Charterhouse, King’s Canterbury or Oundle

[Aika79]

Hello, overseas mum here!
Would love to hear views on above schools. We are looking at admissions for Y9 for our first son. Offer has come through for Kings; awaiting updates from the other two.
Being an overseas family, full boarding would be ideal. CH was first choice, but still waiting for news. Through other forums, have come to learn it gets empty on weekends. Is that true? Also get this feeling they’re a bit pompous about their ‘name’. Kings appears more relaxed and friendly, and comes highly recommended. Pastoral reviews seem mixed, though. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

Hi. I've had two DC at Charterhouse. Couldn't be happier. Top notch all around. There is class and sport on Saturday so lots of people around. Overall, it seems there are more full borders than weekly boarders but it can depend on the house, too. So maybe if you were in a house with lots of local students it could be quiet. Honestly, mine enjoyed the weekend quiet downtime after the full weekly schedule of classes and activities. Happy to answer any questions.

King's is properly full boarding, so busy and lively at the weekends. My son left in 2019. Being in the centre of Canterbury (small and safe) is an advantage, so that they can wander out for a coffee or change of scene. Sixth formers can go out in groups on a "supper exeat". If there's an advantage over Charterhouse I would say that it lies in the fact that at King's girls and boys have been completely integrated with one another for decades now, whereas Charterhouse is only now going through that process.

On the rare occasion when I would turn up on an ordinary school day I was impressed by what a happy place it seemed. Relationships between staff and pupils are generally excellent and hit a good balance between respect and friendliness. We did have a "problem housemaster" (no longer there) for a couple of years, who made everyone in his house miserable, so that may be the source of some of the mixed reviews. The deputy Head (pastoral) is a sensible woman.

Academically, it's pretty good: it takes a very mixed intake and does well for most, according to whatever their talents may be. It works best for those who want to learn. I think that they could crack the whip a bit harder for those who don't. There are some really excellent staff and one or two who aren't; and who seem impossible to shift. Reporting home is frequent and thorough.

Sport is good with lots of options, including rowing. Music is astonishingly wonderful and art and drama are excellent with fabulous facilities. The sheer loveliness of the surroundings cannot be overstated.

Another Kings family here and we couldn’t be happier. I have one day child and one boarder. It’s definitely a full boarding school - dd only ever wants to come home if it’s a fixed exeat as she doesn’t want to miss out on anything!
Being in the centre of Canterbury makes it genuinely feel like it’s a university for young people! We have never had any pastoral issues- the pupils are very much treated like young adults snd I feel like all discipline is based on mutual respect.
Feel free to ask any other questions.

Sounds like Charterhouse and Kings would both be winners. Just spoke with my husband and he said there are roughly 20 day boys/girls out of the 900 students. There are weekly boarders, too.

CH can be a lifeline - great pastoral care.

Oundle parent here, and can't praise it enough. Fabulous school, really excellent pastoral care especially through lockdown and two DSs doing well. Sounds a bit like Kings in that it's based in a little market town so the pupils can take themselves off for milkshakes or chips or whatever.

Ultimately I think it comes down to whether the school feels right. We were always impressed with how efficient and helpful all the admissions staff were at Oundle, and the fact we could have a meeting with learning support staff before we accepted a place. I think it says a lot.

Thank you so much everyone.
I agree with the statement that ultimately it’s about what feels right. I somehow have a more comfortable feel for Kings. Though, I preferred CH because they offer my son’s sports (basketball and swimming) and both the IB Diploma and Pre-U at 6th form - giving more options for students.
But with them only going coed this year, I feel it may Still be too male-centric, which may affect my boy, as he’s more reserved and shy. Doesn’t open up too easily.
In any case, we have deadline for kings and yet to hear from CH. so I may have to take the practical approach....

@Aika79 , Pre U is being scrapped in the U.K. in 2023, not enough schools participate.

Oh! I thought Pre-U is one of the newer Alternatives to the A-levels. I’d not heard of them before, nor BTech.

Thanks for the information.

