Weekly boarding schools?

[missylissy9]

Currently looking at weekly boarding schools for DS (currently in Y5). Myself and DH both boarded as teenagers and absolutely loved it. He boarded full time and I did weekly and we've decided that we would like our DC to board as weekly boarders so they still spend time at home but equally have the boarding experience. He does a night or two boarding at his current school every few weeks (very flexible) and loves it so we know he could thrive when he starts properly boarding in the future.

He's outgoing and confident, very sporty and in terms of academics I'd say he's in the middle. Very strong on maths and science but slightly weaker with his English skills.

We're ideally looking for co-ed, within 90 minutes of London and the Ascot/Windsor area. Also strong in the sports department as he is really into his sports (rugby mainly!).Heard some good things about Wellington but otherwise just looking for some recommendations!

What about Cranbrook in Kent? It’s a state grammar so the only fees are the boarding part which is about £5k a term

Are there a high number of students who board? Looking at the admissions page there are only 52 boarding places for Y9 2024 so this seems quite small? Do you know anything about the sports there as well, are they big on those/what are the facilities like?

fyi, there is a specific board school board here these days you may want to check out.
Sometimes boarding threads elsewhere don't go so well dependent on who sees them.

They take 52 new boy boarders in Y9, they are then divided between the 3 boys boarding houses. The 2 girls houses take about 9 girls each in Y9.

Sports were always very strong there.

It's basically a super-selective state grammar run along the lines of an independent boarding school.

I was a boarder there back in the dark ages. It was decent enough for the money, but was very definitely full boarding in those days. Exeat weekends and holidays only that you went home. We also had Saturday school.

They've recently started taking day kids in Y7. Sounds very messy idea to me. Cranbrook was always a boarding school with day students, now it seems more the other way around and not sure that will be of benefit to the boarders.

In terms of co-ed weekly boarding - Bedes in Eastbourne has great sport and might be right level academically (own zoo with meerkats too!).

Thank you! I've posted the same thing on a boarding thread once I realised it existed!

Yes I agree looking at the website it seemed really messy in terms of boarding and day students. We are ideally looking at a school where the majority if not all students board.

Will check out Bedes now. How cool that it has it's own zoo!

Wellington is fantastic, it's a rounded education that produces confident and flexible young people. My son went for 6th form, did IB, played Rugby for first XV tennis for the first team, participated in all house activities, became a prefect and yet, I don't think he scratched the surface of the opportunities that Wellington has to offer. The teaching staff are great, very little turnover, which speaks volumes about the leadership and the common room. My only regret is that we didn't send him in Year 9.

Haileybury and Stowe (ignore past reputation of Stowe, the school has changed a lot in the last few years).

Both have day pupils but very large numbers of boarders too. Saturday morning school at both but being so close to London means lots go home at weekends.