Saint albans boys v haberdashers boys

Longshot but which one did you decide on parenthood? I guess some people aren't as snobby as when this thread started 9 years ago . . St A is by no means a boring school. As I say to my 11 year old, only boring people get bored.
Excellent synopsis The Mead.

Not sure if anyone on this thread is still on, but currently trying to decide between St Albans and Habs for my DS.
St Albans is closer from logistics/friends perspective, but difficult to ignore Habs campus/results.
Any thoughts appreciated, thanks.

How much time did you spend at each school? LOL

oh, and seeing as everyone keep bringing it up, if you're interesting in Oxbridge applications then habs is the place to go, but there is no pressure by any means, but for those who are bothered about it ( which I think most people are unless you've decided or been told you can't...) but it think the 2013 statistic is something like 48 accepted Oxbridge applications... which is staggering...

Okay... Having spent time at both HABS and ST.A, I would conclusively say Habs is far better, whoever said the boys at ST.A are more quirky has obviously never been to Habs. The range of boys at habs is just astonishing, and the quality of the staff is brilliant. ST.A is really pretty boring in comparison.

I am far from rich. My children must support themselves when adult but by scholarships and bursaries they have had a better education than I had at a state grammar. Rich city types would be good - to see me comfortable in my old age - but if they end up stocking supermarket shelves, so be it. I would not consider in the latter case that I'd wasted my money

I'm afraid I have a bit of a protestant work ethic when it comes to a university education for its own ends. We simply aren't wealthy enough to support our adult children while they piss about analysing Fragonard's Swing and Yinka Shonibare for no money whatsoever. I know it's terribly unfashionable. That's why only proper posh people study History of Art. I'm deeply jealous as I'd love to study History of Art.

It's laudable yes, and certainly an aim to which I aspire.

But I do think it is the preserve of the rich to feel this way. a luxury. My own parents wuld very much have seen my education as a passport to escape poverty and all my extended family feel education is very much a means ot an end...and if that end aint in sight not worth getting in debt for.

I agree with TheMead. The aim of education (at least, MY aim) is to give the child/young adult a well-stocked enquiring mind which will last for life even if that person never has a top job. To this end what we believe to be the 'best' school and university we can get for our DC, (tho' in the case of Uni it is the best they can do for themselves) is a laudable aim for parents

I mystified why I'm doing a "disservice" to Winchester can someone please enlighten me? (See posting above).

I do not follow an idea that university is the goal of education.

Once you're in the Uni, number of lectures per week reduces dramatically if you compare it with the ones in secondary school. The differences are greater in selective Uni. This means that students have more time to control, and it's their decision. I saw significant numbers simply lost their interests in their subject. While all may have had the similar A-level scores, how much you take benefit out of the Uni life are very different.

So-called selective Uni is the place for "self-motivative" pupils with "ability", but many focus on "ability" because it is thought to be measured by exam score and easy to compare it with others. (I guess how to measure "ability" is beyond the scope here)

I am a great believer that the personality is made during adolescent period and it can be manipulated at some degree if not all. Right combinations of ingredients, such as some discipline, competition, appraisal, physical activity, social skills, pastol care, etc, would make DC appropriate person for Uni and for our society.

To me, objective of education for DS is in his teenage period. I hope that DS would have his own thought and interests for the rest of his life with his own decision when he's ready for Uni. I'd trust his decision whatever he choose by then. If his school comes with social network, it would be an asset.

I'm sure majority parents are able to manage their DC's sensitive and vulnerable period, with different approaches with different opinions. And I applause to those of you who successfully brought their DC on the right path even without sending them to well-known schools. If there is higher chance for us to achieve the same with your method(s), I'd follow it. Until now, I believe sending him a well-known termly boarding school would give higher probability for the right results. Nonetheless, my option is still open.

"Most boys at Eton will end up at the exact same unis as most boys from St Albans. I know that might be hard to stomach after the life's work you've put in. But there it is".

On the same note, my (free) grammar school DD went to a Russell Group university where there were loads of St. Albans, Habs, Harrow, Win Coll, Westminster and, lo and behold, OE?s!

What a complete waste of money paying megabucks for private education!

But seriously, I?d subscribe to the fact that Oxbridge isn?t the last word in education. Said DD of mine just graduated last July (BSc Hon) aged only 21 and within 3 months found a specialist job in the field she?s trained for, in this period of record youth unemployment. Oh, and she carried out her promise by disappearing in Europe for an extended holiday in the first month after graduation.

