Talk me through Bedales

[Colleger]

I know, I know...

Pros, cons, academic standards, SLD, music, manners etc.

I don't think anyone is ever mean to you HG. You don't have a big, opinionated gob!

We can all be a bit opinionated thats what being a mum is all about. How boring life would be if we all thought the same.
I like the Bedales website don't know if I'm being stupid but cant readily find the music bit.

One of my best mates was at Bedales, though about 20y ago so I'm not terribly up to date! I am quite conventional, rule-abiding and easily shocked (state girls' school), so what she told me made my hair stand on end! She said there was nude bathing up to a certain age, she started illicitly smoking at 12 and lost her virginity about the same time! She also got terribly good A levels (before the grade-inflation) and subsequently a First in computing. Only this year has she finally kicked the smoking.

I seriously hope the social side of things has improved a bit since then...

You may hope that but all I will say is sandpit....

I was at a well known coed boarding school the other night (not Bedales) and as I was leaving I saw a girl and a boy emerging from the bushes covered in leaves! I suspect this sort of thing happens at all coed school its just how teenagers are. Bedales only makes it into the press because Princess Margaret's children were there and other famous peoples children go there.

can anyone give me a rough idea of the prices for Bedales and Eton?

£30k per annum

How about Concord College, it's very international, a bit whacky and v musical?

Colleger - does it have to be boarding?

Found music section video of some pretty good singing.

No but would want it in an area where we could access London so he could still go to junior departments if it wasn't boarding.

Just to say happy and colleger a fountain of knowledge when it comes to privates! Reading this thread with great interest, i'm not brave enough to consider bedales, but considering the exact same schools mentioned here and on the "wellington" thread.

They give their advice without making the poster feel foolish unlike some on MN! i dont know what line of work they're in but seem to have done the work that i really dont have the opportunity to do that's visiting dozens of schools trying to gleen real inside information plus just "knowing people" with links to the school, i just come on in and then check "thegoodschoolsguide" it always marries up.

They have lots of healthy debates on the subject and listen to other opinions without "sneering" or being "condescending" or at least they try, God knows its hard to stay calm on here sometimes.

With their healthy debates and advise i have realised that:

though a school does boarding, its important to find out the percentage of weekly boarding to full, including percentage of day students.

Had no idea about the financial times ratings previously.

They all offer sports, but just how sport "mad" they are in terms of rugby

Asking if A child can opt out of rugby and do something else ?

Putting things into perspective that rugby is actually in for a couple of terms.

Proximity of school to train links

How liberal certain schools are, unfortunately children calling teachers by their first name and not wearing uniform would be a complete NO NO for me!

If im considering wellington, i need to be aware of the HM's disposition towards "innovative" ideas e.g happy classes

The general history of schools that us as who didnt school in the u.k might not be aware of that may account for certain comments about various schools e.g the ongoing rivalry between harrow and eton, knew nothing about it! Winchester for "quirky" boys, "stowe" rich but not terribly academic and why, bedales and the sandpit reputation.

I guess i just want to say "thank you" to both of you and many others on all the private education/schools threads who give such helpful advice.

Ooh! Just noticed first line sounds rather odd "privates" im sure you know i mean "private/public schools"

I like the look of Concord - hate the location though!

nokissymum I shall go off to work now with a renewed spring in my step. colleger xx

Notkissymum, what have you done! You are encouraging us to post more, much to the displeasure of most of MN!

P.S. I'm not always nice on the music and gifted threads!

Well the rest of MN not asking for advice should stop looking at the private schools threads

Have a nice day

Happy Just come back. No I wasn't being at all sarcastic. Amongst all the public school flap I do think that we have blessings to count

Two compliments in one day how very nice.
There are so many posting from parents who can?t get there children into any local school they make really sad reading.
Forty years of horses and trying to find livery yards taught me a lot. You can guarantee that whatever vet/farrier you use there will always be someone who will cheerfully tell you how their horse died/or was permanently lame with the one you use and another who will tell you that their horse was written off by another vet/farrier and then went on to win gold at the Olympic games.
Finding livery yards is very similar to find the right school very costly and of course horses never grow up!

We're current Bedales parents. It's a good school.

Pros:

1. BACs (Bedales Assessed Courses) - GCSE replacements that are more interesting and stretching. Your child does a mix of these and IGCSEs and GCSEs.
2. Some but not by any means all the staff. There are some brilliant teachers, though sadly quite a number of these have retired recently.
3. School's famous ethos: it tries to counter rich-people's sense of entitlement with notions of community spirit, creativity, helping others in need. This is laudable and has some effect as Bedalians don't seem as insular and smug as some products of public schools.
4. Lovely grounds and some special buildings.
5. Happiness and good relationships, especially really impressive non-romantic friendships between boys and girls.

Cons:

1. Stratospheric fees mean most students are too rich for anyone's good.
2. Patchy quality of teachers.
3. Not a great work ethic, but this is not just a Bedales problem - they manage pretty good results for a non-academically selective school.
4. We don't view sex, drugs, alcohol as Bedales problems. Yes they happen but any school has to deal with adolescent hormones and all the substances that are available. Bedales is pretty strict about this, and mostly effective.

If you can afford it I'd say go for it. If it's a terrible stretch (as it is for us) prepare to feel a bit ambivalent though about the choice.