info on either Epsom college or Bradfield college

[Jeanniemacarooney]

My son has been offered a boarding place at both of these colleges and we need to make our decision asap. But I don't know anyone who has children at either to get the lowdown. My son is,quirky and doesn't make friends easily. He is very academic and not very sporty. Loves his science though with a passion. On paper t they both say they have great pastoral care Tec but wanted to know what being there is really like. He was very picked on and bullied in previous school so want to get it right.

As both have solid academic reputations but are not very selective you obviously can't take that into consideration. I met a mum fairly recently at a sports thing her DS was in the first year at Bradfield they are delighted with it, he's apparently quirky and academic and a bit vulnerable. There only gripe is that barely any full boarders which wasn't really made clear to them before they sent him. 1 st years live altogether which could be very good for a boy who doesn't make friends easily as no older children to unsettle him.
My DS goes there once a year for a competition and said the children are always friendly and the food is good. If your looking for boarding I personally would choose the one with the most boarders so giving him the widest group of friends to choose from. Hope this helps.

Meant to say which one does he prefer?

I only have experience of Bradfield and I think it's a lovely school. I know a boy who went to a different boarding school, was miserable, moved to Bradfield and is now really happy and thriving. It's a good all-round sort of place, I think.

Totally agree with HG. We looked at Bradfield for our DS. Loved the school and their approach to year 9 but it was really a weekly boarding school with a few full boarders. So in the end our DS went to another school which had more full boarders.

We'd be looking at weekly boarding. My son seemed to think looking round that Epsom was the friendlier school of the two but it is always hard to tell with these places as they always have their best students showing you around. The year 9 Faulkner at Bradfield could be good for my son but worried he might find it overwhelming whereas Epsom is the more traditional with several children of every year in each boarding house. Looked at st Edwards as well in Oxford but felt full boarding was a step to far for us as he is our only child. Is the sciences quite strong at Bradfield know it is at Epsom.

Isn't Bradfield the one with the new purpose built science dept? Have you looked at the results and equally important the numbers taking A level (or what ever they do) in the sciences this should give you an indication of how strong science. I think I heard I the grape vine that Bradfields going to offer the IB as well.

It's easy for a 13 year old to say "I definitely want to do science/math/French etc" but they can change their minds when they get exposed to a broader range of subjects that they did at prep. Two of my DS's Pre U choices are in subjects he didn't like at prep, another one he didn't show any interest in doing at Pre U, at the parent teacher meeting where we were discussing his options he didn't even want to speak to the don running it despite my protestations that he might really like it then when he actually had to actually commit himself on paper he changed his mind. The subject he'd been adamant he was going to do from the first suddenly held no appeal so a I personally would worry that much about how "strong" the science is at either especially as it's not an unusual subject.

According to the ISI reports there's just under 50% boarders at a Epsom where as at Bradfield it about 85% frankly my money would be on the one with the most boarders because that means the whole school is geared up for boarding, often when boarders aren't in the majority the thing is more geared up for day pupils or even worse not geared up for either.

Knowing neither of them I had a quick look at their websites last night. (I love a good prospectus...)

My impression was that Epsom made quite a big deal of its international accessibility. It seemed more of a business iykwim. And I wouldn't have said it was obvious, at first glance, that it is a boarding school - I had to consciously seek out that information. It looks like a school that has boarding because it wants to attract an international clientele, rather than because boarding is the whole ethos of the school.

Bradfield looks rather lovely. It will have a new HM in 2015 so you'd have to be sure that all its underpinnings are in place and there would be no disruption.

Re the "only child" business. I think only children benefit greatly from the relative freedom of full boarding. I understand they can find familial attention a teeny bit stifling once they want to stand on their own feet.... And there really isn't a vast difference between full and weekly boarding - just that full boarders are more likely to be able to properly relax at home whereas weeklys probably have to take work home. It is a bit pointless, imo, to be at a boarding school if all you're thinking about is going home. But obviously you have to think hard about the possibility of bullying.

But what did you and your DS think of each when you visited? What does his current HM say? And were there other schools you considered and rejected?

I also thought from reading Epsom's website that it seemed more like a day school with boarders than a boarding school with day children. Frankly having spent too may years with DS's at boarding school if you want boarding I would pick the school that is jus that a boarding school. At most good boarding schools this will mean activities going on till quite late in the evening giving children a chance to get to know others they may not have come across on a normal day to day basis. IME weekly boarders go home on Saturday after matches etc and come back Sunday whereas full boarders are only allowed out on Sunday often after seem sort of religious service, this is tedious for those who want to see their parents or have parents that want to see them unless you live literally on the door step or have fantastic public transport links we have an approx 1 1/4 one way trip so if we bring him home on Sunday your looking at the best part of 6 hours driving waiting driving etc this eats into a large chunk of your Sunday. Therefore if you feel you will want to see him very weekend or he you choose weekly boarding.

Thanks for that. I think we will try to sit down today and go through all the pros and cons. Certainly Bradfield is closer and his best friend from his current school is going there as a day pupil it's just so darn expensive as are they all also that uncertainty with a new headmaster coming in. Their grades are pretty good not quite as good as Epsom s and on the Epsom website it shows the subject breakdown so you can see what is most popular etc. Bradfield doesn't have that. Anyone know anywhere else that might show that information.

Jeannie I've just had a quick look at the Bradfield site and found the info (academic- public examinations then links in that report).

Obviously a new head coming in could change things dramatically but I somehow doubt it will have a massive impact, the school is on the up, it has a reputation for being a happy caring school so I would have thought the governors would want a head who's going to continue with more of the same. Also you could choose Epsom because of this and then the head there leaves. Heads do move around for the very ambitious, as the head at Bradfield has just demonstrated, to be a head at a school like Epsom, Bradfield et al can be the final stepping stone before becoming a head at Eton Winchester et al. If his best friend is also going to Bradfield then in your circumstances this must also be a positive.
Let us know what you decide to do.

I don't know Bradfield, but I my sister has two children at Epsom and I would be very wary right now, AIUI they had a new head a couple of years ago and all does not seem particularly happy there. A lot of staff including the housemasters/mistress have moved on since he arrived and letters to parents warning that if grades don't improve children will be out. As 0SGT says it seems very much run as a business these days.