Co-ed Boarding schools starting at 13+

[boardingdilemma]

My daughter is currently at a standalone prep, so we need to find a senior school for her when she finishes there (must be full boarding).

We would ideally like to keep her in the South-West (Wilts/Dorset/Hampshire/North Somerset), but would consider further afield, as we feel quite limited with where she can go. She won't consider single-sex, and is adamant she doesn't want to go somewhere that has its own prep school.

Her first choice is Marlborough, and I think she stands a good chance of getting in, but certainly can't bank on it with it being so oversubscribed for girls. We've visited one other school in Somerset, and have two more scheduled to visit.

So, basically, we're after: full boarding, co-ed, no prep, starts at year 9, south west.

TIA.

I'm very surprised you're DD is in yr 6 and your head hasn't spoken to you about senior schools.
Even if there's an attached prep e.g.Junior KIngs (and not all go on to KIngs) the max number if 30-40 girls and boys the schools you're mentioning are taking 130+ at every year so spread round all the boarding houses I really don't see it would be a problem. Friendship groups change when you're boarding unless your DD is not very good at making friend in which case I doubt she'd be a good candidate for boarding.

She's already been boarding through prep, and is a very popular girl, so no problem with making friends.

I think there have probably been some issues with having had a change of Head. He only started last term, and the DH had been filling in for the term previous to that until he arrived.

I like the look of Teddie's but doesn't look like there's much scope for discounts or bursaries, which would probably rule it out.

Also, Rugby school through their dedicated 'Arnold Foundation', are very pro supporting students needing financial help. I don't know exact numbers but they have quite a number of bursaries they give out every year and are always working towards attracting bright students who may not have been able to afford it.

iCoriander if you are dependent on fee reduction then it sounds as though you would be wise to cast your net wider and apply for several. It all depends on how much you need and whether your family fit into one of the special fee reduction categories that schools like Marlborough have
I have heard that Cheltenham college has generous scholarships including for sport and allrounders of up to 25% (BTW although it has flexible boarding, friends say that Cheltenham college is very much a full boarding week). Otherwise at most other schools you would almost certainly need a bursary.

Do consider looking at Cheltenham, I suspect it might be of interest. I think their prep provides no more than 50% of their year 9 intake, and they get mixed up in the boarding houses. With regards to weekly boarding - they have lessons Saturday morning and I understand they are expected to stay in at least 50% of weekends. (at least that's what the head told me when explaining how much more we'd be able to have our daughter home compared with choirschool!)

Happygardening with a daughter in year 8 and a son in year 6 I get the impression that long lead times are more critical for boys than girls, though I admit we missed looking at Marlborough in the end because having wondered about visiting I then decided that no I wanted my daughter home for senior ... she has since twisted my arm!

Bromsgrove has a prep whose pupils all largely transfer into the seniors. Lots of day pupils join at 11. It's not really a full boarding school - only about one third full board and they are mainly the international students. The rest are split between day and weekly boarders.

It does however seem a very happy school with grounded children and locally has a reputation for being "on the up" under the (relatively) new head.

Some really great advice :-).

How interesting that year 9 in Cheltenham would only be made up of 50% prep kids. I'm definitely going to have a look. My shortlist has become a massivelist!

I've contacted Shrewsbury to arrange a visit and will do the same for Cheltenham. I'm already booked for Rugby. That should do for now.

Thanks again everyone.

Having had a dd in a top girls' boarding prep, no-one spoke to us in y4! In Y5 there was an approach regarding taking the county 11 plus the following year and an enquiry regarding where we might be interested in going at 13. It seemed to be Y6 where open days really got going for most but few applied to co-ed schools for y9. Most went to girls' schools which seem to have a shorter lead-in time. However the scholarship group was identified by y6. The head never spoke to parents about schools - it was delegated to a deputy. I would not discount anywhere if you need a bursary/scholarship. Is she in the scholarship set? That will give you an indication as to whether a bursary is realistic.

We will hopefully be finding out soon whether she's in the academic scholarship set. She already is for D&T.

Sounds as though she may well be a good candidate for an allrounder award at a school like Cheltenham if she is academically strong, plus a potential award standard for DT and sport. It might be worth having a conversation with the school that you were considering this option as it might influence whether they put her in the academic scholarship set or not if she is borderline.

Why don't you go with state boarding? Could be as little as 9k for an entire year. Sexeys is south-west, 7 day boarding, one of the top state schools in the UK, in Good Schools Guide, in Tatler ratings.

sendsummer, that sounds like a good idea, I'll contact her tutor.

lifeisunjust, I've thought about looking at Sexey's. It's just that she's at a prep with amazing facilities; better than most senior schools. Even MC didn't match up in many areas. She gets involved in everything and really makes the most of everything on offer, so I don't want her lose that.

