For those who held onto offers at Eton and Westminster until the last minute.

Collleger are the boys you refer to as holding places at West, Win, Eton and St Paul's at the specialist music school? Are they holding out for a music scholarship at one of these schools? I don't believe there are many who could afford the deposits at these 4 schools and don't understand why they would want to (unless it's to decide between day/boarding). These must be exceptional candidates in any event.

I am unsure that a child should devote that much time to one thing be it music sport or whatever. I am also unsure that a child of that age can really know what he wants to do when hes grown up. Finally do we as parents know either? I have tried to provide both my children with a broad education I would not be happy for them to "specialise" at this age on one thing. I want them to experience as much as they can and in a broad range of activities because I'm hoping that this will make them balanced individuals. I'm not trying to critisize you colleger just sharing my views I know ultimately we are all trying to do the best for our children.

Colleger, completely understand your concern but worth asking because the child I am talking about was doing minimum of about 6 hours per day imv. Piano, strings I think , I think had taken up a wind and singing.

Obviously it's easier if they want to be a conductor or singer because the choral side helps.

I don't think you say anywhere in this thread that he's at a specialist school.

Do you want him to practise 5 hours a day?
You need a specialist music school in that case.

But what about Cheethams, Purcell and Yehudi Menuhin? They are boarding schools. Many of the current BBC YM cagetory finalists are from these schools.

But we can all find an excuse not to do something if we really want too.

Boarders don't have less time than day children as they don't have to travel back and forwards to school everyday and usually have specific prep times so can hopefully organise their practice time easier (assuming they want too). I believe at my DS's school (I might be wrong about this my DS is not musical) they are allocated times to practice and in his house there are also individual music practice rooms so you dont need to "pop" over to the music school to practice!

... and music scholars can often drop a GCSE for extra practice time. My son did. Marylou is absolutely right ... if they want to practice they will, adn if you have to be involved then as a teenager, it's not for them.

As far as I understand the "gifted musicians" find the time to practice at my DS's boarding school and every year I believe some continue music at highly regarded institutions so they must have found the time to practice! I suspect marylou is right whether it be sport music drama art its all about your individual motivation and boarding gives the uninterested/ unmotivated an excellent excuse to give something up!

I agree with spendthrift. I am interested in your comment that he cannot have the musical education he needs whilst at boarding school.

If he is truly gifted then specialist music schools will want to take him - as a boarder.
Who is providing the education he "needs" at the moment? What is your definition of need?
Do you feel the need to supervise his music practice?
My experience as a music teacher working in a boarding environment, has shown that musicians who want to practise will always find time to practise. Those who are playing an instrument or instruments to please their parents or because their parents insist on it, quickly find other passions and interests and

i agree with keeping our head would not have been happy for parents to hold on to multiple places in fact he even discouraged parents from trying for more than one super selective!

Keeping, I sympathise with your pov and pre Ds I would prob have echoed it. Now I bear the scars. Fortunately both schools were charming about it.

Colleger, one of Ds's peers has just gone to Eton on a music scholarship. I'm pretty sure he's performance diploma or whatever it is at piano, g8 was a long time ago, and 5 or more in at least one or more others, violin I think and something else. His parents must have come to some arrangement because I can't see the young man giving up practice time. Don't know if you could do the same.

Im not sure I agree about the boarding versus day thing we talking about 11 yr olds not 8 yr olds I think it's just an excuse. Surely you either want boarding or you don't. I know our prep head would not have been happy for children to be holding 2-4 places for more than a year.

I wonder if the schools could ask prep school heads to confirm if this is the only offer for the type of school (boarding or day) that the child holds. I agree with others that holding one boarding and one day place might be justified or even two day places if you are trying to move and one is near your new address.

Our prep school head has already made it clear in Yr4 (school registration season) that he does not think it is at all helpful to put your child down for too many schools so I don't think he would be terribly impressed by the West, Win, Eton and StP scenario.

Prep heads have to think about their credibility with the senior schools too.

There must be someway to stop this its unsatisfactory for the those sitting and hoping on a waiting list and ultimately unsatisfactory for the schools themselves. Years ago a friend pulled his DS out of a "big name school" in the michaelmas term before CE. He felt he had a legitimate reason; he'd moved house and wanted his DS to go to a closer school but was very surprised at how angry the first school was and that was before there was quite so much pressure on places. I suspect the only way is for all schools to release offers at the same time and I suppose publish/make available a list of those who've accepted a place. As we're only talking about a relative handful of schools I wouldn't have thought it would be that difficult to administer.

. . . . I mean in selecting which school and freeing up the others.

Colleger, that's a tremendous way in putting it - and you're right, of course!

Isn't it very expensive holding onto places? Don't you have to pay a deposit within a short time of being offered a place - and not just a small amount but £000's?