Looking for full boarding girls schools

[AmazingGrace2009]

Grateful for some advice: I’m looking for a genuine full boarding girls school (e.g. more than 70% full boarders) for my two DDs for Y7 and Y9. We live overseas so I do wish that the boarding houses will provide organised activities for boarders and will not be emptied with only a few international students left at weekends. I weight more on pastoral care and school environment (e.g. with nice teaching staff / school team, friendly neighbourhood, etc.) but if the schools are academic (no need to be hothouse though) is certainly a plus. 2 hours from London is acceptable.

I heard that some boarding schools claim that they are full boarding but they in fact flexibly allow students to go home on request. Some boarding schools may also tend to shift from full boarding to weekly boarding. This kind of information just can't be found simply from the ranking table or from the school websites. If there is any information from parents, it will just be great. Thanks!

Don’t rule out Wycombe Abbey too quickly. It is academic but also helping girls to improve academically.

In terms of the fit process I completely agree and it is good. The last thing you want is unhappy girls. I think (but may be corrected) that the typical WA girl is mature, fairly competitive and happy in herself.

It is not a place for easily intimidated girls. The level of sports, music and academics is extremely high for some girls (think grade 8 instrument in year 7 and competing nationally or county in sports) but there are many girls who aren’t like that at all. Most girls seem to have “a thing” they are reasonably good at though, and don’t worry about not others being better - unless it is “healthy competition”.

Roedean's boarding ratio is only 50%. Another good option is St Mary's Calne with 80% boarding ratio. In terms of boarding ratio, Benenden should be the highest, followed by Downe House. Both are 95%+.

I honestly think if DD need to catch up at WA, they won’t get a place at all. Downe House also look at all round suitability.

DD left Heathfield a few years ago and no Saturday school then. Girls schools have dropped it mostly I think. I’m surprised so many go home now. I think Friday nights in was always special after the busy week. When DD was at Heathfield, the parents lived far and wide and were not wanting to collect every weekend. International girls certainly full boarded.

I’ve attached the info from Heathfield which is as my DD found it in the 6th form. Weekly boarding isn’t what it says.

@PresentingPercy Things have changed a lot at Heathfield, even more so under the new head.

They have daily transportation services for the local area and weekly transportation to and from London (home Friday night, back Sunday evening). They still have full boarders but given there’s only 30-40 girls in each year the numbers are dwindling.

This information is from their last virtual open morning so bang up to date.

St Mary's Ascot doesn't have Saturday school but is hugely boarding-centric. The Saturday school rule is not entirely accurate.

My DD is at Roedean. There’s a mix of full, weekly and flexi boarders plus day girls. Lots of girls join in year 9 as boarders, there was a lot of local girls as day girls in year 7. There’s a full weekend programme for the full boarders but they can do as much or as little as they want. Younger girls have more supervision and encouragement to take part! There’s some sports fixtures on a Saturday but no Saturday school. Weekly boarders go home Friday night and return Sunday night. The girls are a mix of UK and international girls, DD has friends from around the world and loves the perspectives this brings. It’s definitely not 70% full boarding across the school but within the houses there are more full boarders than weekly or flexi from what I can make out. There is an exeat weekend each half term but a lot of full boarders remain at the school anyway, it’s not mandatory.

Boarding staff are fabulous, caring and dedicated and the headmaster promotes the girls happiness, ‘happy girls want to learn, we don’t need to push them’ is his mantra and this certainly is our experience. Teachers are super and the pastoral care set up is really well thought through and visible. Throughout lockdown they provided a personal tutor system where the girls wellbeing was checked on by the tutor every week for a chat and were also contactable whenever needed on MS Teams.

Lots of extra curricular activities for sport, music, drama, dance plus lots ofother things they can do and the younger years do a HHH lesson - head, heart and hands to develop other skills.

My DD is really happy there and has been since day 1. Really recommend a tour when you are allowed as you get toured by the girls and not the staff so you can really get a sense of the school.

Please ask if you have any other Qs.

Sherborne girls - my daughter went there and loved it.

Out of all the schools listed I would discount WA and Downe House, too near London with a lot departing at weekends. WA and CLC both slight hot houses.

Benenden a little bit of a bitchy school, with a few very wealthy over indulged girls. So I've been told!

Mayfield is very good, quite a gentle school but academic and good for art, drama, sport, equestrian too.

Sherbourne girls very good, but a little far out.

What about Woldingham?

Both Mayfield and Woldingham are both Catholic. My choice would be between those two.

WA is still very academic. Heathfield is most definitely not full boarding. Whilst Sherborne girls and St Mary’s Calne have many full boarders, St Mary’s Calne has more full boarders than Sherborne. Definitely add St May’s Calne to your list for a great allrounder school.

@Kinlocrhum

Out of all the schools listed I would discount WA and Downe House, too near London with a lot departing at weekends. WA and CLC both slight hot houses.

