Winchester college v canford?

Gove it a try..lol...

Thats interesting and makes perfect sense, thanks Scary,there are plenty of top tier schools I wouldnt touch with a barge pole but that doesnt mean I cant see they are top,just not right for my offspring.
What I really dont get are parents who make the big decision to go for a £30,000 school and then dont even consider the best,why would you spend that sort of money and not even try for the best money can buy,why settle for mediocrity,At least give one of the best schools a shot,if you dont get in you dont get in at least gove it a try.

Nope, I wouldn't have put Wycombe Abbey; there are girls schools I would choose before that one. Depends also what you are looking for in a school. Can't say I would have considered Oundle either for ds.

Propatria: if we had been coming back to UK as well as ds, then yes, I would have considered Canford for him; but, he has been at an International school since Year 6 (when I foolishly took him away from Mount House), and I can't see him moving from a non-uniform, call teachers by their first names environment to a much more formal regime without a struggle. Had he been younger, then yes, I would have considered it, but as he's going for sixth form, then Symonds fits the bill perfectly. He will also have access to a wider gene pool than he does at present. We live in an ex-pat bubble, where there are some stonkingly well off families, and so he doesn't have experience of some of the kids I taught, where not everyone has two cars, and you have to make careful decisions about what you spend your money on. I hope that Symonds will open his eyes a bit (well, I know, it's Winchester), and get him used to living back in the UK. It'll be a bit more egalitarian than the school here which selects by parental/their employers ability to pick up the fees.

Yes it was, but what were her reasons because the second school was so wildly different. If you are picking a school based on the child's needs/personality then why opt for a vastly different one as the second choice? That makes no sense to me.

Grovel, sorry if my questioning sounds aggressive, it's not the intention, I'm merely intrigued. :)

Colleger - but Eton was Grovel's first choice.

Grovel, why not have Winchester as a second choice as far more similar to your first choice than Eton?

But then why not go for a similar school to Eton as a second choice? Your reasons for Eton would have included non-campus, single sex, selective so opting for a similar type school would have been more obvious. I dislike campus schools, another reason for being very unsure about Radley, so I wouldn't be looking at Canford but may look at Sherborne.

I don't think it's wrong to admit that Eton is often chosen because it is Eton. I know so many parents who have done this, and many who say, "You don't turn down Eton." Let's face it, it's the most closed environment and the tours are awful so opting to send a child there is not an informed decision.

I prefer Westminster to Eton but DS refuses to go there, although I still have a couple of months to talk him into sitting the Challenge.

I'd never heard of Radley until 3 weeks ago.

I wouldn't put Winchester on the most well-known lists.

Eton
Harrow
Rugby
Charterhouse
CLC
Ampleforth if you're a Catholic

I was only suggesting that Milton Abbey be in the Top Ten. Stowe is, indeed, lovely. We're not Dorset-based but only 70 minutes from Wimborne.

Colleger, we were crippled by indecision. We decided to have 2 contrasting schools and delay making a choice until DS was 12. I suppose Eton was really our first choice but we wanted to be sure that DS would not just cope there but flourish.

Sorry ,Id give the lovely surroundings prize to Stowe...

Now Im intrigued whats lively about the Gordonstoun surroundings,could be a whole new category...

Grovel,are you Dorset based?

Gordonstoun has to win for lively surroundings, and it's stonking yacht!

Can I ask why you would choose such a different choice as a second choice grovel? I would have thought if you wanted a school like Eton for a "fall back" then you wouldn't choose one that was so different - co-ed, although choices are limited for boys, but especially not campus. Or did you choose Eton because of its name even if you preferred co-ed, campus and not super-selective?

Lovely surrondings,thats a good list.would put Milton on that list and top of the ferreting list.

Milton Abbey - top 10 for lovely surroundings?

Our DS went to Eton but Canford was our second choice. We thought it outstanding of its type (co-ed, campus, not super-selective).

Milton-should be on what list?

I think if you look at exam results,Oxbridge entries etc over a period of time youll see why Oundle was listed by colleger,it would be in my top tier anyway,academic or not,a top school for all rounders and top couple of choices if you want a mixed school,I know you have a soft spot for Canford Scary but its not really the equal of Oundle but to be fair Oundle does have the advantage of a 500 year head start...
Scary,if ds is returning to uk ,did you think about Canford or was it not practical?

Oundle? Streuth.

Milton Abbey should be on the list, surely?

You wouldn't have put WycombeAbbey?

As for academic, I suppose we could lump all London schools in together, except Westminster which is markedly higher, and then rank the other ones.

I wouldn't have put Oundle or Wycombe Abbey in the most academic list I must admit, and I would have put Oundle on a par with Canford.

Sarah relax,chill a bit,if you remember it was you that brought up the subject of top tier schools by claiming Canford was one,it isnt,never will be,does that matter? No, if you are happy with it,thats fine but if you make silly claims for it then you must expect that claim to be challenged,
Canford is a perfectly fine local school,wouldnt be my first or indeed second choice if I lived in Dorset but its ok, ,youve seen the type of school that are top tier,do you still think Canford should be on that list?

Hallelujah! I am so pleased Yotty that you are going to think things through properly for yourself and choose a school based on what you feel is best for your child, rather than any sort of top 10 style ranking.
I find Propatria's comments such as 'scrap Canford' rather ignorant and frankly downright rude, I'm afraid, knowing that there are others on this thread who have children at the school.
Good luck Yotty - hope it works out well for whatever you choose. Signing off now.

It doesn't matter HG but someone asked so I obliged!

Peteneras will settle for just the very first name in your very first category.