Boarding for sixth form- which school

[Brian9600]

My daughter is interested in boarding for sixth form. She's currently at a very academic day school and enjoying it.

This is all a few years off so we have time to look around but I wondered if MNers had any suggestions. We are looking for the following:

• academic
• mixed
• boarding/weekly boarding
• good sporting facilities
• a lovely setting is a bonus
• decent sized sixth form intake

Where would you look?

It might depend on subject. DD was a scientist so her boarding friends were more likely to be overseas. The others we knew had switched from schools like Cheltenham Ladies and Wycombe Abbey. (A few seem to tire of the trad boarding environment at 16.) Given they used to stay regularly with day school friends I assume they were not boarders either.

Have you looked into state boarding? Peter Symmonds is an excellent state boarding, with a minimum criteria to get in. Experiences of family & friends who have gone down independent sixth form schools have regrets. State sixth form offer a whole lot more. We have recently given up our very generous academic scholarship for sixth form and will be going to state.
Best advice is do your homework and don't rule out state. Good luck!

My son is at Millfield and loves it. Amazing sporting and other facilities, small classes with good teaching, beautiful countryside - he loves it.

We had the same criteria and narrowed it to Rugby and Uppingham, Marlborough would have been on the list but was geographically too far. In the end DD went to Rugby and had a wonderful two years. She was in the new girls' house, which worked brilliantly, she made lots of lasting friendships in and out of house.

The school is beautiful and although the town is not exactly 'naice' it's lovely that they can walk into town to have a coffee, get any things they need or go to Pizza Express on the weekend.

There are plenty of girls boarding at Westminster doing languages, English, maths A levels and also the usual History, Geography etc as far as I hear.

I am not the expert on boarders at Westminster so will bow to the experience of others but from memory, we were told that about 70 girls join in 6th form and that only a third are boarders. Given that girl boarders can go home on a Saturday, that can leave less than 20 in a year group in school. That does create a different school dynamic from a proper full boarding school. Having said that, I agree with others who have said the school and the opportunities open to pupils by to living in central London are amazing.

Sorry but Roedean's sixth form needs to have an update. They have chased grades for a couple of years and at 53% A*A they are not exactly shooting for the stars compared to GCSE results. Their 6th form is run by 2 unlikeable but nonetheless accredited ladies who, despite protestations, are not representative of the school's ethos. The sport department is friendly and have some accomplished players but rarely a whole good team. The international element is generally a good addition to the social mixing and there are some lovely girls at this school. In all, there are dysfunctional elements which must be addressed to ensure the girls in the lower part of the school stay on for 6th form. At the heart of it they need to lighten up and bring the loving support given to the boarders to the whole 6th form. Noone achieves much under pressure.

If it makes any difference, 2019 results were 54% not 53% A*-A at A Level at Roedean.