DS Boarding choices Y9 - advice please

[Ahwoo]

Hi, I'm an overseas parent, with a DS who is thinking about boarding in Y9.
Where we are we don't have prep schools, so the only advice comes from 'agents' who, in general, do a good job but I wonder also if they may be steering me towards their preferred schools rather than what may be best for DS.

They have given me a list of schools, and I have done as much background research as I can (except visit - which is nigh on impossible given my line of work, and these schools cost, so I need to work ). GSG, Tatler, A-level/IB/GCSE results etc. done all of that, check.

Abingdon
Bromsgrove
Caterham
Dauntsey's
Kings School Canterbury
Lancing
Oundle
Shrewsbury
Whitgift

If anyone has any comments, positive or negative, please post or pm me if you prefer.
Thanks in advance.

A bit about DS. Academically he's able & the agent said he easily meets the academic criteria for the above. He loves football (hates Rugby). Not very music oriented (although his highest grades are in music! & can play the piano). Fluent English, so EAL not required. He's friendly, popular at school, but I think he's a people person - he doesn't like to be alone, so pastoral care is something I probably rate above all else at this point.

(phew! hope that's not too long winded)

I know a boy and girl who go there. They both love it. Lots to do and proper full boarding. I think even the exeat weekends are not for set weekends and therefore the school is busy and occupied throughout the term. If it is on the agent's list then do investigate. Probably Oundle is similar in terms of being a 7 day a week school. By the way, I am not saying it is impossible have a good time as a full boarder at predominantly day or weekly schools but it is certainly more problematic - school is less fun when your friends aren't around.

It's not just the fact of friends not being around ...

At an established, full boarding school the staff will be comitted to the 7 day / 24 hour schedule and will communicate that to the pupils. It's hard to explain but I remember a poster, years ago, asking about boarding schools and saying she didn't want her child to feel they were "at school" in the boarding house at weekends or in the evenings after lessons. But that is the whole point of boarding - the life of the boarders is the life of the school. Where this is not the case I'm afraid staff can slightly see their job - outside lessons - as containment rather than fulfilment.

Above post missing at least an "m" and an "l". (Fuzzy lenses.)

dusty thanks for sharing

zero yes, there is a risk of that. And the risk may be higher at schools with less established boarding programmes. Thanks for your input.

Abingdon
Bromsgrove
Caterham
Dauntsey's
Dulwich
Kings School Canterbury
Lancing
Oundle
Sherborne
Shrewsbury
Uppingham
Whitgift

Based on full boarding only. We've really done a good job whittling it down quite a bit. Thanks all

OP - another endorsement from the Sherborne Schools here too. Both are very good, definitely full boarding with lots of girls and boys there every weekend at all ages and good holistic education. I think you'd be fine with intake now for both.

FOR the Sherborne Schools, not from!!

Good luck do let us know which ones your DC's end up at.

grovel mentioned Bradfield earlier. I know very little about it, but what I am aware of - Greek plays and current headmaster - is very impressive. As they also mention international pupils I assume it is full boarding. And it's co-ed. If I were drawing up a list with your criteria Bradfield would certainly be on it.

Bradfield definitely weekly boarding and current Head leaving at the end of term to become Head of Eton. He's being replaced by the Head of Caterham I believe.

sleepingdog thanks for clarifying.
Head of Caterham is going to replace Seldon at Wellington I think.

shush thanks Dangermouse

happy yes I'll provide (rolling) updates when I have them.

Have you considered Repton? Mixed with 80% full boarding, broad intake and also football and Hockey rather than Rugby as lead sports.

I know he's leaving! (New man is currently Second Master at Marlborough.)

Actually couldn't find the boarding info on website. Where do the international pupils go at weekends?

Bradfield is a lovely school but mainly weekly boarders.

going What do they do with the much vaunted international pupils then?

Not much of a boarding experience if you have to be out at weekends.

I will second Repton for definitely being a football school, Shrewsbury a football school also. Don't know about the other schools.

Will take a look at Repton.

And just to share:
Shrewsbury I heard from a friends DD is a football school.
Uppingham offers football (thanks to parent who pm'd)
The others do seem to be rugby-centric however.

Have you even thought of The Royal Hospital School near Ipswich? It is a mixed school, excellent sport excellent sailing. Strong house system, very musical and academic enough for most needs. It was ( and I think)?still is almost exclusively boarding with loads of activities arranged at weekends. Beautifully positioned overlooking the River Stour. I agree it is not a 'name' but it is a good school.
.

I'm an overseas parent and my DS (15) is at Sherborne and loves it. He's a people person, sort of academic and sporty, and enjoys music too. He's doing so many activities every day - they really do keep them busy. Plenty of stuff going on at the weekend and he mixes too much a lot with the Sherborne Girls (even though they don't share classes until the 6th Form) with shared socials and just meeting up. It's a lovely little town, too.

I have another (overseas) friend in your position - older DS and younger DD. She sent them both to Sherborne and it's worked well. Particularly convenient for pick up and drop off. Buses are organised for LHR and LGW. Approved taxis used for everything else.

zero we looked at Bradfield closely for our DS a few years ago now. The school gave us (with the parents permission) email addresses of expat and Services parents whose DCs fully boarded. The families we spoke to all said that there had been a decrease in full boarding since their boys had been there. Our prep school said the same. There are a number of international boarders, but they tended to come from a limited number of countries. We really liked the year 9 boarding house Falkners, before they moved onto to senior houses. I am happy to be corrected if it has all changed in the last few years.

King's Canterbury do rugby in the winter term, football or hockey in the Easter term, and cricket or tennis in the summer term. You can also row, fence etc. Rugby taken seriously by the first and second teams who are enthusiastic, but less so by the thirds and fourths - although many of the boys enjoy it at this level.
Football growing in popularity. Music, Art and Drama first class.
Full boarding and suits all kinds of different DS.
Bradfield empties out at the weekend.

Bradfield is definitely primarily weekly boarding I know a current pupil there. Don't go to any school which offers a mixture of weekly flexi and full boarding the vast majority be weekly flexi boarders the full boarders will be those from overseas and the odd one with very busy UK parents. It's not about weekend activitues many full boarders actually like the peace of Sunday afternoon when the rest of their lives are so busy it's about the "we're all in it together camaraderie" of a full boarding only school you just cannot create this if 3/4 go home on Saturday and come back Sunday night/Monday morning.

DeeCrepid - while not wishing to hijack this thread, I'm interested by your recommendation of the Royal Hospital School. We're considering it for DS; we like it very much but are slightly put off by rumours of academic shortcomings, particularly in the past. Do you have much up-to-date knowledge of it?

It is not an Academic hothouse. However I think it is a good all round school. One of my sons went on to one of the top Russell Group Universities the other obtained a place at a university in the top third of the rankings. Both obtained the requisite 3 A levels (+General Studies) and 9 or10 GCSE's mainly A's and B's. They are both well rounded and I do not think would have performed much better elsewhere.

Thanks Dee - that's reassuring!