Hampton School vs Westminster

Thanks. Sounds like a good decision. Good luck to your DS.

Hi Cheessy

Am thinking about schools for my DS so interested to hear if you have made up your mind? What is your year of entry? We are 18.

Thanks

I agree that it's a no-brainer. Unless you feel it's too big a stretch financially - Westminster.

Daft question, but do you mean 13+?

I agree with all those above. I have a boy at Westminster and the curriculum does not follow the exam syllabus for each subject and is really about education in the true sense. Being taught with really exceptional individuals raises the level of the class debates and means that you learn from peers as well as the inspirational teachers. Our experience is that as the school is full of very bright boys, they are excellent at ensuring that students are rounded and avoid really able boys being simply academic. Everybody has to do a practical subject at GCSE, Sport afternoons are twice a week for all and all extra curricular areas are done to an exceptional level. It is a really special place and a real privilege to be a student there.

In terms of fees it's worth noting that all sports (including boats) and meals are included - breakfast, lunch, tea and supper if you want! That reduces a bit the difference between the school fees but undoubtedly Westminster is more expensive..

I can't comment first hand about Hampton but I have many friend's sons who have gone there and have been very happy. Discipline is very structured there compared to Westminster where it is liberal and there is an expectation that discipline comes from within. For sensitive compliant souls this seems unnecessary. The Westminster boys take pride in finding intelligent loop holes to any rules. The happiest Hampton boys I know have been the sporty ones and they are very successful at rugby. As said above, the Westminster boys who also applied to Hampton and City, all gained scholarships there.

Westminster is a unique and utterly remarkable place, and I hope you choose it for your son. It will change his life.

Westminster is really very special, sitting between boarding and day, and with a strong acadmic and creative atmosphere. The fees were a struggle, but I am so pleased our children were able to go there. Particuarly DD whose sixth form experience has been magical. Her secondary was perfectly fine, but Westminster was extraordinary.

Completely agree about the no-brainer.
Hampton is a lovely school, has an 'old-fashioned ( in the nicest possible way) grammar' feel about it. But W is a whole world apart.
If you have a reasonable commute, if you can afford the fees - really - no contest.
(My own DC are at SPS, after the same agonising, and VERY tempting scholarships declined at Hampton and elsewhere for same reasons).

Make no mistake OP, Westminster is very much more than just a big 'name', and the education your son will receive there will far exceed anything that can be reflected in the school league tables. I agree with PPs that your son sounds a very good fit.

Hampton is a fine school, but in your shoes Westminster would be a no-brainer.

I also have a son at a local prep and i agree with Cakeisal....

Surely the cost difference in the two schools will be more than covered in the cost of buying and selling your house and Conveyancing/stamp duty. Unless you want to move to SW London anyway

I totally disagree Paradi. Having DS at one of the local preps I know that out of the 15 on average boys going to Hampton each year only 1 or 2 of them would be considered Westminster material. These 1 or 2 boys get scholarships and are always form prize winners at Hampton. I am not sure you understand just how academic Westminster is, it isn't just a question of getting so many A*s etc, the teaching goes way beyond that. It is a very special school and fantastic for the right boy. However, it is very expensive and if it is too much money it is not an option.
The difference between the two schools should be apparent in that Hampton have offered a scholarship to a very bright boy at a unusual point of entry whereas Westminster is just offering a place.

Hampton was inspected recently and rated 'exceptional' (the report is on their website). It's full of incredibly bright, happy, down to earth boys. Some are fantastic at sport, others are properly geeky and others love to sing and act - all are very clever.

"Alternatively you could move out Hampton way and save a fortune on school fees. It is a big school with a much wider ability range than Westminster, but there will be a group of similar boys who will be having a Westminster type experience unaware that there are rugby matches etc going on. He would be one of the brightest, the geeky ones. I have only known a few very bright boys go to Hampton and they do stand out in their year group but that can be an advantage and there is a lot for them to do. Hampton does very well at Maths and science Olympiads, they won the senior maths team twice in recent years but I think Westminster were joint winners with another school last year."

In our experience Hampton are increasing the intake of bright boys with different interests (e.g. maths, tech, it) and who aren't particularly sporty. They are also becoming more academically selective overall, hence results are likely to continue to increase. In other words, I don't think your ds will 'stand out' as a bright, geeky one, I think he'll be surprised how many similar boys there are.

Good luck with your decision.

cheessy Our son commuted. His trip wasn't as long as your son's would be - it was usually 30 to 40 minutes door to door. (We are in NW London near the Jubilee line, so he was able to take the tube straight to Westminster.) He never complained about the commute. FWIW most of his friends were day students, not boarding, and they came from all over the city.

An hours travel is a long time. And is that a realistic door to door hour at the start and end of the school day or at another time of day?

Getting into Westminster for sixth form is tricky, especially for boys. They don't have many places and will take from a variety of backgrounds. It is really not something you could count on.

It sounds as if your son would be a good fit for Westminster, and it is a fantasstic school which offers a lot more than excellent results. However it is all relative. Money, not moving home against moving home etc. Both will give him great opportunities and get him to the next stage.

Cheessy moving up the league tables does not indicate how much extension outside the exam syllabus Hampton does. They may just be very good at teaching for the exams and have become increasingly selective.

If finance is an issue perhaps consider Westminster for the sixth form.