Opinions on Lancing, Ardingly, Eastbourne, Hurst?

[WKMum]

Hello,

I am currently considering secondary school options for DD (Yr 6) for 13+ entry in Yr 9.

When I spoke to the head of DD's prep school he suggested I look at Lancing, Hurst, Ardingly, Eastbourne, Brighton and Sevenoaks.

DD is extremely able in the more 'creative' subjects (English, History, Languages) but gets 'B's in maths and the sciences. She is not massively sporty, though good at gymnastics and dancing, and is very into drama, music and art.

Probably because I went to an all-girls school myself, I would prefer DD to be in a co-ed environment!

So far I have looked at Sevenoaks (exceptional results and fab facilities but I have reservations about the IB for my DD and I worry about the size of the school in terms of pupil numbers), Brighton College (impressive head but facilities pretty average and I am not a massive fan of the town itself) and Eastbourne (which I thought could suit DD well, but I am slightly put off by the fact it's full boarding with just the occasional exeat weekend, although I do completely understand the school's reasons for this re: overseas boarders being alone at weekends.)

While I know people who themselves attended or have had children at Sevenoaks and Eastbourne, I don't know as much about the other schools. I also have a friend went to Lancing decades ago and hated it, but I'm sure the school is completely different now!

I will be attending Open Days for Hurst/Lancing/Ardingly in Sept/Oct, but I wondered whether, ahead of that, any of the well-informed M-netters might have opinions/recent experience of these schools.

My school wish-list would be: Kent/Sussex area, co-ed, traditional ethos, rural-ish environment, medium-sized school so teachers know all pupils and can give them lots of individual attention/support, good facilities for drama/art/music, strong English department, weekly boarding/option to go home at weekends.

In case it sounds as though I am ignoring DD's opinion on the matter, I will take her to see a shortlist of two/three schools when I have decided on the ones I feel she would be happiest at.

Really grateful for advice/opinions!

WKMum

Lancing is high church as a confirmed atheist that would put me off straight away. Three or four years ago some friends went to look at it for their DC's with very high hopes and came away disappointed. it is primarily weekly boarding.

Thanks, HappyGardening. I know that Ardingly, Lancing and Hurst are all Woodard Schools, but I can't say that bothers me. My daughter loves chamber choir, so she would be delighted to sing in a chapel as beautiful as the one at Lancing!

Do you know what your friends specifically didn't like about it for their children?

Thanks!

I think my friend's were just not that impressed (they have an older DS at Eton so that might be clouding their judgement/influencing their expectations). The DC they were looking at the school for is rather unconventional and were hoping for something slightly different that would suit him and that was also a nurturing school with very high standards of pastoral care. Frankly they felt that it was no different from many of the others they'd looked at nothing exceptional in fact rather dull and for them in a slightly less convenient location.
Don't want to keep labouring this point but when I say High Church I do mean smells and bells etc. Regular chapel/chapel choirs etc are pretty normal at most boarding school even us atheists have to accept them.

Thanks HappyGardening,

Yes, I can imagine that compared to Eton, Lancing wouldn't come out on top.

It's a bit forbidding with all that grey stone. I liked Eastbourne, TBH, but think DD would struggle with full boarding. Do you know anything about Ardingly?

Thanks!

I dont know anything about Ardingly similar profile to Lancing I should imagine. There's a parent on MN who posts about it and they seem very pleased with it.
I didn't know Eastbourne was "full" boarding, true full boarding schools where all the pupils are only allowed out of school on Sunday or for exeats are few and far between in fact theres only a handful of them left and I didn't think Eastbourne was one of them. So do need to check out exactly what full boarding means with the individual schools concerned for example according to the ISI report Tonbridge has a high % of full boarders but there definition of full boarding is not mine as most will tell you including the head that the vast majority go home on Sat PM and return Sun PM. I call this weekly boarding.
Eastbourne does have a reputation for high standards of pastoral care and learning support although this information could be a bit out of date as the four children we knew (all were rather nice and kind not bustingly street wise) who went there have either left or maybe at a pinch are just about to leave. I personally think teenagers like schools being in larher towns/cities but then we live in very Smalltownsville so perhaps my judgement is being clouded some what.

btw there is a massive drug problem at Lancing I have heard, although that could be outdated info.

in fact an East Sussex EWO told me that all those schools have a drug problem, well obviously all schools do, but the problem with those places is no parental supervision and masses of pocket money.

Have you considered King's Canterbury? Academic, excellent at music and drama, about 80% boarding but most boarders have at least one exeat per half term.

The pastoral care is good too, so although it's not without its problems, you're much less likely to run into drugs etc than in some boarding schools.

"btw there is a massive drug problem at Lancing I have heard, although that could be outdated info'
I cant comment on Lancing in particular but sadly many teenagers will always take drugs/smoke/drink this is life. I'm not saying its desirable but its going to happen. Hopefully most boarding schools undertake some sort of education programme to strongly discourage drugs excessive alcohol consumption and smoking but as in all walks of life some will not listen. There are some boarding school that routinely randomly drugs test children and all take a very dim view of drug use expulsions is usually the norm especially for a 2nd offence. One of the things they need to do this is money and its inevitable that most children at boarding schools are likely to have wealthy parents. At my DS's school the boys are not allowed to have more than £10 on them (I think it could be less) and we're asked to only give them a very small amount of money every term and any large sums are meant to be deposited it the house bank. But many have hundreds even thousands in their current accounts. Many children are under considerable academic pressure and many also feel under considerable peer pressure to conform if we as parents put large sums of money into our children's current accounts then I personally feel we shouldn't complain that vociferously if our children choose to spend it on alcohol/drugs and tobacco.

