City boys vs Tiffin advice please!

[miramalna]

HI, just need a piece of advice. Ds got place at City (music scholarship) and Tiffin. I have not been to Tiffin and not sure how it compares to City facilities wise.. Know that Tiffin is good academicly, but not totally sure on extracurricular... Also atmosphere wise, is it very pushy? Read a comment in the net (from current parent) that they are appalled with admin and some patchie teaching... So confused. The deadline is Monday for City so feel very stressed 😵..Any insight please!! ! Thank you!

[SAHDthatsall]

I don't know City.

Tiffin sport is a big negative, so it depends how much this matters to you. It's not helped by lack of funding. They struggle to achieve in sports as the academic is all that matters at the school. Sports teachers bemoan the lack of facilities and the ability of the boys.

[Loconuts]

It's worth posting a question on the elevenplusforum. Lots of Tiffin experts there

[miramalna]

thank you. i tried 11+ forum, but they seem to be not very friendly at all.. very bulling and patronizing, no insight what so ever... shocked:(

[MrsPatmore]

What have 'brown' faces got to do with the issue in question?

[ChestnutsRoastingOnAnOpenFire]

Which one is nearest / easiest to travel to? will paying fees be difficult? I guess I would be basing a large part of my decision on those factors. Both are good schools. Was there one that seemed a better fit for your child when you visited? What does he think?

[miramalna]

Thank you. He likes City more.. But yes, fees are important factor.. In fact we had to consider moving him from his current one of the top indis due to fees being a bit over the top (they offer virtually no schoolarships)... Travel wise City is much closer as well.

[Notenoughsleepmumof3]

We were very interested in City as well as Tiffin. Because of the diversity and the academic excellence of both schools. They are both great schools. I think journey to school as well as fees should play a role in your decision. To me, Tiffin is the state school equivalent to City, IMO. I'm not sure what the poster is alluding to in terms of 'Sad Brown Faces"... That is very offensive. The music at Tiffin is excellent. So decide on journey and what you can afford. At Tiffin, you will have to pay for your music lessons, but everything else besides trips will be included. City, you have fees, but ££ of for a music scholarship. Make a list of what works for you. City is a very diverse school for a private. Probably the most balanced of London privates, so I think they are pretty comparable.

[highinthesky]

Hmmm....sad brown faces. Puzzled by the comment but I'm pretty certain it wasn't intended to offend (no one with children would be so heartless, surely?).

Does this refer to Asian children that are pushed academically to the detriment of wider personal development?

[Pop2]

I think City will be better for your son.As for SAHD-I think you are pathologically insane for your very offensive post.

[Needlefish]

My DS ( we are not asian) will be going to Tiffin. We can comfortably afford the fees, but we struggle to understand the value for money. My older child is going to a very selective indie, so it is a personal experience.

[Zhabr]

The poster SADH has been slaying Tiffin boys for some time now, both here and on 11 plus forum.
I don't have a son at Tiffin, but live nearby. DD is at Tiffin girls and she will be horrified at that racist comment, if I show it to her. We are not Asian.
I hope, SAHD, that your refrain from such comments in front of your DS.

Sorry, OP, that is not helping you to choose the school and time is running out. If you are haven't seen the school, may be you did not consider it seriously at all and just used it as a mock?

[ChestnutsRoastingOnAnOpenFire]

What is your son's preference? At this age they normally have strong opinions. Have you looked at travel? You say City is much closer. Also look at the complexity of any public transport and alternatives on days there are strikes, signal failure, etc. Have you factored in up to 5% fee rises each year?

[Lucy7400]

Whilst I wouldn't have worded it like that myself, I am guessing SAHD is alluding to the fact the majority of boys at Tiffins are Asian. I know people who have found the lack of diversity an issue at Tiffins and therefore not wanted to send their sons there.

[larrygrylls]

Tiffin is a very big school and, on the whole a great one. I don't think it works well for those pushed hard to get in. They unashamedly cater for the top 5% with all lessons stretching even the most able. What is great about tiffin is that it is v diverse and encourages genuinely independenr learning.

Don't know as much about City but I suspect it is ultra supportive and does exactly what the fee payers want; maximisining added value in terms of grades. This sometimes does involve spoon feeding at the detriment of exploratory learning.

Finally, they are in v different locations. A long commute does create a lot more stress in what is already a full day.

Horses for courses...

[Notenoughsleepmumof3]

miramania- We are going to Tiffin BTW. We also turned down academic and music scholarships at top indies in London. Turned down one because of commute, turned down our favourite indie because, even though it is an amazing school and we had a generous hunk removed from the fees my DS's top favourite school remained Tiffin. That was a no brainer for us. I hope you reach a decision. I loved City as well, except the playing fields are very far away. The music is great and I loved the boys I met there on various days. If money not an issue go with what your son likes the most and what is easiest for him to get to. He's the one who has to go there everyday and you want him to be excited about getting there to be where he wants to be. But it would be nice to see you at Tiffin in the autumn and to know there is another great musician there with my son. Best of luck.

[Notenoughsleepmumof3]

Needlefish-I hope our boys loved it at Tiffin. We are over the moon that our DS received a place. Congrats!

[poisonedbypen]

You are thinking of sending your son to a school you have never visited? Words fail me. Maybe I misunderstood? also recommend the 11 plus forum, but I suggest you search on past posts rather than asking the question. I can imagine it would nit go down well over there & I'm inclined to agree - you have had 11 years to research schools.

[Notenoughsleepmumof3]

I think I missed that point about not having visited the school. I understand this can be hard. Most Grammars only have 1 open day a year. If you miss it you're out of luck. However, I wouldn't send my DC to any school we had not visited and discussed together.

[poisonedbypen]

You can usually visit during normal school hours, which i have always found much better than open days

[Needlefish]

You are allowed to visit Tiffin only once, in July, so I am not surprised that many parents missed this opportunity. it is a pity they don't organize more open days.
Notenough, we also turned down an academic scholarship in favour of Tiffin. I hope our boys will thrive there.

[Needmoresleep]

poisonedbypen I think you are giving OP an unfair rap. When mine applied to Tiffin we did not attend the open evening, not least because we had heard that it was a total cattle market, would not give you a good feel for the school, and was potentially off-putting. If either of mine had got a place, I think we would have stalked the school gates to get a feel for the student body and their manner. We once sat in a cafe waiting for a tour at the school DD eventually went to, and were impressed at the groups of children walking happily to school, chatting with each other and so on. There was quite a bit of last minute shirt tucking in, which suggested that some of the casualness ended at the school gates, but not a bad thing either.

Surprisingly the state school DD was offered, which was not on her list of preferences and some distance from our house so we had never even heard of it before, would also not allow us to look round. In those circumstances we felt she could not go there. But OP's son chose to apply to Tiffin, will have sat the exams there and will probably know others going. Plus there is an awful lot on the internet. I suspect Tiffin is so oversubscribed that they don't feel the need to put themselves out for prospective parents.

[poisonedbypen]

I agree stalking the school gates is a good idea. Frankly anything is better than sending her son to a school for 7 years that she hasn't visited. OP, your son must have been to both. What did he think?

[Pop2]

I do know of parents who were granted visits to Tiffin outside of the open day.

[miramalna]

Dear all, thank you for the insight.. Yes, we've missed the open day, family circumstances.. Ds likes City more and its closer to us (40 min vs 1.1h), but the fees are currently an issue, we can just afford them with the scholarship.. I will hopefully see the school tomorrow morning.