Boarding school advise please!

[Expatmum12]

Hi - I’m trying to find a great boarding school for my DD to join in the sixth form. We want a mixed, down to earth place with friendly students and supportive staff. DD is academic - not overly sporty or arty, but gives everything a go! Was thinking of St Edwards (Teddies) primarily and then possibly Canford and Sherborne (although not mixed). We live overseas so any advise would be very gratefully received!

Teddies is full boarding, with Oxford on its doorstep, so lots to do for 16yr old DD in the city, unlike the other two, as is Sherborne (full boarding with a very small handful of day pupils like Teddies) which isn't co-ed but does lots with the boys' school so mixing with boys shouldn't really be a concern. Not too sure about Canford re full boarding but think a decent number probably stay in at weekends. Hopefully, someone will come along and tell you more about this. Sherborne and Canford are the more academic schools and Teddies isn't very selective on entry although you can do the IB at Teddies or the A Levels though I hear they're spread quite thinly - the teachers -between the two but the school has a reputation for happiness and inclusivity. Have you visited the schools?

If you want good grades go for Canford, although Sherborne is definitely on an upwards trend. But Canford is about 40% day boys and day girls from Bournemouth so boarders can feel a bit left out.

If you want an all-round trad boarding school, then definitely Sherborne. On coeducational, it has the best balance in that the other gender is around for social life, but not in your lessons or over the breakfast table.

Teddies is lovely and it is in Oxford but the education is definitely geared towards the plodders.

Not sure why you asked about those three but have you considered others in that part of the world ? There are plenty !! Leweston, St Mary’s Shaftesbury, St Mary’s Calne, Millfield etc.

Thank you both very much. Not fixed on those schools, just heard good things about them and trying to develop a short list of friendly schools. Will check out those other ones mentioned.

Queenswood near Potters Bar is friendly and down to earth. It is girls but ticks all your boxes except co-ed. It’s a busy school with heaps going on and actively welcomes new girls into the 6th form. It’s relatively close to London for trips home.

Other schools can be competitive to get into such as Marlborough. Rugby could be a bit easier or Stowe. I think Rugby is an excellent school and I would put them above Canford as a boarding school.

St Edwards which was my first thought now offers weekly boarding as well a full this is frequently a slippery slope to empty weekends.
Kings Canterbury is full boarding with some day it suits lots of children, Canterbury is a great city but IMO less “down to earth” than St Edwards.

I would say Oakham covers most of your requirements

Bromsgrove is very down to earth and has a large intake at 6th form - many of whom are international. It is a mixed day and boarding school butting has planned Saturday activities and is large enough to have people around on Sundays. The 6th form intake tend to be quite academic.

Repton is another down to earth school. Lots of sport and good academics.

Also both Rugby and Marlborough have a large intake of girls in the 6th form. Both full boarding and academic. I would describe them as less down to earth than the other 2 schools but there are no airs and graces in either school from what I have observed.

Rugby has a separate sixth form house for girls which means DD would get to know new girls like herself but might miss out on the social integration part in some ways as she is a separate part of House Life to everyone else but it's a great school and academically has the edge over the other schools you are looking at OP.

Single sex schools Tudor Hall and Queen Margaret's do full boarding though they're a little small there's also Benenden and Downe House with strong links with boys schools but not co ed in the sense Sherborne is with boys next door. Co-ed you have for full boarding Uppingham and Oundle which I'd strongly recommend as I've only heard good things about them - both have the academic edge over stowe and Teddies Oundle is slightly better in terms of results I think. Go and have a look!

Ours transferred to Wellington at various stages including directly into sixth form. They had a whale of a time, we’re very happy once they’d learned the language and didn’t want to leave for university.

What about co-ed Cheltenham College? Friendly and down to earth students and is very much full boarding.

Summertown and Oxford are not red light districts!!! Town/City schools, generally, do not shut themselves away from the local population. It is impossible! Personally I think having a few shops and cafes nearby is great. Oxford has so much to offer in terms of museums, theatre, sport and art on the doorstep in a world renown city: in can only be a bonus.

