Good progressives boarding schools?? (UK)

[bryonyorr]

My DD has just decided to leave NLCS and go to boarding school at sixth form. Shes bright and performs well academically bUT is finding NlCs far too pressurising. She also enjoys art & textiles.

Any advice on good, relaxed co-ed boarding schools? Applied for Bryanston so far. Do you think they'll accept late applications?

Thank you for any suggestions!

Bedales is lovely. I'd send my daughter there like a shot if we were looking for boarding.

Those are the two classic progressives (until you get to the lunatic fringe)

Bradfield known to be v nurturing I believe

When is she looking for - not this September !

Frensham Heights? I believe St Chris in letchworth has boarders in sixth form but maybe mostly international. Gordonstoun or Box hill (maybe not academic enough) Or Atlantic College always sounds good.

Whe we looked, Art facilities at Bradfield were not very good in comparison to lots of schools.

I would strongly recommend the Art and Textiles (and Photography) at Heathfield School, Ascot. The girls there achieve very highly (loads of A* and As at A level) and the staff are fabulous. Art is taken very seriously with supberb art displayed around the school, art and photography exhibition evenings and they make clothes for their own fahion show as part of A level art. My daughter learned to crochet! The teaching of photography is second to none. They also have a link with the London College of Fashion, should this be of interest. Their academics are good enough but for the arty girl, you could not do any better. We looked at lots of schools for our DD at 6th form and this easily got our vote, although both Stowe and St Edwards, Oxford are worth a look.

Heathfield would almost certainly have places for September! Some schools are not over-subscribed and places are available. It is only the competitive academic ones that are difficult to get into and have a very rigid application system. A call to Heathfield would be worthwhile, in my view.

Bromsgrove great art and brilliant textiles department. Very impressed when I Looked round. Has a mixed boarding house also with great housemaster. Friends there. Sport excellent.

Michaelahpurp it would be for this September. Do you think that would be too late for Bryanston?

I think most schools have pretty formal sixth form entry processes which would generally have just happened but perhaps it varies. I am sure they will have the details on their website though

I guess if there isn't a formal intake as such there might actually be more flexibility.

Good luck

It varies. Plenty of boarding schools are not full and can easily squeeze another pupil in. They also recruit extra students into the 6th form and can be pretty flexible on numbers especially if they are a day school as well. I am not suggesting schools have no academic criteria for their 6th forms, but many boarding schools end up with spaces as schools lose pupils to day schools in London for 6th form and these parents only need to give one term's notice.