6th forms in private sector, not traditional public schools

[GrumpyOldBag]

Thinking about moving DS from his good local independent school after GCSEs.

Trying to think outside the box, don't like traditional public schools, wondered if there are any brilliant and inspiring schools we may not have thought of.

He is bright (scholar), a bit lazy, outgoing personality and quite sporty. Looking for somewhere that's going to challenge and push him a bit harder than his current school does, which is perfectly 'nice' but a bit too laid back.

Is there somewhere like that? It will need to be boarding as there's no-where near us that fits the bill. Could also be overseas. Grateful for any suggestions. Thanks

Stowe is 70% A* - B at A level and St Paul's 96%. I agree Bedales is more alternative than Stowe. I just meant Stowe was less academic than some of the schools.

Atlantic College and St Clare's Hall Oxford - both very untraditional.

If money isn't an object, Aiglon College Switzerland.....

The other sixth form that international London parents seem to look at is Sevenoaks. (There is quite a lot of switching out of, say, the Lycee at this point, with parents often wanting something more challenging, but without trad British trappings.)

I don't know too much but understand they have a long established international sixth form, deliberately taking in more international students from a good mix of counties at this point.

Socially inclusive look at Christs Hospital
Less traditional look at the Quaker Schools
Less conventional Frensham
Own ethos gordonstoun Box hill
St Chris in Letchworth might also be worth a look

The Leys in Cambridge?

How about ACS Cobham? An American/international ethos, so very different from a traditional public school. They do the IB or American AP exams (DD1 is there and doing the IB). They get good results and get into top universities. Excellent sports and theatre facilities and a great dorm.

St Chris in Letchworth also worth a look as very untraditional.

Sevenoaks School is a co-ed boarding (with some day). They do the IB so it is very different from most offerings and not for everyone but they get amazing results in a nurturing environment with brilliant drama and sports (100 acre grounds) facilities.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Not keen on Stowe which I think has always been for posh thickos, of which we are neither (maybe I was just put off by the boys I know who went there 30 years ago), but loads of other great ideas to investigate.

Which schools are Quaker?

Grumpybag alternative schools don't tend to be be pushy. They of course may have some excellent teachers but it may be potluck whether your DS is inspired by a particular direction or continues to be rather lazy.
It is of course possible that your DS just requires a bit more competition or stretching in which case more selective schools like Westminster, Sevenoaks, Abingdon or in the state system Reading would provide what is needed, assuming that he can motivate himself to get to entrance standard.

Alternatively your DS may be bright but not so keen on academics in which case an allrounder type school with a wide choice of activities to inspire him outside academia could be more important.
I think you have to decide which particular package you think would be best for him. It is not unusual for boys to be rather laid back at this age but I can understand you looking for something different to a middling independent school.

Leighton Park school in Reading is Quaker, and I think The Mount in York. There must be others.

Sibford in Oxfordshire is Quaker. www.sibfordschool.co.uk/

St Paul's does weekly boarding too. From the description, I would be looking at Westminister & St Paul's - the latter being the more sporty.

Sevenoaks is also good, but it does the bacc, which doesn't suit everyone.

Manon, she is looking for co-ed. Plus Westminster runs as a boarding school (Saturday morning school etc) but St Pauls does not and, like Dulwich, has a very small proportion of boarders. I would also challenge a view that St Pauls is more sporting.

Sevenoaks, I though, did IB not the Bacc. The latter is what the Lycee kids are escaping.

So she says, but academic co-ed boarding schools that are not public schools don't exist. (Christ's Hospital sort of, but it's not that academic). So she's going to have compromise somewhere. Looking at her requirements - 'encourages children to be independent thinkers, open-minded, tolerant and ambitious' - I recommended those two as the best fit. St Paul's and Westminister are both technically public schools, but being based in London they avoid the typical public school mentality.

I meant the IB yes, the only schools that offer the actual bacc are bilingual.

I think D'overbroeks in Oxford is meant to be a bit different; friends with a DS who became a bit disengaged at a "traditional" public school rave about it. Fab city to be in, too!
www.doverbroecks.com

Thanks again everyone - I do like the London independents, but co-ed is non-negotiable which rules out St. Paul's.

Highly academic not as important - nothing wrong with having a range of abilities IMHO, as we do at my son's current school - as long as the more intelligent kids are pushed to their full potential. So I think in that way league tables can be quite misleading.

The full list of state boarding schools is at stateboarding.org.uk - the numbers they take at sixth form varies greatly, but there are some interesting schools there. I've got a vague idea about sending my youngest to one for sixth form, so every now and again I have a look at them! I agree with a pp that Reading would suit apart from not being mixed (is that his non negotiable or yours?)

Did you say he's 14? Just finished y9? So there's a little while to make plans, which is nice

maplegroup.org.uk - the maple group is a self-appointed selection of high achieving sixth form colleges. Depending on where you are, some might be accessible and/or appealing. We looked at Farnborough, which has about 3000 students and isn't really like a school at all, more of a halfway house between school and university.

"posh thickos"
Wow grumpy, you sound charming.

I know of several 10 A* GCSEs pupils at Stowe so mixed ability is more appropriate term for the school. However it appears still to be a traditional public school.
Bryanston is another co ed boarding mixed ability school with a leaning towards an alternative, individual approach.