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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Pre prep and prep in dorset , castle court/dumpton or Knighton house ?

37 replies

mel38 · 29/08/2011 18:27

does anybody have any opinions on the above schools abd there differences ? obviously i know knighton is all girls for prep so is it ok to send a boy there for pre prep ?

please help a confused mum x

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thecaptaincrocfamily · 29/08/2011 21:57

I haven't been to Castle Court but have visited Knighton House and Dumpton and out of those two I would really recommend Knighton as it just is sooo friendly, the staff are lovely and I love the way the girls are given a free rein at lunch times in Prep to groom ponies, pet guinea pigs etc. Very homely dormitories as well . I would say go and visit. Dumpton was lovely but my girls love horses and therefore Knighton seemed better. Dumpton is a lovely school but seemed more cramped with smaller classrooms/space. View them all, they won't mind. Knighton also offer bursaries but unsure of the other two.

thecaptaincrocfamily · 29/08/2011 21:58

Oh and there is also Claysmore school.

thecaptaincrocfamily · 29/08/2011 21:59

and Sandroyd

NedSchneebly · 30/08/2011 08:05

And sunninghill prep in Dorchester. . .

Original poster

mel38 · 30/08/2011 09:18

thankyou for your replies ,clayesmore we have experienced ,sunninghill is to far and sandroyd will be our option for our son for prep not sure it would suit our daughter , she needs a good education but somewhere that they will still allow her to be a child not push push push it needs to be musical and arty ,good drama etc also some good outdoor time .......my daughter also loves horses !

OP posts:

Whatisitthistime · 30/08/2011 19:20

Port regis is the best IMNSHO but not the cheapest!

Whatisitthistime · 30/08/2011 19:21

BTW out of the three you have listed OP - Dumpton has the best reputation.

Original poster

mel38 · 30/08/2011 20:17

i dont mind about it being the cheapest , looked at port regis not for us .....and whatisitthistime Dumpton has the best reputation for what ?

OP posts:

Oakmaiden · 30/08/2011 20:33

Castle Court is fabulous.

My children went to Talbot Heath Junior when we lived in Bournemouth, but I would have loved to send them to Castle Court. Just too darned expensive though!

Oakmaiden · 30/08/2011 20:35

I also really really liked Ballard School (over the other side of the county, but they had a bus service from Bournemouth and Poole) because of the huge range of extra curricula activities and the fact they actively encouraged the children to climb the trees in the school grounds. Had our situation not changed I had every intention of moving my son there when he could no longer attend Talbot Heath (they are girls only once they reach prep age).

Whatisitthistime · 30/08/2011 21:20

Dumpton has the reputation for providing all rounders, and is seen as the unofficial feeder school to Canford. (depending on your thoughts of Canford this can be seen as a good or a bad thing).

Castle Court is a good school, but is heavy religious, which is not for everyone.

Talbot Heath good for girls - hopefully the improvements of the new head, will bring this back up to how it was in previous years.

Any thoughts as to where you want senior school?

Only thing about Ballard is why would you choose a school that finishes at 16?

They are not preparing them for common entrance as they don't want them to finish at 13. They are not preparing them for university as they are not doing 'A' levels. A lot of Ballard pupils just end up at Brock College, nothing wrong with that but why would you pay private education throughout to end up at the local FE college?

Original poster

mel38 · 30/08/2011 21:32

Thank you so much for all this information , As much as we know at the moment for senior schools we are favouring Bryanston or St Marys in shaftesbury very different though i believe ..............looked at Canford and thought it was fantastic, facilities brilliant but not for us ......felt a little regimented ..not sure if it is just the feeling we got ..

OP posts:

Whatisitthistime · 30/08/2011 21:37

If you like Bryanston then yes you would think Canford regimented.

Personally Bryanston isn't for me, for not being regimented enough. St Mary's is very regimented.

For the boys have you considered Milton Abbey.

There's a school over that way called Apple something it's a girls prep that accepts boys. Maybe what you are after, let me see if I can find the name of it.

Whatisitthistime · 30/08/2011 21:39

Ah silly me it's Orchard (I knew it was related to Apple!!!) of Knighton House.

That I would suggest if you are interested in the freedom of Bryanston.

Original poster

mel38 · 30/08/2011 21:44

now that made me laugh on a boring tuesday night :)

OP posts:

thecaptaincrocfamily · 30/08/2011 22:04

I liked Knighton because it doesn't seem regimented tbh. Like I said all the girls and boys I saw looked happy and when I went round the school with the head she knew all the pupils by name well. Seemed more friendly than the others I have visited.

Oakmaiden · 31/08/2011 01:59

A lot of Ballard pupils just end up at Brock College, nothing wrong with that but why would you pay private education throughout to end up at the local FE college?

Probably because my eldest (who I was originally looking at it for) is not highly academic, and because I could send him elsewhere for A levels if necessary. Although at the time I was looking there were very few schools in the Bournemouth Poole area which went up to A level for boys... in fact I am failing to think of ANY other than the forementioned CAnford/Bryanston types which were outside our price bracket.

And because the huge benefits I think independent schools give are small class sizes and access to extra curricula opportunities which few state schools offer. :)

Anyway - that is just me...

Whatisitthistime · 31/08/2011 08:45

The whole area is seriously lacking for boys. None of the schools are geared for boys, they accept boys, but are geared towards girls and boys are an after thought.

A decent senior independent for boys in the area is desperately needed, ideally a boys' Talbot Heath comparison.

Original poster

mel38 · 31/08/2011 09:20

I was thinking the exact same thing for boys , i think we will look at sandroyd but only because it used to be all boys ..........dont really know anybody who goes there ..

OP posts:

Whatisitthistime · 31/08/2011 10:35

I only know Sandroyd from 7 years ago - don't know anyone now. It was very small then. Hence the acceptance of girls.

Nothing negative was ever said about it just too small for team games.

A number did leave and go to Port Regis.

Original poster

mel38 · 01/09/2011 14:04

going to see castle court and knighton house so we will see ...............

OP posts:

thecaptaincrocfamily · 01/09/2011 16:59

I do love the red dungarees at Knighton

Oakmaiden · 01/09/2011 17:12

Have you looked at Forres Sandle Manor? I knew some parents who had children there, and they were very happy with it.

Original poster

mel38 · 02/09/2011 08:42

Have been to forres sandle manor oakmaiden ,my daughter does a music course there every year its lovely but to far to commute every day ......

OP posts:

Oakmaiden · 02/09/2011 10:26

I don't know where you are, but I know they run a bus from Burley and another from Sandbanks....

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