Hi there!
I'm new to this but would really appreciate any insightful comment or experience please.
DS1 has been offered places at Wellington and Charterhouse and, whilst I feel we have broad sense of the difference between the places, I'm struggling to come to a conclusion on purely the academic side....
Even using the dreaded tables is virtually impossible as one does IB and the other Pre-U's and recently started IB as well. Mybe GSCEs? But the differences on these are always so slim, and seem irrelevant when we are looking a number of years away into the future of course (he won't go until 2013).
He is near the top of the group in his year academically and will probably attempt a Scholarship (though no expectations here) so I am interested in the upper end of their academic abilities.
What I have found slightly odd with both schools to be honest is that, despite very different entrance procedures (CH - 'old school' style headmaster's report, WE - full on testing with a 4 to 1 ratio for places), they have both made offers to distinctly below average students in DS's year. That has made me a little concerned over the academic standards.
My impression is of CH as a solid option, getting 20 odd into Oxbridge etc every year (one narrow measure, I know) whilst WE is coming from a low base but is maybe at a broadly similar level now, but maybe will pass CH as the intake quality goes up each year (it is certiably the 'in' school in our area)?????
Any thoughts most welcome please!
SMx