If you have only thought but not looked at Sexeys, maybe it's the right time. Many are full term boarders there with very full school and social lives.

My son is at a state boarding school and you'll find few private boarding schools come anywhere near the facilities there, which is not why he is there though, I know teachers teach and not facilities. My son never rests. He doesn't need to be at a private school to be in that position.

It appears from reading Sexey's inspection reports that less than half the school board and not all of those are "termly boarders", I personally wouldnt want my DC boarding at a school where boarders are in the minority, be it state or independent especially if I was looking for full boarding.
I'm interested lifeisunjust that you say that the facilities at your DS's school are better than most independent schools you obviously haven't been round Eton . IMO it's not necessarily the facilities that make a school a good school or the right school for your DC. I looked at Eton and the facilities are pretty mind blowing, in contrast I would say the facilities at my DS's school are not particularly impressive but for me and many others I suspect that not what we're paying for, the wonderful thing about independent ed is that it is just that, and although I accept that many independent schools are pretty similar they do remain free from constant government interference and can of course opt out of league tables etc. I think this independence has a massive impact on their ethos. DS2 school very firmly walk its own path in every way, at times this is a truffle tedious leaving you thinking why? But generally I think it's great as it's completely free to offer things that it believes represent its ethos and are right for its pupils and most parents have fully signed up to its approach. Few I have to say will send their DS's there for the facilities!

If you really need boarding and you also need a significant bursary then you are taking a big risk in not considering a state boarding school. After all, financially it is equivalent to getting a two- thirds bursary and there are many of those on offer at boarding schools, relative to the number of people who would like one. Alternatively, consider Christ's Hospital where there are a substantial number of bursaries available - it meets all your criteria except for being in the South East rather than the South West. Perhaps you are getting too fixated exactly what level of facilities counts as amazing and what that really has to do with the educational experience and opportunities on offer. Above and beyond the 'usual' level of amazing facilities, how exactly does it matter?

I don't think Eton counts as "most schools".

Around my son's state boarding school in a 15 mile radius there are 5 private boarding schools, all of which have full boarders, but all offer flexi/weekly too. None of their facilities come up quite to the level of my son's school, well one does just about. But that's not why my son is in state boarding, it's rather nice he has such facilities, but the reason he's there is financially I could get a loan to cover 2 years there and the complete offerings of the school, the afternoon activities mixed with academic, the evening and weekend activities, I found nowhere else quite like it. It's boarding only. I visited a few state boarding schools where day pupils were the majority and knew immediately that priority was the boarding experience, over the school's overall academic reputation.

State boarding is a varied as private boarding, but without the price tag and with less "entitlement" culture and there are no children of oligarchs, EU nationals only!

Lifeisunjust How does Sexey's fund all theses facilities? I don't know ,ugh about the school, but read its funded by local council as well as independent charities. How does this work? I'm just wondering why all other state schools do not have this provision. The imbalance with other state schools is incredulous.

I have no idea how Sexeys funds its facilities. My son isn't at that school but I visited 2 times, just not convenient as south-west England so harder to get home. Maybe it's an academy? That's how state schools go these days to get funding. My son's school got 25 million and everything was built new or refurbished 2 years ago, with years 12 and 13 in en-suite double and single rooms, it's like a posh new university hall of residence.

I know Sexeys has a boarding house built in the last 5 years and refurbished its other 2, sports hall is new I think, has an indoor pool, masses of playing fields. But physical facilities are not of the same standard of my son's school. However, they have a significant number of full term boarders, as well as weekly boarders. It's the amount of activities provided for them which made Sexeys stand out amongst the state boarding schools I researched, offers similar levels of activities to my son's school.

Hmm..but Sexey's had all these facilities before they became an academy. Is your son's school also a state boarding school?

Although I would agree that Sexey's facilities cannot possibly compete with the top independent boarding schools, Eton apart, I'm sure it can't match Harrow, Stowe, Bradfield, Rugby etc.

DS in Year 9 at Shrewsbury. The girls are already well integrated. DS said it feels very much like a mixed school, NOT like "a boys school with girls added on". Boarding is full boarding. DS is a day boy but boarders make up 80% plus. We're very happy with it.

I'm not sure Sexeys is even an academy, it looks like it isn't and LEA controlled but hard to tell from the website. I have no idea how it is funded or why it has such good facilities for a state school.

Yes my son is in state boarding.

It's definitely an academy.