Dauntseys School, Wiltshire.?

[Skifit]

Does anyone have a senior aged child at Dauntseys?
I am thinking of looking round and jut wondered what you thought about the school.
My Ds would go there in year 9 as I would like him to stay on at his Prep School till year 8.

As far as I'm aware they only take boarders in year 9, any child wanting to go as a day pupil has to start in year 7. But if that's not a problem, then it's an excellent school. I don't have a dc there (ds isn't old enough yet), but know many people who do and haven't heard any complaints. People speak very highly of the school and it's been consistently good for many years.

great school. used to live near there and have friends with kids there. better school than marlborough IMO without the insane snobbery. an excellent school that turns out nice interesting kids.
go and have a look!

Yes, I have heard from a few parents at prep school that it is very good. Thanks!

if you look at the range of kids they take in, and the range of kids marlborough take in (MUCH more selective), and then look at the results - dauntseys blow marlborough out of the water

mind you marlborough tries to hide its mediocre results by not publishing them

Excellent results but note that the school is now more selective on entrance. I have friends with DCs currently there. They are impressed with school overall. However it is quite hard to join a school at 13+ when the majority start at 11. Do check the actual numbers as it would seem that some schools if they have a very talented intake at 11, they may take extra DC at 11 and then there are fewer spaces at 13. I have known a confident pupil at Dauntseys who joined at 13 and found it hard to settle as everyone else had been there already for 2 years.
Dauntseys though does have a junior house that helps as the first 3 years are altogether before moving up to the main school.

Curious to know what it would be like if you joined in year 9 as a boarder? My DS is bright but not sporty and would only be able to come for exeats, half terms and holidays, due to distance. Do lots of the boarders go home over the weekend?

Sorry should say ' come home for exeats etc'

I think boarders can go home after matches, but not sure if there is a limit on how many per term. There are a number of local boarders as feeder schools are both local day and local boarding.
At weekends there are certainly lots of trips etc in year 9 as they are still part of the Lower school. "The Lower School boarders always have a full programme on a Sunday, but all boarding pupils are free to go home if they so wish." - from the school website FAQ.
With regard to overseas boarders my friend has commented on more than one occasion that the boarding house shuts as soon as term ends and there is little flexibility for flights etc. So it might be worth asking about what happens if a flight arrives early in the day when term starts in the evening and again at the end of term. At both my DCs boarding schools they could arrive early the day term started and can leave slightly later if necessary at the end of term (even overnight at one school).