uk boarding schools

[Mooseketeer]

Originally Posted by chilaili

I don't want to hijack this thread and turn it into argument for or against boarding schools, but I can say from personal experience boarding school was not a good choice. I completely understand why my parents chose to send me, but I just didn't have the right personality for that environment. And going to a single-sex school for 7 years from 11-18 was insane! Even they have admitted that was a bad idea as 20 years later and I haven't had a single relationship that lasted longer than 2 years, am still single and will probably end up as the crazy old lady with cats living at the end of the street in some mouldering victorian mansion .

BUT, it's also true that some kids do extremely well in boarding school and love it the whole time they're there. They make friends that last a lifetime and have very fond memories. You just won't know until you try it. But be prepared for it not to work out and have a back-up plan.

I agree with what you say. For me age has a lot to do with it and 6 seems awfully young. I was 10 and I have to say I loved it, and got a great and well rounded education. It made me a lot more independent and a lot less reliant on others though I think it is completely wrong for many kids.

Some seem to cope very well, adapt and even bloom , others just hate it and wither.

And of course it depends on the school . Finding the right school for that particular child is crucial. All children are different and with different needs and certain school are far more suitable than others.

You do have to be prepared for it to fail or at least to have and try different schools.

Boarding schools have changed a lot though and I think most are now far warmer and more "homely" places.

I went to single sex schools only and I have been in a Happy relationship for 20 years ( we are finally getting married next year) so on that front not too bad but then again all my friends outside of school ( holiday and back home) were boys and we were not completely cut off from the opposite sex !

I was always a loner and it forced me to be a bit more gregarious but I never felt pressure to be anything other than what I was, so Kudos to my Schools for that.

[impala666]

Originally Posted by lulu55

well price is not really a problem. i don't even know what are price ranges for uk boarding schools. so it is ok if school is expensive. and it can be in any part of uk since husband and i will live in peru. so it isn't important in what part school is.

Six is much too young for a full boarding school. Maybe at 13/14 for common entrance then I can recommend Shrewsbury School.
Much better to take your kids with you when they are young I did and never regretted a moment of it.

[Raggy dee Ann]

Originally Posted by impala666

Six is much too young for a full boarding school. Maybe at 13/14 for common entrance then I can recommend Shrewsbury School.
Much better to take your kids with you when they are young I did and never regretted a moment of it.

I've heard good things about that school.

[cfIfan]

Hi there, well im from the UK originally but live here in the USA now and both my sister and i attended boarding schools and we loved them. I attended St Edmunds in Canterbury which caters for primary school age right up to A-levels (17). I loved it. Its a mixed school, and has a true family atmosphere. My sister attended Northbourne Park in Northbourne which is boarding from primary up until 13 years old and then she went to Kings school in Canterbury which is from 11 years until 17years old.

When i used to visit my sister i never felt Kings had a family atomosphere like St Edmunds but it played to my sisters strengths (i.e all her friends went there lol)

The nice thing about all these schools is they offer both day and boarding so if you are going to be around for a term you could just put you son/daughter in as a day student for a term to try them out.

Good luck and if you need any further info or a referral just let me know and i would be happy to give you the contact details of the go to person.

[cocoroco]

I would suggest that in addition try the gabbitas school information website (I don't know how to post links on here?).

It depends whether you want a same sex or mixed school and whether your child has any siblings you would later want them to attend the same school too. Boarding fees vary greatly from a few thousand to as much as £10,000 a term.

I also agree that 6 years is a little young. I boarded from age 11 to 18 years first at a girls school then a mixed school, and my brother was at mixed school from 7 years, he hated it and was very homesick and alone the first few years. I later joined him at the same school when I was 13, which I didn't like as much as the single sex girls school. It did affect our relationship with our parents in that we were not as close to them from as we were always at school, but we have since gained some of the closeness back, but sometimes if parents careers demand it is cannot be helped.

But whatever you decide you need to vet vet vet these schools and vet again - do not be swayed by the Englishness of the brochures...you know pictures of chapels and rolling hills!!! They are not all equal and some are not as academic as the brochures suggest. Not meaning to alarm you but just because you are paying fees does not mean that the drugs and teenage pregnancies, abuse don't occur, they still exist you just don't hear about them. Some schools are very traditional some more religious it depends on your and your husband's goals for your child, is it purely academic, or sports, or music (Winchester, Westminster Schools) or do you just want your son to have a happy well rounded childhood or are you hoping he will be the next Obama in which case you may want a Public school like Harrow or even Eton for character building and producing of leaders of tomorrow and a direct springboard to Oxford and Cambridge, though obviously these schools are expensive and may have long waiting lists so if you are interested in these types of Public schools you would need to express your interest sooner rather than later.

All these factors will determine your choice. I would say if possible keep your son home until he is 11 prepare him and encourage him to be strong, confident and fearless then if you are still sure you want home to go he can join Year 1 at 11 years old. Just remember these schools are business and while many do a great job at teaching and raising children they can never nurture and love your child like you but they can get you the academic (or other) results.

As much as I had a reasonably fun time, would I send my children? No, especially without a sibling.