggestions all, I will definitely look further into those schools. We are looking around the Surrey Hills and also Sunningdale/towards Ascot area.
@LittleBoPeep345 I was quite surprised at how many schools I found that were full boarding or encouraged it for boys aged 7. Each child is different and has different needs, but for me 7 is too young. And although I have nothing against state school, it is a personal preference to send my son to a private school and not to join his cohort later on.

Papplewick, Woodcote House and Sunningdale are your obvious ones then.

I was quite surprised at how many schools I found that were full boarding or encouraged it for boys aged 7

Can you say where you are looking? Full boarding for 7 year olds is virtually non existent. I think IAPS figures show there was a total of 127 7 year olds who boarded at some stage in 2020. Boarding at some stage will include an over night stay for a family emergency, as well as flexi or weekly boarders. It is a million miles away from full boarding.

Most boys boarding preps start at 8, have a handful of 8 year old full boarders from China and Nigeria and the odd UK child from a complicated home background. Flexi or weekly boarding is the norm between 8 and 10 with full boarding starting at 11. Traditional Eton feeders like Sunningdale and Summer Fields now offer day places to younger boys. Even Ludgrove has moved to “fortnightly boarding”.

They may encourage full boarding at 8 but I suspect this is because they have a lot of beds to fill at the weekend. Most UK parents - including those who want their sons to go to Eton - are just not interested in that offer.

Completely agree. The only full boarding preps I know start in Yr 4 - Sunningdale has a handful of Yr 3s - and most are very flexible and allow 2/3 nights a week at home to start with. Ludgrove possibly the exception.

If you want Eton for secondary, you should definitely consider a day/boarding prep and I agree with the recommendations for Aldro.

The boys there usually begin as day boys and gradually introduce boarding days as they get higher up the school, starting with 1 or 2 days, then up to a week or full boarding by the time they are 12 or 13.
It's a gentle introduction to fully boarding at a public school as 13 year olds. It also gives them a chance to see if boarding will suit them, or whether a better option is to find a day secondary school.

Just a note on Papplewick and Sunningdale, they are both very good schools but I don't know if your son could be a day boy until year 7.

At Papplewick they all board from the last term of year 6 (weekly I think). My impression is that Sunningdale reduced their day places and is really a boarding school - you would have to contact them/read their prospectus but certainly their website has dropped most talk of day boys. Definitely worth asking though.

Yes Sunningdale does have day boys - about 10% of the school - but it doesn't have any flexi boarding, so you're either day, weekly or full. In addition it really is a boarding school, so being a day boy there wouldn't suit everyone. Very late finishes for one thing and being in a small minority of day boys for another.
That's right re Papplewick and I think weekly boarding from summer term of Yr 6 is the right balance. Most do some flexi beforehand, many from Yr 3, so should know by Yr 6 whether boarding is right for them.
Woodcote House is completely flexible throughout I believe.
Aldro - as far as I know - doesnt really feed Eton. It's more Charterhouse and some to Cranleigh and others. Hence recently going coed. Lovely school though. Eton shouldn't be the be all and end all in my humble view.

Thank you for the replies all, I didn't explain properly want I meant by "full boarding" and that to me is Mon-Fri as opposed to Flexi boarding. @Tanith Thank you this is very helpful, as ultimately I want my son to decide for himself and a gentle introduction is the best way to do that. Or perhaps decide he hates boarding and then a day school is better suited. I will have to contact Sunningdale and Papplewick as I was unsure on the exact boarding requirements. Eton is definitely not the be all and the end all, just something to work off. Ultimately a school where he can thrive and is happy is the most important! With regards to pre-preps - are there any you can suggest? I will be totally new to the area, so this a great for me to start looking into.

@bluemeadow89 , St Hilary's Godalming as a pre-prep to Aldro. It's a lovely area with trains to Waterloo.

@bluemeadow89 please do you mind If I ask which school you went for and why. And if y9u could share your feedback, leaenings and experience will be very helpful for me as I am still trying to make that tough decision . Thank you in advance.