Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Winchester College Open Day

80 replies

timmytoes · 07/06/2012 17:03

We are off, en famille, to visit Winchester College this weekend at their annual open day. I know that not everyone rates the day as useful but we are going to try to get the best out of it . Does anyone have any tips that might be useful specifically re our visit so we can decide whether it is worth going back for a more tailored visit early next term.

OP posts:
grovel · 08/06/2012 16:10

Yotty and Colleger, good luck. Fingers crossed for you.

Colleger · 08/06/2012 11:17

All I know is the 11th but I'm not sure if that's when they are sent out. DS is not at a regular school so the Head won't be informed first so you may find out sooner. I think we'll get a waiting list place and will have to go for a music scholarship. In some ways a rejection is easier than a waiting list place!

yotty · 08/06/2012 11:05

Colleger, are you expecting a letter on Monday? We are waiting too. Beginning to twitch every time I see a post van!

Colleger · 07/06/2012 23:16

I foolishly turned Winchester down based on the open day and when I went back a few weeks ago I really kicked myself for not seeing the true Winchester.

Results day soon! Eek!

happygardening · 07/06/2012 18:38

When we went many years ago we came away slightly disappointed. We'd heard that Winchester was different from other schools and frankly we struggled to see what made it that different. Although the housemaster (no longer doing the job) was certainly different interesting in particular his philosophy on how the boys should be managed.
We went back shortly afterwards to meet three other HM's (the key person at Winchester) and then were invited for lunch in one house and by the end of this we'd worked out what makes it different. Now my DS has been there for one year I know it is different from others maybe not necessarily for the better for every boy out there but a perfect fit for my DS and that's what matters to us.
Winchester lacks the branding of others it's not ramming it difference down your neck unlike others (no names) it feels at times as if it's in a time warp dated 1950's I like it and it has a civilised feel to it.
I don't know what I'd specifically ask listen to the HMs we had a guided tour of a house decide if you and your DS want to go to such a house centric school, no single rooms for probably the first three years at least does this bother you, no drama in the curriculum only an extra curricular activity will this bother you, also no rugby and some would say not that strong on team sports ask the boys about this if it matters. Many find it very competitive and don't be under any illusions the boys are expected and do work very hard. Ask the boys and the HMs about this if it matters.
We looked at lots of schools as we has two DS's and I work in a boarding school so consider myself fairly knowledgable from the moment we went to the new boys lunch last year we knew we'd made the right decision as the first years coming to an end are impression at that lunch has proven to be absolutely correct.
Go back on another occassion and meet a couple of HM's talk to the boys
then hopefully you will see what makes it different.