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Secondary education

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Original poster

St Albans Boys or Watford Grammar Boys?

32 replies

EmilyBingo · 01/03/2019 23:42

My son has got into to St Albans Boys & Watford Grammar for Boys. Is it worth spending the money? Are we mad? Help - Pro's Cons?

OP posts:
Believability · 02/03/2019 11:53

Also in 2010 you could only become an academy because you were an outstanding school, it was a plus point not a minor one and shouldn’t be a factor.

Believability · 02/03/2019 11:52

Well it was never 100% selective anyway. They set very well and presumably your son would be in the higher sets if he got a place by selection. Equally, don’t be under any illusions that all the children at St Albans will behave perfectly, general arsing about happens everywhere. Watford’s results speak for themselves, they’re getting the results they get without being 100% selective

Original poster
EmilyBingo · 02/03/2019 11:47

Thanks everyone. I am still unsure because since 2010 Watford Grammar is an academy (changed to a comprehensive to be an academy) and only 25% of places get awarded on academic performance. There are reports of some distracting not so bright boys getting in on sibling & distance entry criteria. At Alban's is 100% selective. Ugh.

OP posts:
Moominmammacat · 02/03/2019 08:59

Absolutely Watford Grammar. Believability is right. We had a similar choice and went for selective state. Both my DSs had houses bought for them at uni as a consequence. A lot of boys who go to the private schools around here are the ones who don't get into the selective states.

Believability · 02/03/2019 08:17

Watford Grammar. St Albans is a good school but I don’t think it offers enough over and above Watford to justify the fees. It’s not a big enough name to have any kind of social advantage in work or similar and I don’t think it will make any difference either for networking any connections which personally I think is a load of rubbish unless it’s an Eton or Harrow kind of place.

Original poster
EmilyBingo · 02/03/2019 00:28

DS sat numerous entrance exams and got into Merchant Taylors & HABS too, but we liked the community feel of St Albans. I agree with you that privately educated kids seem to have an extra edge in adult life - more equipped across the board;sport, music etc and as a consequence are more confident. We have a daughter in year below - so we looking at 2 sets of fees really.
Just thinking we can have better holidays/ kids can go on all school trips etc if we choose Grammar school ( which is now an academy) and we can pay for more extra curricular stuff if need be. Will it give them equal confidence?

OP posts:
APere · 02/03/2019 00:17

Absolutely not!

I think the benefit of going to an independent (although it seems wrong) still exists in the adult world. Many of the application processes now for large companies are screened by computers and not real people. Sometimes, I hate to say it, I think children from private schools get preferential treatment when it comes to grad schemes in the city...

It also gives children a wonderful opportunity to experience different activities, subjects, sports, school trips etc etc (just because they have the funding to provide the best facilities for kids).

Grammar schools are great because the kids are mixing with academically focused hard working children from all different backgrounds. The only thing I would say is, grammars aren't very good at producing well rounded children (in my humble opinion). The focus is mainly on academia rather than arts and sports.

I might send my older one to a grammar school and my little one to an independent as a social experiment. Is that cruel?

What were your original reasons for wanting him to sit the entrance exam at St.Albans @EmilyBingo?