Ludgrove Vs Sunningdale Vs Garden House

[jewelinthecrown14]

Which of these three options would you choose for our little boy.
He is bright, enjoys learning and has a wide variety of interests. He is currently in Y2 at a well regarded state primary and our target is a selective boarding school at 13+ (E, WinColl and H)

Garden House (7+ entry with exit at 11+)
Sunningdale (7+ entry with exit at 13+) - as a day boarder initially
Ludgrove (8+ entry with exit at 13+) - as a full boarder

Please can I ask that for the time being we ignore house location, private Vs state and the boarding Vs day debate. Thank you for your help.

Have you considered Sussex house? I think they are the best feeder to top boarding schools. If not, Ludgrove would be a very good choice.

Where do you want him to go to secondary school?

If you are looking at a top London day school I would go for Garden House. You could also move to a boarding prep at 11 if you changed your mind.

If you are looking at 13+ boarding then Sunningdale or Ludgrove would be the better bet.

You said to ignore the day/boarding issue but I think I would go for Sunningdale and the day boarding option initially. That would allow him to make friends, understand the school and move very gradually into boarding. I think that full boarding at 8+ is a tough choice for all concerned if not absolutely necessary (and we had prep school boarders so I am not anti boarding per se)

I think the problem with any prep that ends at 11 is that you'd need to move again for Yrs 7 and 8. As you've got big destination schools in mind, have a look at when they do their pre tests as you may end up having to move in Yr 5/6 to do the pre tests. With your seniors in mind I would only consider a prep that goes to 13+. Have you seen L /S in person yet? How about Papplewick?

My 2 DS are at Harrow and there are lots of Ludgrove boys there. My sons went to a local good prep and didn't board until 13. I would decide about whether you want boarding at 8 first, it's tough at 13. Lots of really good day preps get their boys into Harrow and Eton.

There are lots of 7/8-13+ preps in and around London (lots with mini buses from London) that don't require boarding straight off, if ever. We're currently doing the rounds to register our boys. Papplewick is compulsory boarding from third term of Year 6 but day or flexi boarding before which i liked. Good numbers go to the top public schools.

Thanks organiccoffee

We have not ruled out Sussex House although coming from a state primary it is likely this will require a year of intensive tutoring to stand a chance. We are trying to avoid this.

Thanks MullofKintire

Our target secondary schools are E, WinColl and H, but depending on how he develops we would consider alternative boarding or day schools.

Thanks Jellycat1

Is my understanding correct (as per admission website), that for Eton and WinColl he could secure a Conditional Place by the end of Y6. I agree he would have to move for Y7 and Y8 but am I correct in assuming the final hurdle of CE is relatively straightforward for candidates that have made it that far. There is perhaps a wider social issue of arriving at a new school/new friends for the final two years.

If you do GH, what is your plan for year 7&8
I know of a number of boys who went to GH who went on to Eton etc but they all left at 8+ to go to Sussex house. Do GH have any record of getting places at these schools. They can’t for Harrow as it selects at year 7.
Have you considered thomas’s? I suspect they might do better at this than GH

Thanks sadandtired

Would be interested in any other suggestions of prep schools we should consider. Would you say your DS's prep school helped them significantly in securing a place at Harrow? Or would they have gotten in from any prep school (i.e. was all down to their ability/your effort and the school only facilitated). How important is the choice of prep school in the grand scheme or things?

Caldecott has buses going from Brook Green so no need to board from v young (or pay for boarding). I know boys who have gone from there to Eton, Radley & Harrow. The boys who went to WinColl went to day schools.

Hi Jellycat1

Yes we have visited each of the three shortlisted prep schools (so far, only GHS with our son) We have also visited Papplewick and were impressed with their exit record and how the boys interacted with our son. This was also the case at a number of other top prep schools.

Definitely mostly down to Prep school. No 'push' from us. The school did it all. We listened to where the school said would fit our son and they did made sure he succeeded. It's not really that's hard. Harrow like all round boys who will put their hand to anything esp sport / drama / academics. Whole school has a work hard play hard attitude which suits us. They mostly all do DofE, CCF and Service. They are coming out rounded and well adjusted.

Hi Michaelahpurple

If we did GH, our plan for Y7 and Y8 would be to complete this at any one of a number of prep schools (I have heard the term "stepping stone" used by a Headmistress at another 11+ school).

Agree absolutely that Sussex House has a strong record with regard to our target schools, however as a he is coming for a state primary (Christ Church) this will require a year of intensive tutoring to even stand a chance. We were hoping for a gentler approach.

GH Upper School does not publish separate results for its Upper School (these are amalgamated with its Pre-Prep). We have emailed the registrar for this information (i.e. number of pupils with Conditional Places at E and WinColl) but the office was closed for the term.

We did consider Thomas' and they have a strong record for super selective London day schools. Their exit record for Eton, I would argue is more modest: 3 out of a class of 31 boys last year (about 10%), but this may be down to parental choices.

Hi BigGreenOlives

We did look closely at Caldicott and as you say, the bus routes do give additional flexibility. We are a bit spoilt in that our son currently cycles to his local school so we would have to come to terms with putting him on a 40 min bus every day. They have a new Headmaster who I am sure will take the school from strength to strength.

I thought quite a few boys from Christ Church move on to Sussex House at 8+, I don't think it will require that much tutoring as long as he is bright and doing well? I have a feeling if you send him to Garden House, he will still require tutoring for the pre-tests, why not try Sussex House and otherwise stay at Christ Church till 11+?

I too know boys who went from Christ church to Sussex house and totally agree with the comment about you can tutor now or tutor to get the right step from harden house.
Re thomas’s, 3 out of 31 is quite good. The only London schools who get lots of eton places that I am aware of are westminster under and Sussex. Then there are the handful country feeder preps. Not many other schools send there in significantly larger numbers than 3 a year.

Don’t get too sold on the stepping stone rhetoric - the year 6 schools all say it but it isn’t an elegant solution (my boys were at Cameron House, although left at 8+) so I am familiar with it. Not the end of the world if it works out that way, but definitely worth trying to find a 13+ solution.

I repeat the Thomas’s recommendation. Also, have you looked at Fulham Prep? I have friends whose boys have gone to eton from there. The Hall in north London probably isn’t convenient for you? Newton prep I don’t think is the right demographic unless it has changed a lot.

Thanks for the recent comments, each of which have been helpful in our decision making. By way of an update due to a family development moving out of the area is no longer an option for this year. As a result the choices are GHS 7+ day, Sunningdale 7+ boarding (weekly), or wait for Ludgrove 8+ full boarding. The GHS decision is due by 24th April, one way or another.

Only a tiny tiny proportion of dc board at age 7 or 8 in the UK, do you really think this is the best move for your dc just to get him into a school at 13? Lots of ds go to your destination schools without leaving home at such a young age.

Thomas' parents don't tend to send their children to boarding schools, hence the low Eton percentage.

I would definitely go for GHS if it wasn't 11+. It just adds extra stress.

Have you considered Hill House? We chose between the two of them and opted for Hill House. Also not a big boarder's school, but in my son's class of 9 one is going to Eton next year, and all of the others are going to top Day Schools.

You're probably already too late for Sunningdale. They're often full up before the entering year turns two.

I'd think long and hard about boarding at 8.

I wouid go for Newton Prep or one of the Thomas schools if you are serious about prepping for the senior schools you name (not Garden House finishing at 11+)