Kings is a true full boarding school or day. We know lots there all different personalities all bar one are or were happy. Canterbury is also a very nice city although train links are not that fab.

Hi Happy Gardening,

I would certainly agree with your definition of weekly boarding as being home after matches on Sat afternoon and returning to school on Sun eve or (in some schools) Mon morning. When I spoke to the Registrar at Eastbourne, he said boarders were only allowed out during the day on Sundays (e.g. for lunch with the family), but had to be back in the evenings, as they want to keep the majority of children in school for the benefit of international boarders, which is a position I can fully understand.

I definitely got the feeling (and have heard from others) that pastoral care at Eastbourne is very good; it also has a cosy, 'homely' feel about it, which I really liked, but DD is really quite unsettled about the idea of being away from home 'all the time', as she sees it, despite my trying to explain it otherwise, and I don't want to push it too much.

I know what you mean about teenagers wanting to be in a town rather than stuck in the middle of the countryside (I was a teenager once myself, about 1,000 years ago!), but something inside me is definitely resisting - particularly Brighton, which is right next to a Bingo Hall ... DD's current prep is in the countryside in acres of grounds and she's quite an animal lover so I think she might feel most comfortable in a rural setting.

In the end, I will probably keep Eastbourne in the running and maintain an open mind about Ardingly and Lancing until I have visited.

My friend who went to Lancing emailed me a very funny quote from a Tom Sharpe obit about his fear of the chapel!

Hope your DCs are all settled in their secondary schools - it's such a difficult process, isn't it?

Thanks again!

WKM

Canterbury has the HS2 link to King's Cross now, so you can be in London in less than an hour. You're right, it's a great city and the older pupils have a decent amount of freedom to enjoy it!

It is a difficult process we spent hours agonising over our choice I suppose as they say "choice isn't necessarily freedom." Maybe I'm missing something here but I struggle to see that there is much difference between being allowed out Sat Pm and back Sunday from being allowed out Sunday all day although you do need to live close to the school or have good train links to make the latter a regular viable proposition.
Also by yr 9 your DD might also feel differently about it especially if very one else is doing it. I understand your concerns about Brighton we recently spent the weekend there and saw drugs being very openly sold on the main streets and it is very busy. I thought although could be wrong that Brighton College was Mon- Frid only. Its one of their selling points isn't it?

where does your prep head suggest?

Ah yes the relatively new HS2 I forgot about that.

HI WK Mum,

I know you are a bit anti Brighton, but just thought I would put my tuppence in for the sake of balance!

My son who had been very outdoorsy went to a school in the country at 13, and loathed it. He loved his rural prep, but as you say, teenagers are different.
We moved him to Brighton for 6th form and he absolutely loved it.
I have said this on here before, but in many schools they have a protest/muck up day after exams. That was not even considered in my sons year. He said they all genuinely respected the school and teachers and felt invested in it.
I could not speak highly enough of Brighton College, the staff are inspirational, and the results amazing.

Oh blimey, burberryqueen - I can't bear the thought of my 11-year-old DD taking drugs any time soon! I realize it's an inevitable part of teenage life, of course, that she will at least come into contact with such things ...

When you say an EWO told you 'all those school' had a drugs problem, do you mean all boarding schools? Or all the ones I have mentioned?

Thanks for suggesting Kings Canterbury, Alma Pudden. My DD's current head didn't mention it, though I do know people whose DCs went there some time ago (they are in their 20s now) who didn't really enjoy it, but it might be worth a look. I have family living near Canterbury, so I do know the city quite well.

was specific to east Sussex, Lancing and Shoreham colleges, as was living there at the time.

Thanks for mentioning your son's experience at Brighton, pierpressure: it's kind of you to share. I thought Richard Cairns was very impressive, it does do weekly boarding, and clearly the school does fantastically in terms of results, but I do worry about its location within Brighton.

Of course, it's probably just hard for me to envisage my precious eleven-year-old being seventeen and desperate to go into a real town to go shopping at Top Shop or to a pub on The Lanes! I think that's what I'm finding hard about this whole process - imagining what DD will want/need so much further down the line.

Happy Gardening, I think the difference for my daughter in terms of full or weekly boarding is entirely psychological - being able to spend a night at home with her animals! Perhaps she will feel differently in two years' time (and beyond), but I think I would like her to have that flexibility to be able to come home for a night if she wants to.

Of the six schools he suggested for her, I think the prep head is primarily leaning towards Eastbourne/Ardingly/Hurst but clearly it's down to me and DD in the end.

There's a farm at Lancing isn't there?

Thanks for clarifying, burberryqueen. I realise I sound like a total idiot being blinkered about drug use in schools!

Yes, there is a farm at Lancing, which DD was very excited to hear about!

love Hurst, mine both there, Lancing Ardingly, and Brighton great too, lot friends there. Hurst has a farm too :)

love Hurst, mine both there, Lancing Ardingly, and Brighton great too, lot friends there. Hurst has a farm too :)

Battle Abbey or Worth ?

Thanks MABS - it's good to hear your children are enjoying Hurst. I am going to the Open Morning in September, so will check out the farm for DD!

Thanks for the suggestions, LIZS - I have friends with DCs at Battle Abbey who have mixed feelings about it, so not sure. I will have a think about Worth, though - good idea.