Winchester, Westminster, or Eton?

Are you considering Eton entry by way of your son sitting the scholarship without a confirmed place?

I feel pretty certain you're too late across the board for any of these schools, although they probably have non-UK entry points that are more permissive.

The Kings Scholarship is supremely challenging, check out Maths B and General 1, 2 on their website.

As for your son's preference for Cambridge - do yourself a favour and never speak of this again.

But apparently Westminster was recommended by the prep head - while in full possession of the fact of the OP living outside the UK ...

There is -no- preference for Oxford or Cambridge.
Is it you or your DS who is concerned about this?

Also if you want to explore yourself the academic results look for the relevant information on each of the schools’ site, it will be the most accurate information.

OP if you are needing a full boarding school because of being overseas I agree that at your DS’s age Westminster would not be suitable although it is the most academic.
There is preference for Oxford or Cambridge from either Winchester or Eton from what I hear also both schools have very academically inclined boys and get a very good percentage achieving the highest exam grades in sixth form. I would take your DS on a visit to both and take it from there as to the application. I would never advise overthinking the choice before there actually is a choice because of equal preference from visits and successful pretests

"For anyone who knows, how is the lifestyle different for the scholars and commoners in these three schools?"

Is this a wind-up?

Completely off thread. But the blond thread is 2014, that means that statesmom junior should now be finishing at Westminster. Please update us statesmom. I loved that thread.

A ten year old "leaning towards Cambridge" is hilarious.

I think you need to worry a lot more about properly researching schools and a lot less about universities, at this stage.

Well this cheered me up considerably. Thanks OP

Bugaboo - first, she lives abroad so she needs a boarding school and second, at the moment in UK parents who can afford it or can get a bursary have the choice of private education - which she has chosen for her son.
Do you ask that question to every poster who asks for advice on private schools?

What is wrong with your son attending the local Comp or Grammar?

And I don't understand how these misunderstandings could have arisen if the prep school is doing its job.

Nothing wrong with children considering university possibilities.

But it's utterly pointless to base decisions being made now on total misinformation about the relationships between various schools and any particular university.

It's never too early to be thinking about the future

Errr yes it is. And you shouldn't be encouraging it. Your ds is what 11, 12? A child who should be living a happy carefree existence not considering where he might go to university.

OP you are overthinking. Consult your child's prep school. Ask them. I presume they offer Common Entrance or whatever it is now? Although Winchester College was founded by the same person as New College, Oxford, they also send pupils to Cambridge and wherever the pupil best fits including gasp Other Universities or Nowhere At All. As does this East End Academy School www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5295621/Londons-East-End-Eton-sending-22-pupils-Oxbridge.html

But then it doesn't offer boarding.

While your son's love for Cambridge - who wouldn't for its beauty and comparative calm and academic excellence and opportunities - is totally understandable, don't make it yours or his life's ambition. By 18 he could be wanting to study medicine in Edinburgh, started up a boy band or left school to set up his own software company.

I don‘t see how the colour of my son‘s hair even remotely matters

Found it - suddenly remembered the jumping which narrowed it down 😂

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/2010928-Harrow-or-where-for-DS?pg=1&order=

Peternas, above, has it if you are after exam grades, but all 3 are fine.

The poster probably isn't British (because they say their son is very intelligent) but we will not hold that against them......laughing as I type....

Why not try him for all 3 (if key dates are not already missed) and just see where he gets into? In most cases there is luck involved and the school picks the boy not vice versa so it's a good idea to have few choices up your sleeve rather than pinning hopes on one place.

I am not a fan of boarding schools and may be one your options would be to move to an area in the UK near a good privae day school. I see my daughter's school is above all 3 of those boys' schools in the linked list above for example and Habs Boys and St Paul's well ahead of Winchester and Eton.

It was good!

I don‘t see how the clour of my son‘s hair even remotely matters

Can anyone find a link to THAT thread? One of the funniest things I have ever read on this site.

Seems a bit mad that you are worrying about Oxbridge entrance already but are only now thinking about secondary school?!

I'll be honest, due my dd "having an attraction" to ex public school boys I've met a few, none from Westminster but from the other two, plus rugby, Oakham and gordonston - all were not very nice people to be frank, I really don't understand how she liked them (their bank balances i suspect, she's a student). They are all the rugby playing, bullying type - sorry they were. Look at all the schools around especially those more suited to non sporty studious types even if not as famous - might be a better fit

I assume that's why the OP is only considering the KS and not the more usual entrance route.

OP I'm sorry not to have given any practical advice - but your post is full of so many misapprehensions that I wouldn't know where to start. You really need to do some proper research, starting with the schools themselves. You (and your son) are relying far too much on uninformed hearsay.