Chandlings joining with Radley

[WindyRoses]

Any current parents got any information on this? I've read the PR blurb they've put out, and reading between the lines it was suggesting that the Trust was potentially low on funds, so the radley deal was a good thing....

should I be wary of Chandlings finances for the next 7 years and staying afloat?

I thought Chandlings only went to 11 so that's a very interesting decision - I also wonder if it means Radley considering going Co Ed...

But yes OP, it will certainly be fincancially motivated. St Andrews have joined up with Bradfield and that was definitely because of St Andrews' finances.

I would be wary of the finances of any prep school going forward.

Day preps depend on the local economy. Even wealthy families are now asking themselves whether private fees are worth it before the age of 8 especially if they live in places where the local primaries are good. So I can see a huge drop off in the pre prep market.

Boarding preps are getting increasingly rare and I know many families - including thise whose fees would be completely covered by employers - choosing not to start boarding before 11.

I have not read the details of the Chandlings Radley deal but will Chandlings be able to market itself as offering guaranteed/ preferential access to Radley places for boys?
I think the through school on different sites concept with guaranteed entry to a linked senior school at 13 will become increasingly attractive to parents.

It’s not just Chandlings it’s a whole group of preps in the greater area. A lot of senior schools seem to want to consolidate their pipeline and the preps benefit from the bolstered finances. I imagine Radley will go Co-Ed much as Abingdon has done.

Yes like in the past 10 days, Shrewsbury School with Terra Nova prep and in London the pre-prep to Kings Wimbledon (squirrels) taking girls from 2027 in reception leading the way to coed through out the school and guaranteed entry to the senior school if you pass the 7 plus.
The data on the birth rates in London plus the preference for co-ed from parents is driving this.

There is absolutely no way Radley would go co-ed. Why would they? They are massively oversubscribed & get amazing results. They run a tight ship with great business acumen this is a great deal for them scooping up The Cothill Trust.

In that case why also add on all the co ed junior schools? Radley will certainly be either injecting funds or effectively doing so by supplying resources/ admin/leadership support. There's got to be something in it for them and it's not unreasonable to think they have an eye to the girls. So few all boys boarding schools left now and ever decreasing demand for it.

They add the co ed preps as it’s a business venture & with the Radley name attached to the prep schools they will get even more at prep level. Cothill is a big boys prep and that’s part of the group. It will never go co-ed it just does not have the recruitment issues or insecure finances that many have. It’s robust.

Cothill has just gone co-ed