Single-sex boarding schools

[Bonsoir]

Do you think that single-sex boarding schools perpetuate entrenched sexism?

My DSS2 has been to boarding school for short stays (five weeks) twice and loved it. Interestingly, he is far more naturally sexist than DSS1, who has never been to boarding school (the very idea horrifies him).

Bonsoir it depends on your DC and your local state school for me yes there are only two boarding schools that are better VFM than my excellent local comp (with places). I not only looked at loads of others desperately looking for a fall back but also work in them so I feel I'm speaking from experience. But your DC's are likely to be different from my DS and your location is also unlikely to be the same and maybe your financial position is not the same; we weighed up sacrifices against benefits if money was no object then maybe I would think differently although i doubt it even the exceedingly wealthy want value for money.

DSS1 and DSS2 are very happily at a Parisian private (Catholic) day school with ace results (consistently top 20 in Paris, often top 20 nationally) so that is our starting point! The attraction of boarding school for DSS2 (for sixth form) is that he is very clever but not really pushed at all in the French system. Working in English with a lot of very clever children to keep him on the ball (he does like to be top) would be good for him.

If I was in your situation I would find a super selective boarding school I also think that as you are abroad that you need to find one where the majority of children full board otherwise your DS will be left alone a lot at weekends what ever the school will tell you to the contrary. Some are more liberal than others in particular some are very rigid about leaving a few days early at the end of term or even the night before to catch a plane, having a weekend at home when its not an exeat etc and other aren't you need to decide how much flexibility you want. The other thing is that some have exeats every half term others have hardly any at all these factors would influence my decision more if I was living abroad more than coed versus boys only and sexism!
Many super selectives have small intakes in the 6 th form but be warned the entrance process is very competitive. Having said all the above if I was you I would look at St Pauls boys nearly all their boarders are 6 th formers from a wide variety of countries and there is lots of flexibility they have very strong links with St Pauls girls it is a modern 21st century school no meaningless ritual ridiculous uniforms here!! Good luck.

HG do you know how many full boarders there are currently at St Paul's. I just looked on the ISC website which used to have the numbers and all they had was the 2007 report which says there are only 13 full boarders. I certainly won't want that for my DS, but maybe these numbers have increased?

Thank you for your ideas!

Which schools would you include in superselective?

Sevenoaks (IB school) and has international slant plus easy access with Eurostar from Paris.
Oundle - very competitive ethos according to friends with DCs there.
Am assuming you want co ed? Both have good Oxbridge offers each year.
I think it is important to look at how the brightest sixth formers/scholars are taught, encouraged etc as there are few co ed superselectives and I expect HG will disagree with the 2 above.

When we looked there were 30 boarders all 6th formers. Its not a traditional boarding school but I can see for a 16 + boy especially one that hasn't boarded before it is an excellent alternative being more close to uni life than school.I can see its not what everyone wants but if I was in your situation it would be the first one I looked at. Go with an open mind don't read the website I challenge anyone not be impressed with it.
Superselctives and boarding; Westminster (mixed 6th form) Winchester Eton probably Tonbridge but lots of day children without st. Pauls advantages. I don't do coed but off the top of my head I cant think of any coed boarding schools in the same league as these. Marlborough Kings Canterbury Charterhouse are really the next level down very selective rather than super selective personally good as they are if I was in your position I wouldn't waste my money!

I think DSS2 would like lots of boarders - he is a herd type and never happier than with his peers. He has boarded before, albeit briefly, and loves the full boarding aspect. So a day school with boarding is not what we would be after. A predominantly boarding school would be more like it and, yes, co-ed would be highly desirable - it would be very odd for DSS2 not to have girls around as his whole life has been co-ed in every way.

If he a "herd type and never happier than with his peers" I'd look at Winchester (I admit my bias) not a herd ethos but exceedingly housecentric but very boyish. They only do the Pre U generally considered harder than A levels and according to my DN at a London day school a lot more interesting than A levels the equivalent grades carry more UCAS points.
But very inflexible in lots of ways no going home a day early here and not a place for interfering parents. Lots of opportunities very intellectually stimulating but maybe not strong on team sports and no rugby. Many say suits the eccentric individual.

I wouldn't describe Oundle as super selective more like very selective. I always forget Sevenoaks very very well regarded by friends in the know but apparently difficult to get into and a mass exodus of children at the weekend. I not sure what the boarder day ratio is all we know there are day children.

Oundle definitely selective rather than super selective I agree. We have had a number of friends with DCs here all of which are now at Oxbridge. They have all without fail though described the schools ethos as academic and very competitive.
I am not sure either about the day/boarding ratio at Sevenoaks but I believe the number increases in the sixth form with full boarders. About 50% boardin the sixth from I believe.Our friends DD was a full boarder and she didn't complain and is now at Cambridge. It has the advantage of being in a town and has easy access to London. I thought though it had Saturday school?
If you want super selective then it's probably single sex schools only. Bonsoir do check with the London day schools with boarders that the numbers you are given relate to full boarders and don't include their weekly boarders as well.

Westminster is apparently fab and its results of course are excellent but I'm not sure how many boarders there are again in the minority I suspect parents might be bit ghastly as well!!
Kings Canterbury is considered by friends a boys school with girls good links with Eurostar. Some people really rate Wellington I personally think the head is a self publicist who makes me want to reach for the vomit bowl!!

Harrow??

Eton?? I never hear a bad word about it from current or past parents. But is likely to be very very oversubscribed at 6th form entry and I couldn't keep a straight face if my DS was in the uniform!! Very corporate but you might like that and team sports very strong.

Not citrus - I think we went to the same school! Was the speaker a chemist married to a novelist? I left in 1992.

Radley?

'Kings Canterbury is considered by friends a boys school with girls '

There, right there. There's your sexism. A boys school with girls second is a recommendation. Didn't have to go far for that one. Wtf should prioritising boys over being co-ed be a recommedation for a co-ed school?

I agree that or all the glam physics teachers in the world, it's going to be the home attitude that counts the most.

Thank you for all your thoughts

I agree with Sundae School's comments but am very happy to believe that everything is very different nowadays. I think I am, so far, the only ex-boy's-boarding-school-MN in this thread at present. This was back in the 60s. It definitely coloured all my thinking for life because at school we simply never even had the chance to talk to girls for 36 weeks a year. we were not allowed even to talk to them in the street! So in this situation you put girls on a high pedestal, which is actually a kind of inverse sexism. You wish you were allowed to express your feelings, as you know girls do all the time, instead of keeping a stiff upper lip even about bad things.
Now I work in a comprehensive school and feel so envious about the whole life opportunities dc's have these days just to recognize the differences between boys and girls and welcome all the opportunities for a well-adjusted adult life that complete co-education simply brings automatically.