Queen Margaret's School, York (and general thoughts on Saturday school / flexi-boarding)

[MissDollyMix]

Afternoon!

Does anyone have any thoughts on Queen Margaret's school near York? We recently visited with a view to DD starting in year 7/1. DD is absolutely in love with the school and desperate to go. DH also really likes it. I like that its single-sex. However, I have some reservations - the biggest is the whole flexi-boarding and Saturday school element - I'm really concerned that this will be very intrusive on our family life. How have other MNetters found Saturday school works for them? Especially if you also have another child who is at a regular Mon-Fri school. I'm worried that my two children will grow apart and also that DD will loose touch with her primary school friends who live locally and will be at the local state school (and then she will be really lonely in the school holidays etc)

Likewise, I'm also concerned that whilst the pastoral care at the school seems excellent, if DD chooses to flexi-board (which seems to be the default option), will we as parents be able to keep an adequate eye on her progress?

Finally, the school seems very small and rather like something from an Enid Blyton novel. I'm concerned how DD would fare once she's out in the real-world?
If anyone has any thoughts on QM school or just flexi-boarding/Saturday schools, I would really appreciate hearing them as I feel very conflicted at the moment!

DD's primary had Saturday school and yes it really did effect our family plans, so we made an active decision to avoid a secondary school with Saturday commitment. In fact I would go so far as to say avoid being a day pupil in a boarding school; the school is set up for boarders so the timetable reflects this. I know a school local to us where the girls are rarely home before 7.30-8pm, having had a couple of hours free in the late afternoon. As a consequence the girls often flexi board as it's easiest and they like being with friends.

As for keeping contact with old primary school friends - well that can slowly ebb away anyway as they make new friends.

Also beware of small schools for exam options later on. I went to a small secondary school and although it was OK for O level choices and combinations, our A levels choices and combinations were restricted. Combinations for subject options are often glossed over. Basically it means that OK History Geography, economics and French are all taught, but because of timetabling and staff availability, you can never study History and French together. The bigger the school, the broader the range of combinations possible.

Saturday school sounds hell no time off for a lie in or just chill out on a Saturday.

Thanks for the thoughts.
To be fair, our Saturdays are currently wall to wall club commitments for DD so we rarely have time for lie ins or spontaneity… but at least the commitments we currently are optional…

Agghh, Saturday school. I have such fond memories of going to school on a Saturday I thought it would be fine for DD.

It’s not. I lived 5 mins away from my school and we live further away so we still have to get up mega early 6x a week. It’s over by lunchtime but yes it does prevent us from doing anything at the weekend. By Sunday DD is exhausted.

My cousin’s daughter went to QM and absolutely loved it. She was a weekly boarder, through choice, even though her parents only lived in Eggborough.
My mum lives in Escrick and we walk the dog in the grounds when we visit her - it really does seem like something out of Mallory Towers, with the horses grazing in the fields near the gorgeous school buildings!

My DS has moved to boarding school this year. He full boards, so the Saturday school issue isn’t the same for DH and I, but I know it doesn’t bother DS because his Saturdays were always taken up with activities, so he actually has more free time now, not less.