A well brought up child is not going to go mad in Summertown!!! As if! London children have far more bright lights near them.

I would honestly choose the school, not the location. Where schools are miles from anywhere, believe me, there are "goings on" in the schools themselves! Especially co-ed. I live nearish to Stowe. Children who board in remote locations can get a bit stir crazy. They want to get out of the school bubble. Some cannot stand it after age 16 and go back to London for 6th form. Be careful what you wish for!

May I know if Queenswood is in a rural remote location or if it is close to a town with some shops and cafes nearby?

King's Canterbury seems to work well for a broad range of children- everyone finds their niche and everyone's enthusiasm nurtured. Spectacularly pretty. Girls' uniform rather stylish. Canterbury charming. Largeish intake at sixth form, who seem to integrate well, and one girls' boarding house dedicated to incomers at that stage (although I think a normal boarding house a better choice if possible). Easy train connection to London so easy for them to find their own way to airports etc..Most staff seem lovely. Very positive, energetic, happy atmosphere.

Dean Close has an excellent reputation as being a good all rounder. Lots of overseas boarders and a big intake at 6th Form. Good transport links to the airport also so you can visit easily!

Haileybury?

Hello Expatmum12 - interested to know what you decided in the end? We are in a similar position.

To answer trudylady12: Queenswood is close to Potters Bar but it’s not walkable. It’s very close to London. I wouldn’t choose it if a DC wanted a town school. If they want a supportive girls school where new 6th formers integrate, then its great. It all depends on what suits the student best.

We didn’t want new girls’ houses where the girls are separated out and not integrated with existing girls. Uppingham used to do this and DD rejected it on this basis.

Teddies recently introduced the option of going home on Saturday afternoons after sports and coming back Sunday evening. You may find lots of the school empties out during this time ... so if you're happy with this and can collect your child if all their friends have gone home, great. If not perhaps consider a full boarding school. Its worth checking if there are options to go home on Saturday nights as it inevitably means lots of them do! I give Repton a huge thumbs up for full termly boarding. An amazing school.

Ours loved Wellington too and had huge fun but came out with very good results. The new master is loveliness itself. He was admissions tutor.

Bradfield is terrific. So is Canford.

Very, very few schools that take girls are full boarding in the traditional sense. DD2 was in one that was full boarding but the 6th form get more exeats. The schools don’t empty out because the overseas students tend to stay in. However you need enough going on and for 6th form that can be a trip to London or into the local city. Many DC will go home on a Friday if they are not in sports teams. Some come back on a Monday morning.

Parents don’t necessarily collect from Oxford because London DC get the bus or the train.

Sorry ai gave a quick response before. Here’s a bit more information for you. Marlborough is definitely full boarding with lots happening at weekends. There is an intake of about 30 girls into 6th form who form a cohort in some boys houses. This means the girls mix with existing students but aren’t trying to break into established girls friendship groups, giving them the best if both worlds. There are regular 6th form parties, themed house events eg Valentine’s Suppers as well as whole school events such as Battle if the Bands. 6th formers can ask for weekend leave in addition to exeats but most stay in because there is so much going on. It’s a lot of fun but the DCs work hard and get strong academical support and results also. My DD loved it but the school is definitely a bubble a bit sheltered from the real world. This is partly always the case with a boarding school but the location in the middle if Wiltshire supports that too.

As a I said before if you want more down to Earth then Bromsgrove offer that. It has a mix of day and international so at weekends it can be a bit quieter than a full boarding school. However there is a 6th form boarding house with mainly international students. This gives a big enough cohort to have a good social life. Pastoral care is high and the head is quietly inspirational.

We also considered Rugby for 6th form and really liked the school but my DD rejected it because she felt new 6th for girls were alienated from the main school in a separate house. Others will say if this sense was true. We decided against Oundle as only a tiny number joined in 6th form. We also really liked Repton but it is in a village with nothing to do in walking distance and felt a bit isolated for a 6th former.

Happy to answer any questions from our experience.

Jossina, what did you like about Bradfield and Canford?