State v Private? Tiffin v Hampton?

RosieBenenden I would disagree with you about quality and opportunities offered between state and private. It very much depends on the schools in question. Tiffin is ranked in the top 3%. The teachers there are excellent educators, the opportunities the boys get are pretty spectacular and you can't underestimate the benefits of ethnic and economic diversity in terms of making a well rounded individual in a global world.

If you possibly can I would always go for private over state schools. Our two DD's board at The Cheltenham Ladies' College and the quality and opportunities offered there far outweigh anything the state sector can offer.

You've probably already made your decision, but I'm a Tiffin parent and it really is a great school. The boys get so many opportunities, the teachers are very supportive and inspiring. The pastoral care is excellent and there are a lot of really nice families there, hence a lot of really nice boys. It's diverse and that is a great/positive thing for their development. Hampton is a great school, but you will have a wider range of kids and ideas flowing in the classroom discussions at Tiffin because it is diverse in a wonderful way. The creative arts and sport are good and considering they aren't really a sporty school (kids don't get in on their athletic abilities) they do really well and it's a supportive environment. I'm very pleased we chose this option over the private offers in the end.

TiffinVsHampton scanning through the thread I don't think the advice has changed.

All comes down to money and how affordable/manageable the fees are for you as a family.

Hampton definitely has a lot of value add.
Tiffin is a fantastic state school.

OP, tbh, a quick glance at the GCSE results and this is a no-brainier. Hampton gets about 93% A-A* at GCSE, TS are about 75%. That’s a significant difference. Also the extra-curricular side of things is also likely to vary enormously. If you sat your son for Hampton, I think you have to be prepared to make the sacrifice if he gets in. That’s just my personal view though.

We are exactly in the same position - to choose between Tiffin and Hampton at 11+ in September 2019.

We are based out of Hampton (Ormond Drive) - so Hampton is very tempting - Anybody want to discuss, pls PM - may be we can speak! Its about underwriting at least £175K over next 7 years:)

Like Tess my DD also got offered academic/music scholarships but struggled (es!) with NVR.

Anecdotally, there is not much correlation between VR/NVR and academic achievement and it seems the testing is also starting to prove this.

it was designed to test intelligence rather than identify kids who had been taught well etc...

however in reality it was tutored to an inch

DD1 got an academic scholarship to a selective independent but was so crap at NVR i didn't even bother to apply to the state grammars which only tested via VR & NVR. i'm sure i could have "taught" her through it but it's hard to compete with the kids who've been drilled in it since age 5.

NPFA, I agree with you 100%. My DD who is very able in mathematics and she writes beautifully in different genres ( she is in highly selective independent now), never scored high in NVR. The main reason is she could not rotate shapes in her head and she struggles with the symmetry. I think there is something in her brain relating to shapes which does allow her to do that sort of problems quickly.

HPFA You are absolutely right. I don't think any school teach NVR at school and it's not part of the curriculum. Thankfully Tiffin has changed the VR and NVR this year which is great and the children who are really bright can get in.

OP, sorry to hijack the thread a bit (although it sounds like you've already made up your mind) but I was interested to read the comments about NVR. I've always thought it was very odd that some selective schools rely so heavily on this. How can an NVR test tell you whether a child has the potential to write a brilliant piece of poetry for example? Schools also must know that everyone sitting the exam has been prepping in some way these days. Now, if you do extra Maths and English for the test presumably that will benefit you in your next school even if you don't pass. But whilst a bit of NVR might be a good workout for the brain spending years learning to do a paper in 20 minutes rather than 30 is surely not going to benefit you at all if you don't pass?
Am I missing something? What's the rationale behind NVR testing?

SAHDthatsall It's not possible to change the entry point.

Yes I agree re the changing mix of the school given the change of exams this year.

Have you asked Hampton about changing to 11+? I think you'll find the 11+ test was the same as the 13+ pre-test. Tends to piss off the prep school though, it will depend which one!

TeddTess I agree with you, the ethnic will definitely change this year.
1mum2boys my son Hampton offer is for 13+ entry, that's why I am not really sure what to do. in my opinion, sooner they get to their new school, easier they will settling down and making friends.

also i bet the ethnic mix at Tiffin will change with the change of exam away from NVR/VR

it really comes down to the cost
if you can afford hampton you'd be mad to turn it down
but 7 years, you're looking at least £120k

1mum2boys your DS's offer for Hampton is the 11+ entry or 13+?
We should definitely be in touch as we are both in a very important stage of our children life.

Yeah but you get proper music at Hampton... January's rock concert was the best!

The music is excellent at Tiffin - really first class. The choir perform with best orchestras in the world and boys regularly are on stage at Royal Opera House. So if you have a musical son that may be a consideration.

Given your description I'd also suggest Hampton :-) great advice here from others and I echo all of it.

One point for you on the costs at Hampton. Add about 10% on for the lunch and for the coach, depending on where you come from. There has been the odd extra but just a couple of £20 day trips so far. There is a lovely extensive list of potential school trips that you may choose to ignore! The cost of the uniform is not high also, white shirts are generic as are the dark grey trousers, and we've managed to get a couple of blazers (planning ahead) in the second hand sale - as well as socks, ties, etc. Largest cost was the football/games shirt and the tracksuit - though you could get away without it I think.

(thanks 4w re LU etc)

SAHD - for several years now LU have not included VR or NVR in their entrance exam at all. They had tracked the outcomes at GCSE and A Level for those who had done particularly well in VR and NVR and found absolutely no correlation to comparitively better outcomes at GCSE level or later. The school deemed VR and NVR pointless for the very reason that children were being increasingly drilled for those tests.