Millfield Prep

[SarahIsMe]

Hi all

We are thinking of moving our children (both boys) to Millfield Prep when oldest starts year 7. We will have to move house to accommodate this, so it's a big deal. We are not keen on boarding (just not the right option for us, but understand it works for others).

Oldest is very sporty but youngest less so, he's more musical.

My main questions are:

*Is the move from state primary to Millfield Prep a big jump?

*Do kids from average income households (we r aiming for scholarships and no way could afford the fees) manage ok? Do they get singled out?

*Is there much elitism/toff-ness/arrogance etc...? (Expecting a bit, but hoping most of the kids are nice and well balanced!)

*Are children largely happy there?

*Are day pupils integrated there and treated similarly to the boarders? Do they enjoy it?

*Do non sporty kids fair ok? (our youngest is fairly 'gentle' and while he's fine playing football and mucking in with martial arts and stuff at school, I'd worry he might get bullied as he's not a rugby type guy (yet anyway - he's v young and I don't know what path he'll take as he gets older) and more into playing instruments and singing and drawing (might become a bit geeky)

*I have seen threads from a few years ago on Millfield where it seems to have been somewhat slated/got a bad press. Hoping things have changed!

If anyone knows anything about the swimming provision, would also be keen to hear stories of transition from prep to senior for good swimmers (is the prep ok in how they coach yr7 and 8 swimmers? I know the senior school is good in terms of swim coaching, but no idea how the prep school fairs).

Thank you v v much for your opinions

Very late to this party... but I sent one of my DC to Millfield - some of my personal observations -

• less snobbish IMO than other big name schools I have come across (I’ve experienced a few with my various DC!
• very big but I liked that - there was no single ‘alpha’ social group
• very meritocratic. If you are good at something you will earn respect (even if it’s being best at poker)
• there’s a hierarchy of respect amongst the kids for the different sports (rugby at the top, golf at the bottom. Swimming in the top third, I’d say)
• IIRC swimming coaching starts at 6.00am so a killer of a commitment for a day pupil
• only a few really decent streets to live in if choosing Street itself. Grangefields estate (2 mins from the school gates) has loads of millfield parents
• suffering from being poor? Depends on the child. My super social son pretended to be on a full bursary and persuaded his trustafarian mates to fund all his visits to the Chinese and Dominoes (he knew I’d have told him to sling his hook if he’d asked for money from me to pay for that stuff). There ARE super rich kids there (some A-list offspring too), but kids don’t tend to give a shit. A kid who’s sensitive about being poor might find it hard though (the wealth of some is eye-watering).
• you can get by fine even if not great at any particular sport. Much much harder though if your child is very sporty but not quite good enough for the A team at millfield (most of the top sets in all the sports will be at national level, so ‘just’ being county level is very hard). I remember when 3 out of 25 ‘A’ team members didn’t get selected for something outside of school - they were utterly crushed.
• day pupils less wealthy than boarders and more than a spattering of normal (3 bed semi) type families
• day pupils I think do get much less out of their experience. It isn’t the same.
• I think the school is far and away the best of the various schools I sent my DC too. But I may be biased - it suited my very happy robust social child and seemed to suit all the other families I mixed with over the years.
• I agree with the other posters however - don’t get carried away. One of my sons friends was in the top 3 in the country in swimming during his prep years - gave it all up at 14. Don’t forget that a child who has the physique to be a top swimmer will excel at other sporting stuff too. And the other sports tend to be more sociable and less demanding... you could find yourself in a grim village with a kid who has decided to give it all up in favour of basketball. Or even worse a kid who wants to give it all up for basketball but can’t because of the conditions attached to the bursary/scholarship

@SarahIsMe

Thanks Chickoletta, that's what I was a bit worried about.

When you say 'do you research' - any suggestions? How can I get more insider perspectives like yours?

Do you think a small number of snobbish kids gives a bad impression, or is it more of most of the kids being snobby and it's a theme throughout the school?

I know this thread I a few months old but just wanted to add my two pennies worth. I went for an interview at Milfield school years ago. It wasn't just snobbish, it was full of probably the most wealthy kids you could find. They didn't smile and were very unwelcoming. I hated it. When I asked the woman interviewing me what possibilities there were for horse riding (I am not and never was particularly sporty) she said basically the girls who rode there OWNED their horses and were not open to newcomers. Horrendous. My advice would be avoid at all costs.