Recommendations for liberal co-ed boarding schools in the south

[windygallows]

My DD has announced she wants to go boarding - she's entering yr 9. It's all v last minute and I'm not v familiar with the schools available. I've done searches for schools online on the usual portals but finding it hard to distinguish between them without knowing their reputation or anecdotal feedback.

I'd be grateful for recommendations for schools that meet DD's main criteria:

1. Coed

2 . 2 hour radius from London

1. Good academics but not too pressured. She's a good student but not top of class.
2. Offers dance and more focus on arts than sports.
3. Liberal, community feel with a 'kind atmosphere'.
4. Good facilities, nice looking campus if poss.
5. Boarders and day students.
6. Smallish class size.
7. Uniform okay or not

It's a long wish list but any thoughts as to appropriate schools would be appreciated. Am not trying to be lazy by reaching out, just looking for recommendations from humans rather than search engines.

Two hours from London doesn’t confine you to the south - don’t forget the Midlands schools.

To start you off I’d suggest Oakham is worth a look. It’s always had a very strong arts offering, and since you mention dance in particular here’s what they say about it:

www.oakham.rutland.sch.uk/Dance

thx Lark. I was looking at Oakham - think it might be a bit too far away but will take a look.

We had this problem a few years ago. DD was looking for 6th form. Dance is quite difficult to find in co Ed schools. We found Bradfield. At that time, the admissions office were difficult to deal with and DDs friends there all left so DD changed her mind about them and went to Heathfield at Ascot. Superb for art and excellent dance teacher. Just not co Ed. You rarely get everything! Bradfield, presumably, have now sharpened up their act and I would look at them as they are not far from Reading.

Thx bubbles! I had looked at Bradford and will look again.

Lancing? Very arty.

Have you looked at Bedales in Petersfield?

I went 15yrs ago, I loved every moment. Hoping to put mine through there too next year if they want to.

Hmm, I wonder what Ballard in the New Forest is like? I don't know it personally but it clearly has a strong dance element and is coeducational. However, also very religious by the looks of it. Might be worth a look.

Leighton Park?
www.leightonpark.com/
Frensham Heights?
www.frensham.org

Leighton is in Reading. First name terms for staff and students. Flexible uniform. Excellent music facilities. Dance, Art, Textiles GCSE. Quaker ethos: ‘Let Your Life Speak’
Frensham similar outside Farnham. Not Quaker, no uniform (I think)

Frensham ticks all the boxes, it has no uniform, teachers are called by their first names.

Bedales, though I'm not sure how much dance there. It's not a sporty school. Most pupils go home at weekends.

Oakham is lovely, but rather more sporty (but perfectly possible to thrive there even if you're not). If that looks OK to you, then just about every school would meet the not greatly focussed on sport criterion

Near London, worth looking Woldingham (increasingly popular)

Brighton College for dance and drama

Dauntsey's near Devizes .

Kings Canterbury; but you may be too late

St Edwards in Oxford
Has strong dance including scholarships and ticks your other boxes.

Sports are strong at St Edwards but that does not prevent an arts focus as well.

The Leys School?

www.theleys.net/645/life-at-the-leys/wider-curriculum/dance

Thanks lovely people for all your advice!! St Edwards and Bedales are on our list and am looking at Frensham's. I visited Leighton Park and wasn't so hot on it - just didn't get a 'feeling' and I liked the Quaker aspect but hard to see how it was embedded on a day to day basis.

Am looking at Bradfield, The Leys and Dauntsey's now. Thanks all!

Hurtwood House is an obvious choice - as liberal as they come and focus on the arts

Bedes, Hurst?

How about Lord Wandsworth College, it has a sporty reputation but there is still loads of arts and dance. Very friendly school with a beautiful campus.

Bryanston?

I second St Edwards ticks all your boxes.

Haileybury.

Sevenoaks might be in the sweet spot for you as well? I'm not sure about the dance part though.

Sevenoaks is very academic. My bet would be Bradfield or St Edwards for location, brilliant dance, as well as other arts and drama and strong values and pastoral care.