Private boarding vs. State boarding??

[rahrahtoar]

Hello! Ive recently been in visits to some boarding schools for my DD to go to for sixth form. I've been to 1 state and 5 private, because there aren't any state boarding schools where we live and the nearest is about 3 hours away so it was just to check out if the saving was worth the extra distance.

Anyway, the state one seemed really good, less facilities and less boarders, but other than that I'm not sure what I'm paying the extra £££ for if I choose private? Less extracurricular probably too, but as DD isn't especially sporty will it matter too much? Do you just get a more trad boarding experience in private? More drama in private I think, and DD really enjoys theatre, so something to consider I think.

The state school said if we applied now DD would most likely be offered a place, and they only ask for 2 Cs in English and maths, which DD will know if she has by august this year. It feels like a much safer option than not knowing until a few weeks before she starts if she has a place!

Is there something I'm missing out on? Is private really that much better than state??

Bubbles - interesting! What were the main differences??

What county are you looking at rah? DC attends a state school with boarding and as boarding friends (only Yr 7 though).

Has boarding friends , am multitasking here!

Buttertubs - forgiven I'm looking at Cumbria! Do your DCs friends like boarding?

My friends daughter attends a state boarding school - although she is a daily boarder (Gordons School), the facilities are amazing but most of the full boarders are children of military. So Yes in some cases the facilities are similar for state and indie boarding schools but fees allot cheaper.

I looked at a couple of boarding schools for DD over the last few years (she expressed an interest - then changed her mind). Holyport (which is the Eton affiliated state boarding school) did have a place available quite late in the application process (this was for Yr10)and also St Georges (Harpenden) for Sixth form. The impression I was given was to apply early - there are a few places that become available because children decide not to move up from Yr11 to Sixth form.

I would also state that do have a local back up Sixth form....one of my friends DD's opted to board for sixth form (Stowe) and hated it and left after the first term... if its a school where allot of the children move up from Yr11 to Sixth form it can be more difficult for a new student to settle in, so do ask how they integrate new students.

Lots of good points above - but I’d hesitate to send a very academic child to a sixth form that only requires two Cs to get in.

The reason the most academically successful private schools are successful is because they demand a string of stellar GCSEs for sixth form entry. And pupils are thus working amongst a very clever cohort - taught by people who will be meeting the needs of that cohort.

So if it’s important you need to be sure she’ll be amongst like-minded people, wherever she goes.

teenmum - good advice to have a back up, were in Scotland and the catchment schools usually have places in 5th year due to people leaving but I'll make sure to check that they'll have one!

gruach - DD was the one finding schools, she's anxious about not making the grades and having no school for sixth form I think but I (and her teachers) are confident that she'll get very good marks. Some indie ones were looking at are more academic but I didn't really think about the environment, thank you! I think she chose the less academic schools, so I'll see what ones she's missed out because of the academic requirements. Thank you!!

Not same school then rah. The boarders we know love it, so much going on, rated outstanding for boarding whatever that means and they seem to have a great time. Tons of extra curricular.

I think your plan is very sound - my sibling’s children did the same through choice for sixth form and we would allow it if there was a wish to do it.

I am in the south but have looked at three reasonably local state boarding schools with a view to weekly boarding for my DD at 11.

The main thing that has put me off is the very low numbers of boarders. One had just five girls boarding places in each year. It doesn’t give a lot of options for friendships, and whilst they do make friends with Day students, come 4pm these five girls only have each other for company really. They were all, almost without exception, military children, who had boarded from the age of 7. They came from a totally different background to us. Just didn’t feel right.

One of the other state boarding schools had a third boarders and it felt much more balanced. IMO a minimum 50% split day and boarding is the best scenario. There is a huge difference in the feel of the school the greater the number of boarders in both state and independent.

