Expelled students being taken by our preferred independent option - cause for concern?

[678socks]

We are weighing up Oakham versus a grammar school for various reasons but I have read on here and also heard that it does seem to take children expelled for bullying at other schools/‘naughty children’ from other schools. Is that something I should worry about? The grammar won’t do this I suspect because it is massively oversubscribed so places rarely come up (child has a definite place here due to their 11+ score). Also any thoughts about Oakham for a very bright child would be much appreciated thanks. We would like the option of flexi boarding but not full boarding or even weekly at 11 so oundle and uppingham aren’t options. Thanks

However. It is not in the interests, of Public School A, for one of their expelled pupils to do really badly. And so they may take B’s drunk, C might take B’s party drug taker and D might take C’s bully.

At least that is what I have seen. I imagine there is even more pastoral care around these kids to keep them on the straight and narrow - at least until GCSEs.

I actually don't think public school A would care? Assuming by public school you mean private school?

Oakham. Oundle. Eton. Rugby. Epsom. Etc. Are known as public schools in the U.K.

No I know but have seen people use the term to refer to state on here getting confused.

Yeah but not a better education than poor but intelligent and well behaved kids who have no recourse to good schools.

The school I am at take students expelled from other schools. And they take from ours. It is similar to a managed move situation. It very much depends on why they have been asked to leave. We don’t take on anyone with serious behavioural concerns and the headteachers all know if they tried to pass one off their reputation would suffer and we wouldn’t take from them again.

Mostly, I have to say it works out. The kids are quite shocked at being expelled/asked to leave and it breaks up social groups and fixed patterns of behaviours, providing a fresh start. They come into the school on a final warning and often on the drug testing programme. I don’t know all the students it is a need to know basis (students move mid year for lots of different reasons), but the ones I have worked with have been a sucess.

That sounds like happy outcomes and what great pastoral care should be. No one should have their lives defined by a moment or period of trouble during their teen years.

I have also seen cases of straight A students, no misdemeanours whatsoever at school lose it in their 20s

The private system is a different debate.

My DH has a PHD in Theoretical Physics from Cambridge but atrocious handwriting. My DS is dyslexic and has awful handwriting too. What an ignorant post and dare I say it a chip on your shoulder?

Sadly you are always going to get answers from parents of rival schools on here 🤣

Oakham is not as academic as Loughborough or Leicester Grammar schools - but it has so much more to offer. It’s well-rounded, unpretentious and family oriented. Never noticed any bullies or badly behaved children. With these schools, you have to go with your gut. Can you see your child there?

Was it Uppingham Post Office? 🤣🤣🤣 give it a rest