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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

Bedales vs. Frensham Heights

11 replies

SchtenGraby · 06/04/2016 14:46

DD is going to go to either Dunhurst (prep for Bedales) or the equivalent at Frensham Heights.

Does anyone have views on the advantages and disadvantages of both?
Particularly around:
Culture (especially with regards to bullying/eating disorders)
Sports
Arts/Performing arts
Exam results
All-round education

(please no posts about going to an entirely different school)

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Lonecatwithkitten · 06/04/2016 16:55

No specific details, but I know someone who whilst a teacher a bedales took DC out of Dunhurst and sent them to local primary.

Original poster

SchtenGraby · 07/04/2016 15:29

Many thanks Lonecatwithkitten - do you know if they took their DC out for financial or other reasons?

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Original poster

SchtenGraby · 10/04/2016 08:31

Does anybody have any other thoughts at all? Thanks a lot!

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Lonecatwithkitten · 10/04/2016 18:13

Not financial reasons. The DC was described as blossoming in the new school.

Original poster

SchtenGraby · 11/04/2016 09:44

Interesting - many thanks poster Lonecatwithkitten.
Anyone else have any other thoughts at all?
Thanks a lot!

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mummytime · 11/04/2016 10:09

Just look at the prospectuses, they are very different schools. One obvious thing is the number of GCSEs students do.
Which is closer to you?

I have known one child who flexi schooled at Bedales (and her parents loved it).
I have know a few children go to the Senior school at Frensham, and for the right child it is great.

If you are looking at the Junior schools you are probably looking more for a school which suits you at present, but as your child grows up they may change or need a different kind of school.

Original poster

SchtenGraby · 11/04/2016 11:49

FH is marginally closer, but not much in it. I've been to both and looked at the prospectuses (prospecti?! :-), but they say very similar things and actually feel very similar - to me at least.

Mummytime - why do you think they are very different? It sounds like you're more in the Bedales camp than the FH one - is that correct?

Current thinking is FH from 8-13 then Bedales from 13. This is not just a financial decision for the middle school, but is largely so (allowing us to save towards Bedales proper). Is this a false economy?

OP posts:

mummytime · 11/04/2016 12:16

I'm actually more for FH - to be fair. But our child for whom we very seriously considered it, themselves didn't want to go there (I think they would have hated Bedales).
FH is an alternative school which gives you pretty standard exam results at the end. Bedales swims their own way, and I know is recommended by Preps for their "less academic" types (some of the time).
I would think very hard about why you are considering these two schools. Because it is much more usual to be considering one alongside more traditional/academic schools. And if the underlying concern could be a SEN/SN then neither might be the ideal school (although I also know both have done brilliantly with some children with SEN/SN).

I certainly wouldn't be planning on sending to one and then swapping at 13. I just see that as possibly very disruptive for no really good reason (if they are unhappy then that is a different matter).

Original poster

SchtenGraby · 11/04/2016 12:37

The alternative nature is fine, though both Bedales seems to do better at both GCSE and A Level (albeit marginally), though obviously both do much worse than equivalent more academic schools.

The reason for thinking maybe FH 8-13 is that I've heard Dunhurst (the Bedales prep) is the weak link and that they've had a number of issues there of various types over the last 5 years. Does anyone know if this is true?

OP posts:

MIlesdavis · 06/07/2016 16:55

The "various issues over the last five years" you describe at Dunhurst has meant my DD and DS both left for other schools, as well as several others in their years. It is the weak link and I just could not recommend it. FH on the other hand has a great headmaster and I am very impressed with it. My son finished his first year there. It's excellent.

Sing2012 · 07/01/2017 18:25

Coming in late to this conversation but now face a similar dilemma. Have two bright but independantly minded kids. We live overseas and aren't familiar with the uk boarding system / public schools. Loved the sound of bedales and liked the facilities. Older Son seems to like it. Younger Son not so impressed with dunhurst and preferred FH. Can't afford for both to do dunhurst / bedales. Could put older one in bedales and younger in FH. But - would older Son get a similar education at FH? I've had a liberal upbringing myself but also worry I should be pushing them into more academic / respected schools for recognition in the workplace further down the line. Any thoughts?

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