Mixed Boarding Schools with 6th form houses

[Managing2020]

Hi I am looking at boarding schools for DD to move to for the 6th form. The catch is they need to have a 6th form only house. The idea being that it will be easier for her to integrate. So far I have Wellington, Rugby and Uppingham on the list. Any other ideas?

Dauntseys

I believe Brighton College has a 6th form only boarding house.

Thanks - I see Brighton College does have a mixed 6th form house - hard work for the House Master/ Mistress!

Sevenoaks? Don't know much about the boarding side, but I think there are sixth form only houses.

King's Canterbury - Bailey is a sixth form girls' house.

Stowe does I think. St Edwards, Oxford?

Do you mean Wellington school or college? The boarding houses at Wellington school aren't strictly 6th form only- I think the senior girls' house is years 11, 12 and 13 this year. But it's a lovely school!

Thanks for all of your answers. Sevenoaks only does IB which isn’t for us! @bravepotatoes. @DoobryWhatsit Wellington College

Christs Hospital - Upper 6th house but the actual houses are a decent size so integration not a propblem.

Wells has a house that is officially Yr 13 but often has Yr 12s as well

Here's what I can remember about the top 25:

1. Eton - boys only
2. Marlborough - no special 6th form girls' house
3. Harrow - boys only
4. Winchester - boys only
5. Charterhouse - used to have two VIth form girls' houses but now it's becoming fully co-ed, those have been made full-on girls' houses. But have a look at 'Weekites' and 'Girdlestoneites' (aka 'Duckites') which will be uniquely mixed houses over the next five years as they transition from boys' to girls' houses. You might find a glitch opportunity.
6. Westminster - all houses are mixed and it's really more of a day school that facilitates some part-time boarders
7. Radley - boys only
8. St Paul's - boys only and day only (in 97% of cases)
9. Cheltenham Ladies - girls only

10. Sherborne - boys only 11. Wellington - has 'The Hardinge', exactly what you're looking for 12. St Mary's Ascot - girls only 13. Rugby - has 'Stanley', exactly what you're looking for. 14. St Paul's Girls - girls only, day only 15. Wycombe Abbey - girls only 16. Shrewsbury - I think 'EDH' ('Emma Darwin Hall') is still VIth form girls only 17. Benenden - Girls only 18. Uppingham - has 'The Lodge, exactly what you're looking for, 19. Stowe - has 'West', exactly what you're looking for 20. Heathfield - girls only 21. Bedales - you'd have to go into the all-years girls house 'Steephurst' for lower VIth but in upper VIth they have the '6.2 flat' which is a co-ed house with segregated sleeping areas. Probably not what you're looking for. 22. Tudor Hall - girls only 23. Sherborne Girls - obviously girls only, but with enough social integration with Sherborne Boys not to feel like it. They have 'Mulliner' which is VIth form only. 24. Cheltenham - no special 6th form girls' house 25. Bradfield - no special 6th form girls' house

Good luck in your search!

Marlborough actually has the best of both worlds in that new 6th form girls generally join an existing 6th form house. This means all the girls are new together but the boys who know the school can help show them around. My DD was wary of going into a school with a dedicated 6th form house based on her friend’s experience at another school mentioned here. Her friend felt that in a 6th form only house the girls were a bit isolated from the rest of the school and never really integrated fully with the other students.

Do take a look at Marlborough. I wasn’t convinced about the mixed houses until we visited. Now I think that was the best decision for my DD.

@capstix you missed Bromsgrove School off your list. They have a mixed 6th form only house.

With great apologies to Bromsgrovians everywhere they did not make the top 25! That doesn't mean it's not a great school with its impressive longevity and five Victoria Crosses.

@capstix what a list thank you. Shrewsbury was one I hadn’t thought of! Have been in touch with Charterhouse already because of the transition @Dancingdreamer good tip re Marlborough I didn’t realise that was the case.

@Dancingdreamer super interested in your friends DD experience of a 6th for house. I did 6th form at one of the schools on the list but in my day we were the only girls in the school which meant integration was almost too easy….

Hurtwood house?

I think those Co Ed schools like Rugby or Wellington that still have a separate boarding house for new 6th form girls are different from boys’ schools that take girls in the 6th form. It doesn’t mean that girls don’t have a great time in these 6th form only houses but it does separate out a small group from the majority of those embedded in the school from 13.

@capstix I think it depends which top 25 list you use. Bromsgrove is ranked 11th in top IB schools. But seriously I take your point that it is a school often overlooked in the list of prestige boarding schools.

UWC Atlantic College near Cardiff. Sixth form only so everyone starts on the same terms re integrating. It’s co-ed, international, offers IB. An experience somewhere between school and university, set in a 12th century castle. What’s not to like?!