From all indications it would seem Kings is the most likely choice. I think it would suit him better, given his own character.

Thank you all for your comments and feedback. It has been really very helpful! Thanks!!

I’m an Oundle parent. Oundle is fixed full boarding. No one can go home at weekends. It’s why we chose it having been at a school before where there was a choice. When there is a choice, lots go home .
So at Oundle if you choose boarding , everyone in the boarding house stays in all weekend. Matches , trips, downtime. All the usual full boarding activities take place that are properly supported as people aren’t dipping out and going home or to a party with another local friend.
Oundle is further away from London airports so factor that in however about a quarter of all pupils are from overseas so bus loads head to the trains/airports etc at half term .

Oundle has put us on the wait list - am wondering if this was a purposeful move. During interview Registrar was very impressed with UKISET scores & school reports, but opined DS 'wasn't ready' for boarding at 13+ thus advised deferring to 14+. But I pressed on and DS wrote the entrance papers, only to learn that he's going to be on the wait list. Interview was before entrance tests.

CH emailed saying they will not be interviewing DS and asked if we want him on their waitlist, but we would only hear from them after Easter. My reply indicated a preference for 14+ entry instead of waitlist. Two days later, got an email saying they can interview my son the following day. I find it a bit strange that on a Monday they have nothing available and by Wednesday they wish to interview him. Again, I'm wondering if this is their strategy, perhaps to see which families are 'desperate' for admission? Not sure... but it does seem rather dodge to me.

King's has been outright transparent in all their communication from the get-go and they have been very easy to liaise with. They're prompt with their replies and very informal in their approach. Which is why It stands out from the rest, for me. Whereas the experience with the other two schools are a bit odd to me... something just doesn't seem right...

Is it for entry in September this year? Do message if you want any insight into houses at Kings.

Oundle fills up its spots about two to three years before entry at 13. Anyone applying after then goes on the waitlist. Spaces are confirmed a year before entry, maybe two (I can’t remember!) saying they are in subject to entrance exam and interview. These take place Jan to June prior to entry but of those who have been allocated spaces, some will drop out of their own accord as they will have applied to multiple schools, which frees up their spot to others on the waitlist. Every year lots get moved off the waitlist- and typically this happens around now as entrance tests have started and requests for serious deposit payments start which certainly hones the decision making process for parents!
Being on the Oundle waitlist is therefore entirely normal and you can ask the Registrar what number you are on the waitlist. Waitlists are done by House so you can see if other houses have a shorter waitlists.
It is a popular school because it is a proper full boarding one and there aren’t a huge number of those anymore. I would say when you are choosing a school, be very mindful if you want a real full boarding school or one where children are free to go home or home with friends. I cannot reiterate enough, if there is an option to go home, lots do and this totally changes the feel of weekends at a school.
Choosing a school based on a handful of people operating the entrance process probably isn’t the wisest move though. I bet there are great schools with awful admissions teams and vice versa.
We have found Oundle’s team to be very helpful but we were aware of the three year advance needed to book your child in!

Yes agree with @leftandaright it's a popular school and fills up well in advance. Being full boarding there is always something going on at weekends, so the overseas students are never left alone to get bored!

I was the one who said the admissions team were brilliant and it said a lot- and whilst I agree I wouldn't choose a school entirely based on that, I think an efficient, helpful staff does indicate what it's going to be like dealing with the school in the future.

When I was first looking at schools I experienced a real mix of approaches, from the very very keen (aka undersubscribed) to the snooty and frankly rude. One school where we asked to meet some of the teaching and pastoral staff, as we hadn't been able to do that on open day, seemed incredulous! They have an excellent reputation and are oversubscribed and seemed to think that was enough. So Oundle's approach was a lovely balance. And sure enough they have been great in their calm and professional manner and yet very approachable too.

One thought @aika79 you said the registrar at Oundle said your DS wasn't ready for boarding- could there be any truth in that? The registrar is a former housemaster- he was head of my DS's house for 10 years I think- and was absolutely excellent at recognising the boys needs, and firmly but gently steering them on to the right path. His judgement was always excellent. I wouldn't think he would say such a thing unless he thought it was true. Might be worth thinking about, whichever school you decide on.

