Boarding School Advice and Suggestions Please

[Muchtootall]

First post on mumsnet so hope got all the right terms!

Due to likely move abroad having to consider boarding for 2 DCs.

DD would go to 6th form next year and DS 13+ entry year after. Want full not weekly boarding and co-ed but not worried if at different schools - think may have different needs.

DD quite academic but struggling to find full boarding co-ed that academic enough and where wouldn't be one new girl joining a house. Dismissed Westminster as not really enough girl boarders. Wellington too much a weekly boarding school for her. Marlborough looks best so far. Any up to date views on the school? Reviews seem mixed and not sure if really going to get best out of academic girl.

DS needs nuturing school with good added value and loads of sport esp hockey. Currently (apart from in maths) bumping along towards bottom of moderately academic day school which won't prepare for CE as have own senior school. Struggling for ideas for him.

Help please.

Is Kings full boarding?

Muchtooall several different DCs I know of are happy at Shrewsbury. It seems to cater for the individual and is friendly and as I said does very well over a range of academic abilities including the very academic.

I don't think you can go far wrong with Marlborough for your DD, some say that the girls get a better deal out of it than the boys but that might just be for the all girl houses. I would check the sixth form results for the subjects that your DD is most interested in. Also perhaps visit Shrewsbury before making a definite decision as Shrewsbury may suit both your DCs.

I do think Marlborough is more difficult to get into but that does not mean to say they would not encourage you to apply. They just don't hand out places to everyone.
When you are at a boarding school, you are not wandering around the town all the time. There will be lots of things for young people to do so it hardly matters where you are unless you want trips into London. Plenty of Rugby pupils come from London anyway so invitations away from Rugby may be available. Oxford would be a better bet if the town truly mattered. I think good schools can get the best students into Oxbridge. If they don't get many very super bright pupils, they will try hard with who they do get! It is not an exact science anyway! I would look for an all round package for the school. Rugby has plenty of bright children.

When we considered DD changing at 6th form, one thing she did not want was a "new girls" boarding house. She felt this separated the new girls from the existing ones and produced a them and us situation. We looked for co-ed but actually failed to find one suitable to meet DD's particular subject needs. The school we did choose mixed their new girls with the existing ones and it was a seamless move in many ways. She dropped the idea of co-ed in favour of excellence in her subjects and chances of getting onto the university course she wanted - not Oxbridge.

Is Kings full boarding?

I am a past/present parent of boys at Uppingham. It's worked really well for us, including when posted overseas - full boarding, no compulsory exeats and decent half terms. IIRC they have at least one girls' house that is 6th form entry only. DS1 enjoyed the new joiners (boys and girls) coming in 6th form as it shook things up a bit. Lots of sport (plenty of inter-house games as well as against other schools).

We also looked at Kings - have friends for whom it has worked very well for sons and daughters, but we preferred Uppingham's location e.g. closer to grandparents.

Please feel free to PM me if you want to ask any questions.

I'm sure if entirely as they have day pupils, but there certainly are full boarders.

Kings has about 30% day pupils, the rest are full boarders with no weekly boarders ( I suppose there might be one or two in exceptional circumstances but it's not a "thing" there)