On the other hand, DP?s boss, a hospital consultant, has been groaning and moaning that his Oxford 1st Class (Hons) History graduate son is still unemployed after more than a year. Go figure.

Grovel - I agree. But Colleger seems to think the destination universities of OEs is altogether on a different planet from St Albans.

MrsJAlfredPrufrock, that's a bit daft. St Albans is manifestly a good school and I would expect it to send its pupils to the top universities. I would also expect them to mix very happily with all the other students. I chucked in the Oxbridge stat (my DS is at Durham BTW) to give a partial answer to your question to Colleger.
About 8% of Etonians go to American universities (20 last year).

A lot of you on this thread are being ridiculously elitist. Most boys at Eton will end up at the exact same unis as most boys from St Albans. I know that might be hard to stomach after the life's work you've put in. But there it is.

Er where did I say SA sent more to selective universities? I actually said those figures don't tell the whole story. Sutton Trust Selective unis are on their website, known as Sutton Trust 13.

What does a selective uni mean anyway? If you want to study certain subjects then there are less prestigious uni's that offer the best course. For example, Aberdeen a couple of years ago ranked second for Medicine. I assume if a child goes to a music conservatoire that is not classed as a selective uni and yet many students from "those" schools go on there too. You can't go on about St A's sending more to selective uni's and then saying don't get hung up on Oxbrige when St A's does poorly in this area.

Grovel - Yes, that is impressive.

St Albans don't push Oxbridge at all, the decision about where to apply is a matter for the pupil and his family. I think Habs are widely acknowledged to be the better day school if you're hung up about Oxbridge. I have no doubt St Albans would do better in this front if they encouraged and expected everyone/ almost everyone to apply. I've never been hung up about Oxbridge and I suppose it's to be expected that my children aren't either.

Grovel - Yes, that is impressive.

St Albans don't push Oxbridge at all, the decision about where to apply is a matter for the pupil and his family. I think Habs are widely acknowledged to be the better day school if you're hung up about Oxbridge. I have no doubt St Albans would do better in this front if they encouraged and expected everyone/ almost everyone to apply. I've never been hung up about Oxbridge and I suppose it's to be expected that my children aren't either.

I think St Albans sent 7 to Oxbridge from +/- 120.

Well 97 out of 250 leavers last year went to Oxbridge.

Colleger - Ha! I bough they all went up to Christ Church, Oxford (the cream of colleges ) and did History of Art? And I already made the point about Ivy League. Do you have a destination of leavers list for ALL Eton students last year or the year before?

About termly boarding at public school(s), in an establishment like Eton it?s the only way that works. It has to be remembered that the pupils are not the only boarders - almost all masters including the Head and the Provost board in and around the school. Boys and masters alike come from all parts of the UK and a large number are from abroad.

On weekdays, lessons sometimes continue till late in the evening. Certain afternoons are scheduled for sports and other activities e.g. CCF on Monday afternoons and most societies meet in the night often starting at 8.30 p.m. On numerous occasions I tried ringing DS at 11p.m. without success because he was at a society meeting or other.

Saturday lessons finish at around noon and boys have sports fixtures to attend to later in the day. Some away matches can see them travelling long distances. Once I saw coaches arriving back at well past midnight from heaven knows where. On a sports free Saturday evening, it is quite usual for tutors taking their tutees to a show/play in Windsor or even London.

Even on Sundays, boys get up early to attend chapel after which they have their own free time till supper in the evening. Parents can take their child out for lunch/dinner but more often than not the child would rather the parents don?t turn up.

Likewise, parents are welcome to watch their child play sports. I know of a rugby-mad dad who would follow his son to all rugby matches, home or away. In conclusion, there will be ample opportunities for parents to touch base with their sons even during term time and the extended term holidays more than make up for your son?s absence from home.

These statistics also don't take into account the many land owning families and their son's go off to agricultural college (not selective) to learn how to run their country pile even though they got four A*s at A'level. Not sure many St A boys are in the same position. A large percentage also go on to Ivy League.

dungiven - I'm not sure the % of pupils accepted at selective university tells the WHOLE story, since I think it records offers at only UK highly selective universities. St Albans sends almost nobody, on average, to Yale, Princeton, Brown and the Sorbonne, I imagine the likes of Winchester and Eton do. I reckon they think: "Well I've got no friends and my family abandoned me when I was 7, I might just as well bugger orf to America." (joke btw)