Thank you everyone for your inputs and insights.
I don’t doubt the integrity of the admissions staff at any of these schools. I’m sure they all know what they’re doing and have their protocols and systems to follow.

@SarahBeenysBikerJacket There possibly could be some element of truth in what the Registrar said. My son is shy and reserved and doesn’t open up quite so easily. He needs time to warm up to new people and surroundings. I think the Registrar sensed this during the interview and therefore shared his observations. I didn’t think a student’s readiness to board would be a factor for consideration when offering placements. I always assumed the performance in Entrance tests hold more weight.

@leftandaright I didn’t know waitlists are different for each house. Thought they would just have one waitlist and allocate houses on availability. This is interesting to know. I didn’t know much about the houses at Oundle, so just put Brambletye on the application form. Not sure if it is a popular choice.

In any case, the more I research on King’s the more I am liking what I see and read (plus there’s a McDonald’s just behind the school campus - which is a big deal for us, considering where we are based 🤣🤣). All these schools are fantastic in their own right but knowing my son, the environment at CH may be too competitive for him and honestly, Oundle is a tad bit far. Another upside to King’s is they have a Junior school with boarding, so I could look into it for my younger son. He’s 7 right now and I know I won’t have any problems with him being shy. He’s completely opposite to his older brother.

@petitdonkey and @Aethelthryth would love to have some insight on boarding houses. The email to me said houses will be allocated in the summer, does that mean we don’t get to choose? And what happens once we pay up the acceptance deposit?

Thank you all so very much. You all have been incredibly helpful and brought things Into a different perspective for me. Thank you.

I am glad you have hopefully chosen the right school with KC. Hope it goes well.
Fwiw, Oundle place more reliance on boarding than the entrance exam or at least equal weight???

Places are offered one/ two years before entry based on no tests at all but purely prep school recommendations which include academic ability and also propensity to enjoy full boarding.
As I have said above, Oundle is a proper full boarding school with no options to go home between half term and end of term. It is imperative that all children thrive in a full boarding set up like this and the admissions team are trained to identify those who will and those who won’t. It’s a pillar of how a school like Oundle select new pupils. Any child that would prefer options to nip home or stay with friends on the odd weekend will be better in a more flexi environment. Thankfully there remains a good choice of schools for parents and admission teams to ensure the right match.

Houses are allocated if you don’t ask for a specific one- jks children all confer and go to certain ones. There are two sites- St Augustines is really beautiful and the houses are big but it’s apart from the main precincts. That can be a plus or minus depending on your child.

www.kings-school.co.uk/pastoral-care/boarding/#slide2

With dd we went through the (incredibly short!) videos online snd made a shortlist based on that. Kings is limited in some places by the age of the buildings so one question I would ask is the number of pupils in a room- not all sixth formers get a single study in some houses which I thought was important.

I hear about Linacre and MO as the ‘popular’ sporty houses but a parent with a boy boarding could give you more insight. My DD did say that everyone she has met thinks their own house is the best!!!

I can highly recommend King's. It's a brilliant school and has been fantastic during lockdown- really supportive and caring. If your child is arty then they will love Kings Week!

any advice on 6 form boarding for a new pupil. Is it difficult to integrate into already formed friendship groups? Does pastoral care help with settling of new arrivals in 6 form? knowing where to go etc

How far are the St Augustine’s boarding houses from the main campus?

Hi did anyone have my advice on entering 6th Form Oundle/Kings/Charterhouse?
Also about the boarding houses.

*any advice

Hi w11mum,
Sorry I don’t have any information about 6th form entry. I suppose you could get in touch with the schools directly, or check their websites and maybe look out for some YouTube videos too. Sorry I couldn’t be of further help. All the best!

@Aika79

How far are the St Augustine’s boarding houses from the main campus?

Very close, 5 to 10 mins walk.

Hi Petitdonkey, I for one would be very interested in your (or anyone else's) insights into houses at Kings.