Benenden a little bit of a bitchy school, with a few very wealthy over indulged girls. So I've been told!

Mayfield is very good, quite a gentle school but academic and good for art, drama, sport, equestrian too.

Sherbourne girls very good, but a little far out.

What about Woldingham?

Both Mayfield and Woldingham are both Catholic. My choice would be between those two.

Thank you for the comparison. It’s very clear indeed. I’ve read information about Sherborne Girls and Mayfield which both sound good. I’ll also do some more research on Woldingham for more details.

@Valenciaoranges

Sherborne girls - my daughter went there and loved it.

A friend of mine has a daughter graduated from Sherborne Girls some years ago highly recommends the school. I’ve visited its website and it looks pretty good, in terms of school environment and facilities, performing arts activities, the full boarding emphasis, etc. Fairly academic with balanced development of girls. It would be lovely to hear from you if there are more to share.

OP wants a school that does not empty out at weekends.

Woldingham is lovely, but is definitely not that.

Thanks all for your great comments and insights. I have shortlisted the following schools. Will do further research to narrow down to 3-4 that may fit my 2 DDs (one is outgoing & confident and another one is quiet and shy) who want to continue to study together. Not an easy job...

More full boarders : St Mary’s Calne, Sherborne Girls, St Mary's Ascot, CLC (hothouse)
Others : Roedean, Mayfield, Woldingham

Yes, you're right about Woldingham and the full boarding.
I also can't spell Sherborne. There is a train station in Sherborne- Waterloo in about 2.5 hours.

One other thing. I note you live overseas. You will have to have Guardians based in the UK, so also consider that when selecting a school.

Downe House: I don't think it is too close to London. At least 1.5 hr drive to most parts of London.

St Mary's Ascot: Pls note that a girl must be Catholic to be considered for admission.

OP I hope you aren't imagining that full boarding will obviate the need for totally committed, full time guardians for your daughters?

Boarding works best when there is regular and frequent interaction with 'home'. So the guardians you appoint should be seeing their wards at least every two weeks - attending school events, sports, concerts, etc. And picking the children up, either to go 'home' or to be taken out for Sunday lunch, say.

You need to place as much emphasis on decent guardianship as on choice of school.

Have you looked at St George's Ascot. That is boarding and the day girls also are in school Saturday mornings.

@MayIDestroyYou

OP I hope you aren't imagining that full boarding will obviate the need for totally committed, full time guardians for your daughters?

Boarding works best when there is regular and frequent interaction with 'home'. So the guardians you appoint should be seeing their wards at least every two weeks - attending school events, sports, concerts, etc. And picking the children up, either to go 'home' or to be taken out for Sunday lunch, say.

You need to place as much emphasis on decent guardianship as on choice of school.

Thanks a lot for the reminder! That's true that I also need to look for a proper guardian for my DDs (so much agree that it's equally important as choosing the right school). I heard good and bad experience from friends in their choices of guardians. Will certainly see to it.

@uk2020

Downe House: I don't think it is too close to London. At least 1.5 hr drive to most parts of London.

St Mary's Ascot: Pls note that a girl must be Catholic to be considered for admission.

Noted with many thanks. We are Catholic family but I've just learned that the 13+ entrance exam of St Mary's Ascot covers quite a few subjects that my elder DD has not studied before so I believe the chance is slim...

For those that are not catholic schools, I am looking for any catholic church nearby (within walking distance) and will ask the target schools if DDs can be released to attend mass on Sundays (I heard that some schools do give such permission...).

I’ve had friends with daughters at CLC, Wycombe, St Mary’s Ascot, Downe House & Benenden. I think they’ve all been happy, my daughter has friends who went to Benenden who she met at university who seem very nice. I know you’d like single sex but another friend, who lived abroad, has been very happy with Felstead in Essex. Proper full boarding and a broad ability range. One of her daughters had a difficult period of time & missed a few months of education (nothing to do with school - family circumstances) and they let her start in a younger age group rather than struggle academically.

Do you have friends in UK who could be guardians? We are also overseas, and have our closest friends as guardians. They also live very close to school.

However we have never had to 'use' them so to speak, even during Covid. They have also never taken dd out at weekends, even for lunch - the reason being she is having too much fun at school!

To me a guardian is someone that could assist with pastoral or discipline issues, or make a decision if she was ever in hospital after a freak accident. Boarders tend to get asked to stay with day girls over a weekend from time to time, or to stay with more local boarders.

Mass is compulsory at Mayfield on Sundays. If you are very Catholic I would stick with a Catholic school.

If you’re open to a mixed school Kings Canterbury is wonderful. I have children both in day snd boarding and would say it is overwhelmingly a boarding school (ds never wanted to board but I do think he’d missed out on a lot) . My dd boards snd only ever comes home for fixed exerts. Many of her friends are international students. The school is based in the heart of the city do they are never bored on a Sunday (which is the only day they have no lessons)

So many typos! Sorry.