"with about 60 boarders that doesn't leave many spaces."
I agree with Zodle it's the number of boarders in state boarding that would put me off. I have extensive experience of boarding I wouldn't under any circumstances consider a boarding school where only 60 boarded and I was a 3 hour drive away.
I personally think even a boarding school in the independent sector where there is a mixture of weekly and full boarders (in school 7 days a week) and a smallish number of day children is a totally different animal with a totally different feel to a full boarding school where everyone boards let alone a school with only 60 boarders.
OP if your three hours away you really need to find a full boarding only school for your DD, this will be a school that is really functioning 24/7 with school on Saturday, activities Saturday afternoon, chapel or its equivalent on Sunday, hopefully activities on Sunday, lots of staff around and all her friends because you're not going to pop over and take her out for Sunday lunch are you?
You also say your DD isn't sporty but not extra curricular activities are about sport, my DS who isn't a team sports player use to attend plays, the opera, concerts lectures from outside speakers etc. His school had approximately 8-10 plays a term which pupils often attended, 30+ concerts a term again you didn't have to be musical to attend, at least one often two lectures a week from someone from outside who was eminent in their field, and 60+ extracurricular activities, something for everyone, the art DT and the gym were open 7 days a week. Boarding IMO and in my extensive experience is not just about school work and exam results it is about providing an all round education but to do this you need the numbers to be high enough to organise these things. Secondly boarding IMO is also about the camaraderie of living along side a large group of people not just your fellow pupils but cleaners, teachers and their families, matrons and their families chefs, gardeners etc. Our nearest local large full boarding school is the biggest employer in their area, you have to be big to have this infra structure, this is part of what boarding is all about, and it maybe the "traditional boarding experience" that you refer too.

State boarding will be different in terms of the backgrounds of children who go there for one thing. There are often lots of children of the military plus a reasonable number from backgrounds where stability is really required - so they might have been involved with social services. Funding is much lower, so facilities won't be as shiny.
In terms of selection by ability, there will be a broad range in state boarding schools. Independnet boarding schools range from really not very selective at all on ability (so lots of rich but dim kids) to the highly selective.

Independent boarding schools vary a lot. They vary in terms of ability and also in terms of the percentages who board, from tiny numbers of really only international students, to those who have decent numbers a but only in the week, to those where full boarding is the thing. Because Independnet boarding varies so much, it is difficult to make categorical comparisons with state boarding, as there are far fewer.....some Independnet boarding schools might be quite similar, but others will be vastly different.

Regarding is it worth paying the extra - well it depends what you want and your individual child. Many independent boarding schools will want stellar GCSE results and deliver academic excellence at A Level - is your child of that standard and is that what you are seeking? More independent boarding schools will offer that than state boarding schools which are not as academically selective or high achieving as the best of the independent sector. Is it just a boarding experience that you want really? if so, the state boarding school can offer than clearly, amd if your DD isn't academically a whizz and likely to get average results wherever she goes and youre fine with that, then perhaps it's not worth paying the full whack for Independnet boarding. But do check out how many boarders there actually are..because if you are sending her for a boarding experience, that will only work well if there are lots of boarders.

happygardening - Yes I think part of the reason it appeals to DD is the whole 'experience', not just academics. The school said they only have one weekly boarder, but a number we met were fairly local - just too far to commute. My DF has a caravan really near the school so could possibly stay there to see DD but still a long way.

Will talk to DD about what you said, she was keen on the extra curriculars for drama and music and the indies seemed to be a lot better for that so will see what she thinks.

I think 3/6 of the schools we visited are large majority full boarding, then the rest about 50 boarders each. There was a very different feel!

Thank you!!

chocolate - seems that the state boarding schools near enough to travel to or with good train links have small boarding communities which is a shame, so maybe better just going with a majority full boarding indie nearer to home.

DDs first choice is 4 hours away (of course it is!) but second is 1.5 hours and is fairly high academically, wants all Bs and As in A level subjects which DDs teachers are confident she'll achieve, so that seems like a better choice. It's more expensive but I think her being nearish us and with a large boarding community is worth it. Could apply to the state option too but would have to that soon to get a place.

Thank you!

Unless you own a helicopter, you one and only hobby and passion in life is driving, and you don't have ay other commitments; a family, home to run, pets, job to pay the exorbitant school fees, try and limit your distance to 1 1/2 hours journey one way or alternatively be so far away your totally unable to attend anything and will have to pay a driver to take her to the nearest airport to get her home. DS2 full boarded for over 10 years we learnt the hard way!

Be careful the term weekly boarding and full boarding seem to interchangeable. If you really want full boarding (in school seven nights a week) then you'll have to thumb screw the information out of the school ask exactly how actually many full board schools are often vague about this. Most boarding schools offer full boarding but that doesn't mean that most of the pupils full board, if a school offers weekly and or flexi boarding its likely that proper full boarders are going to be very much in a small minority. The schools round here that offer full/weekly/flexi/day are like ghost towns on Saturday night/Sunday day, great if you want your DC home every weekend but lonely for those who cant get home.

happygardening - thanks for the tip about full boarding figures! The 2 schools DD is most interested in seem to only offer full boarding or day, and the 4 hour away school said they don't allow DC to leave at the weekend other than exeats but not sure how strict that is? That school also says that a third are from overseas and a third from rest of the UK, so maybe less of a mass exodus! Would those dc from England and abroad fly home for exeats? Or have guardians? Seems a faff to drive and get DD every 3 weeks, would she be the odd one out taking the train?

