Ardingly School experience of full time boarders please advise

[Cuddlecakes]

Dear All, We live in Dubai and are considering sending our year 9 son to Ardingly School as a full time boarder. He is quite keen because one of his best friends is starting there in September, but I am worried about what his weekends will be like. His friend has grandparents living nearby, so I am concerned that my son will be spending a lot of weekends at school. Of course we will visit him whenever possible, plus he has some family in London, but I wanted to know from Ardingly parents what their child’s experience has been like if they were also full time boarders. An acquaintance in Dubai told me she chose Charterhouse for her son because it has more full time boarders but my son wants to be with his friend in Ardingly. If you know anything about this, I would like to hear from you. My son has passed the entrance exam and will be having an interview soon. We will go and visit the school probably in March, but I would really like to get an insider’s view.

No direct experience of ardingly but I would def go for wherever has the most full time boarders. He'll make new friends and can go on exeats to the old friend if he's home for the weekend.

Thanks for your feedback, babysharkah. Sounds sensible. We will check out Charterhouse as well.

A friend works at Charterhouse its mainly weekly boarding proper full boarding schools are few and far between and often have early selection often in yr 6.. When are you hoping your DS will start boarding?

Are the schools renowned for getting kids on the straight and narrow? x x

Do naughty boys and girls attend either? x x

Are the schools renowned for getting kids on the straight and narrow? x x

Do naughty boys and girls attend either? x x

Having just read your other thread, tea, I’m very surprised at your comment here. Don’t entertain boarding for your DS.

To respond to the OP: Ardingly say they have around 200 boarders on the campus at the weekend. My guess is more 6thbfitners than others.

They also say they are a very international family. I would think their activities and numbers in at weekends are as good as anywhere else.

Your DS might find your absence easier if he goes with a friend. He may also be included on exeats too. My preference would be to stick with what he wants rather than sending him somewhere where he knows no one. Even a small number in at weekends is fine if your DC is happy. Often children know what will suit them best and I would listen to him.

Thank you everyone for your reassuring replies. I don’t know what a DS or a DC is, even though I’m a native English speaker who has a teenaged son and uses the internet, but I get the main gist of what you’re saying. You’re right, my son will be a lot happier with a familiar face at his side and I like the fact that it’s a mixed crowd. Our school in Dubai is very international so it will make my son feel more at home, I think!

In answer to your question, my son will probably start boarding this September and we will travel to the UK before the Easter holidays to check it out in person.

Most of the full boarders at Ardingly will be international and also mostly in the Sixth Form. They have a big intake into Sixth Form and for pre-IB. Saturdays are busy with sport fixtures (assuming your DC is sporty) and they do have boarders socials in the evenings. There is nothing for them to do on Sundays apart from getting a taxi to Sainsburys. You can look at the termly calendar on the website to get an idea. It is predominantly a school which caters for flexi and weekly boarders in Years 9/10 in my opinion. I would ask the question how many full time boarders they have in the younger years..