Please help! My DS has offers from the dragon school, summer fields, and new college school, to start reception 2025, and we need to decide soon.
We have visited all three schools several times, and I see good and bad things about each and just can’t decide! We recently moved to Oxford so don’t know people and don’t have access to tales about people’s recent experiences.
My son is active and outdoorsy - likely to enjoy sport, but also musically inclined. His personality is extroverted, but also shy and somewhat sensitive. He seems clever and likes to learn, but struggles to sit still. I would prefer a school that is kind and nurturing, but also that will keep him active - sitting down all day is not for him. He thrives in a very friendly, empathetic, non-authoritarian environment.
From reading my issues are
- new college sounds kind and nurturing, but I worry there is not enough activity and outdoor time, and that he will be expected to ‘sit down and learn’?
- summer fields has an impressive array of activities daily from reception, but I worry the attitude may be too traditional and that it may not be friendly and nurturing enough?
- Dragon seems like an all rounder, but is soo big and intense that I worry he will be ‘lost’ in the crowd and not get the nurturing he needs.
If anyone has recent experience with year pre-preps, has heard good or bad things, I would love to hear! Note we are focusing on pre-preps for now rather than prep and senior destinations, as we don’t know how many years we will stay in the UK.