Other school is 1.5 hours so seems easier, but not so sure about DD getting a place, do most people apply to more than one?

Those who live in parts of Western Europe e.g.Paris might go home especially if you're near an airport and those living in England probably will as well. Those further way will go to guardians. 1/3 from overseas I think is higher than the norm which is usually 15-20% not that I'm saying this is an issue but I personally would like to be sure that those from overseas come from a wide variety of countries rather than the a usual few its inevitable that pupils will socialise with their fellow countryman, I sure I would in their situation.
I think I would also look for a school with a sizeable intake into their 6th form, some schools may only take the 1 new pupil into each house, (more likely the super selectives who are chucking those who've failed to make the grades). It can be hard to break into existing friendships, get used to boarding, a new school in general and many find there is a big jump from GCSEs to A levels.

What about Ripon's Grammar, state boarding grammar school in North Yorkshire. Depending where you are in Scotland mainline East Coast from Thirsk.
Grade requirement for sixth form, since all pupils have passed the 11+. I believe boarding places offered on distance furthest from the school.

dollymaid - thank you for the recommendation! I'll check it out!

happygardening - we asked the schools how many entered the sixth form every year! Some made new places, so have been gravitating towards those as DD won't be the only new student.The Scottish system ones tended to have less as sixth form is less of a thing here and almost all stay on at their schools, so were really left with the more international schools I think.

Good idea to ask about what countries the international students usually come from, it's not especially academic but I know some schools recruit very able international students to boost results.

If DD can get from the school to the nearest train station she'll be fine getting home, and as done students will fly I hope that'll be fine!

Most of DS's friends who lived in London went home by train at exeats and half terms, we sadly didn't have that kind of public transport links. Why drive to school every three weeks to arrive and turn round go back if you don't have too?

I think lots of posters have explained the difference between state and independent boarding. I agree with them. Independent gives a much broader education and will have a very different “feel” from state boarding.

I totally second not living too far away. DD2 changed boarding school for 6th form to one that was full boarding with exeats and holidays. However, as a 6th former, there were additional exeats as a privilege. We were just over an hour away. Try and stay within 2 hours max. Or an easy train journey. 4 hours, unless you can fly, is too far. Don’t forget you might want to see Drama and music productions and go to other school events.

Where do other children board in your area? Some children will board, so where do parents choose?

rah, I have experience of dollymaid’s school, definitely worth looking into.

When my DS was at prep I looked at a big name school according to the ISI report 60% full boarded but the school which is one of the few which is over subscribed were quite honest they might be categorised as “full boarders” but most went home Saturday night. We looked at another well known boarding school who told us lots full boarded when I actually said OK out of the 40 boys in this house how many were actually in school last weekend the housemaster looked a bit uncomfortable and then said 3-4 he clearly he had a different understanding of the words “lots” than I do. A friend who wanted full boarding sent her DS there, on hearing he had a place I said “you do know it’s mainly weekly boarding don’t you?” My friend assured me she’d been assured that there were lots of full boarders. She removed her DS at the end of year 11 why no full boarders he was one of only 2 in his house at the weekend my friend was upset because she felt that had not got what they were expecting and signed up for or paid for.
The term caveat emptor applies as much to boarding schools as it does to horses!

bubbles - thank you for the advice about distance! 3 schools we have visited are within 2 hours, but we only really liked the feel of one, so that's where we're hoping to get a place! But it's quite popular with international students, especially in sixth form, so we'll definitely need a back up!

Most children that DD knows board in Edinburgh, but she can't get into Fettes, and the others seem to have very small boarding numbers. Except Loretto, but from experience I wouldn't consider it.

Parents I know have their children at Strathallan and Glenalmond mostly, Glenalmond is our first choice.

butter - ive looked into it and it looks fab! But distance wise it's 3.5 hours so not sure, will talk to DD about the distance issues in general and see what she thinks about them.

happygardening - point taken! DD actually asked at one school how many in the house stayed for the weekend, think she's been reading some of your posts I'll definitely ask the schools!