Overseas student in HK going to Year 9 Boardings in UK in Sep 2016

[jannywsc]

My son is now 12 year old going to be 13 year old by Dec 2015. I find it difficult to choose a boarding school for him in uk. He is a happy and talkative person. He like piano and swimming. His english is fair but on the whole his academic at school is 24/135. I find an agent and she give me advice and she help me to try the following:

Abingdon School
Ruthin School
Brighton College
King's School, Canterbury
Oundle School

Please advise if the above school

1. which one do have all rounded education to my son
2. which would not be empty or almost empty at the boarding by weekend
3. which one have better maths & science teaching
4. which one have more space and extra curicular activities
5. which one also include english supporting

As I know that most school in England need to study French, Spainish or Latin, but my son never learn any other these. Will there be any help from the school?

Sorry for so many questions, but I really do not have any ideal about the school in England although I have explore their website already.

Would there be any bullying for those school I chose - Ruthin, Abingdon, Oundle, King's Canterbury & Sherbourne Boys. Is there any parent who got child (or who's child also from Hong Kong) studying in these school could tell me a bit. Many Thanks.

I live at Radley College (imagine too late for this) so know Abingdon very well. As others have said, it's a day school.with boarding so not that many students there at weekend's. This might be good for your son in that there is a close knit gang but I suspect he might be better off at full or at least 80% boarding where there are full facilities and staffing 7 days a week.

I suspect OP is trying to keep distance from LHR down hence the southern focus?

Also (risks totally outing self with two bits of specific information) off on a tangent but great to see xings comments about the new science block at Abingdon - I've been leading part of the design team!

There will always be some bullying at any school partly because one child's idea of a bit of fun "banter" is another child's idea of bullying, secondly it's inevitable when children live side by side seven days a week with limited privacy and space that disagreements unkindnesses and arguments will occur most siblings at home will argue and thirdly some children are just simply more popular that others, some couldn't care less if they're not popular others find this difficult. It's how it's dealt with that actually matters. IME of boarding schools take bullying very seriously and it's quickly dealt with and nipped in the bud.

Hi Janny - I have pm (private messaged you).

My son is at Oundle. Full boarding, they are really strict with not letting anybody to leave at weekends. They don't even like when parents visit on weekends though officially it is allowed. Quite rounded, lots of extra curricular activities. Quite a few students from Hong Kong. They have very strong math department.

They also make all students who speak at home any other language in addition to English take English test in the beginning of the year and depending on results provide English support. My DS had to go through test which I found ridiculous since he has always been educated at private English speaking schools, passed Common Entrance with strong A in English and generally always had A in his English tests but apparently because I speak to him at home both English and my mother tongue he had to do it. Needless to say he passed it but that is a different story. I know some boys in his year were going through this support lessons and found them very useful.

We also visited Hayleibury and to be honest I loved it - it is probably more empty at weekends than Oundle but I felt it is much more international. My DS chose against it but I thought it is a really nice school to be in.

Also to answer your question if your son never learnt French, Spanish or Latin he will go to beginner set in these languages. Plenty of children in the same situation so I wouldn't be worried about that.
He can also drop two of the three languages at the end of his first year in school so if he finds them difficult to be completely honest it doesn't really matter how he will perform in them if he doesn't decide to pursue them. I know I can be flamed by teachers for this response so my apologies in advance.