IB at state boarding for sixth form

[probablymaybeperhaps]

Hi

Does anyone have experience of any of the handful of UK state boarding schools offering International Baccalaureate?

Other experience of UK state boarding at sixth form would also be useful. I think we need IB unless anyone knows of a school which would allow English, French, German and maths A levels to be taken together! IB would be better though as it also allows for a humanity and a science.

Was going to suggest Dallam - know a few doing IB there as my daughters looked at it.

Another state boarding school round here is Keswick not sure if that offers the IB

Dallam's fees are rather more what I was imagining paying! I'm sure Hockerill's are only so high because they're in bishop's Stortford, but that extra £6000 per year tips it from manageable into a big "making sacrifices" deal which puts too much pressure on DD and everyone else- we have two younger children.

I spent a lot of time in the lake District a couple of decades ago and certainly have a soft spot for it. Getting there and away from where we live is tricker - logistically Hockerill is ideal!

There's a lot to think about but luckily we have a year to play with as she'd need to apply this time next year.

We'll definitely need to do some trips to England for school visits in the first half of 2020!

Keswick is just A levels and BTEC, though the "extended project" looks interesting - do all sixth formers do that now?

Yes extended project is normal now.

That definitely sounds like a good thing! Lack of independent study skills used to be what made the leap from A level to degree difficult for some students I believe. Perhaps this will help... Mind you I'm years out of the loop!

The boarders at Peter Symonds are mostly from the Falklands and from Forces families abroad so its worth talking to them if you are coming in from Germany.

ListeningQuietly ah that's interesting, thanks. I emailed them a couple of days ago and they don't seem keen on allowing 4 a levels nor on her starting before she's 16 (the different school systems mean she'd be at the school a couple of weeks before her 16th birthday). Think they might now need crossing off the list tbh.

They are post 16 only so that would be a problem

and 4 A levels will become very rare again over the coming years

What about Adam's Grammar? They offer German to AS and French to A Level. Normal boarding fees are just under £12k, overseas boarding a bit more. It's a boys grammar with a mixed sixth form.

Or Old Swinford Hospital School, also around £12k