Non-specialist, SE, independent school with strong music?

[yodaforpresident]

We thought we had finally reached a decision but now feel like we are going in circles. If you had an academic child, who also was very musical, which schools would you look at in the south-east (boarding is an option) ?

Boy or girl? Do you want single sex or mixed education? London or more green in Home Counties/Kent? What type of personality? Most independent schools have a strong music provision so check how big the department is, how helpful/approachable the head of music is - do the best go to the specialist London orchestras on Saturday etc Where does the choir tour if that is the child’s thing

Girl but would prefer co-ed and not London. I would say very outgoing. Music does need to be really good though - particularly the choral side. That’s a good question about JDs.

Sevenoaks School would be perfect fit - head of music very strong on choral side, mixed school, very outgoing, modern school. Boarding and day an option but Saturday school and IB only. Alternatively, Wellington College or Brighton College.

Haileybury

A school friend moved to Lancing College for 6th Form for their music provision. Admittedly a while ago (!!) but I believe music is still a strength.

King's Canterbury

I think our problem with deciding is that the schools are largely similar in terms of the academic/ facilities side but how do work out which is the best for music? Is there one that is closest to a specialist music school because it’s so good? I hadn’t heard of Brighton/ Sevenoaks before in discussions around music but did consider King’s.

Not SE, obviously, but Wells Cathedral School sounds exactly the school you’re describing.

Regarding the choral side - do you want your DD to sing in a Cathedral? Because obviously that could narrow your search down very quickly. Also I suggest you speak to the various heads of music and ask them about their success with Oxbridge choral scholarships - if you DD is academic and very good at singing.
Places like Sevenoaks the talented musicians are very well supported but many will attend London orchestras on a Saturday too.
I second Wells if you are happy to consider SW - as it is mix of specialist music and not and obviously has a Cathedral.
For 6th form if you want something very academic there is always Westminster school and the Abbey! Plus apparently Winchester College will take girls into Sixth Form soon.
The London Saturday orchestras are always full of children from all different schools, comps, grammars and independents. There is no “one” school that all the talented children come from.

Guildford High School?

Mine were there and I chose it partly because of the excellent music. There are several choirs, some auditioned and some non-auditioned, including (from year 10) a joint chamber choir with the boys from the nearby Royal Grammar School. There are also numerous orchestras, bands and ensembles.

There are often a few girls at the school who sing in Guildford cathedral choir and, when mine were there, at least one a year went on to Oxbridge with a choral scholarship.

If you had an academic child, who also was very musical

I'm always very interested in these threads because both our DS's are tolerably musical and DS2 is also very academic.
We separated out school and music. Decent local state schools and private music lessons completely external to school, plus external choir activities.
DS1 is a conservatoire student (currently in an Erasmus period at the Antwerp Royal Conservatoire), and has been asked to
audition at RAM and RCM for his postgrad specialisation as a repetiteur. DS2 has just received an offer of a place to read music at Oxford with an organ scholarship.
It seems to have worked for them without the cost of private schooling.

That's what I would have liked to do, @Grumpyoldpersonwithcats Unfortunately I was not happy with our local state school. We don't all have decent state schools available.

Good luck to your sons. One of mine did music at Oxford and had a brilliant time (choral scholarship not organ).

Have you though about Woodbridge school in Suffolk? Don't know if that's too far East for you. We're looking at 6th forms for our very musical ds1 who is at Junior Trinity on a Saturday. We loved the school and it's our number 1 choice. We're win the process of applying. Wonderful facilities for music. Small boarding house. Suffolk is also an outstanding county for music apparently. The school had a fabulous vibe to it.
We're also looking at Felsted.

Good luck.