Harrow School or Fettes?

Jpickin · 2023-07-23T09:49:19+00:00

My son is looking to start Year 9 and wondering which school to go for? Harrow of Fettes? Anyone has any experience. Both schools are in the city, both near the airport etc so focus for me is now more on the school itself, well rounded, and opportunities it offers after secondary school education

Attheendofthedaysheturnedroundtomeandsaid · 20/12/2023 21:59

I think you'll find that Harrow will choose your DS not the other way around. You should have more than these options on your shortlist, should an offer not be forthcoming.

LIZS · 30/07/2023 08:29

There was a comment by a pp about the opportunities offered by London. My point was that it was unlikely a Harrow pupil would have much free rein to take advantage of those any more than one attending Fettes might. If anything Edinburgh has a much more manageable cultural life and is very international but it depends how cosmopolitan a life the dc is used to as to what the priorities are.

TizerorFizz · 29/07/2023 23:33

@Lizs Yes. Of course. These events are organised. What do you mean by “outings alone”. I took that to mean leaving school and going out on their own. I’m only saying that schools organise trips out for boarders. Skiing in Scotland is pretty rare now.

LIZS · 29/07/2023 20:04

So they would not get to make most of London culture.

TizerorFizz · 29/07/2023 19:56

Harrow makes so much available, why would a DS go out alone? Of course they don’t. Like many DC they get pizza deliveries, make music, play sport and go to activities within school and outside of school. Many boys are busy.

LIZS · 29/07/2023 08:59

Not much skiing near Edinburgh either! Harrow is not in central London and there may be restrictions on outings alone. Edinburgh offers a cultural experience but more compact and generally safe.

LanadelSlay · 29/07/2023 08:56

SkaterBrained · 28/07/2023 23:13

What does he like to do for fun - theatres and culture, choose Harrow/London, skiiing and outdoors, choose Fettes/Edinburgh. He'll only make the most of opportunities he enjoys.

Fettes is right in the middle of Edinburgh with plenty of theatres. I think you might be confused with Gordonstoun

SkaterBrained · 28/07/2023 23:13

What does he like to do for fun - theatres and culture, choose Harrow/London, skiiing and outdoors, choose Fettes/Edinburgh. He'll only make the most of opportunities he enjoys.

LaDeeDa123 · 28/07/2023 23:12

@motherstongue 😂

Luckydip1 · 28/07/2023 22:28

Fetter is the Scottish Eton, so probably a better option.

motherstongue · 28/07/2023 22:16

@LaDeeDa123 😂

LaDeeDa123 · 28/07/2023 21:44

@motherstongue that list is possibly worse then Lawrence Fox and Crispin Odey.

Original poster

Jpickin · 28/07/2023 19:45

Muchtoomuchtodo · 28/07/2023 17:23

Are you looking for this September?

No. in 2 years

OP posts:

Original poster

Jpickin · 28/07/2023 19:44

LIZS · 28/07/2023 18:52

@Jpickin does your ds have any offers of a place yet or not? How old is he? You may find limiting to those two schools restrictive if in early stages. Most selective schools will ask about current affairs, including discussing a current news story or issue which may have caught their attention. Also favourite book, music, interests etc. Obviously choice may differ for each child but they will look for articulation, curiosity, enthusiasm, general knowledge etc. If applying for a specific scholarship there may be particular requirements and assessments.

He has an offer for a third school for year 7 but we decided to keep him with us for 2 more years to start in Year 9 so we deferred. In the interim we are also on the Harrow admission process. We have already visited Harrow with DS but yet to visit Fettes with DS. Although I had previously visited Fettes with my DD so seen both schools.

His sister is in boarding school so we have visited a few coed schools with her when she was going through this process but this is the only single sex school we have visited. The criteria for choosing a school for my DD was slightly different at the time because she was going in at a more senior year etc.

So now focus is on DS

Looked at other schools but most fall short on diversity levels which is usually pretty low or too far from friends and family OR too far from the airport.

OP posts:

LIZS · 28/07/2023 18:52

@Jpickin does your ds have any offers of a place yet or not? How old is he? You may find limiting to those two schools restrictive if in early stages. Most selective schools will ask about current affairs, including discussing a current news story or issue which may have caught their attention. Also favourite book, music, interests etc. Obviously choice may differ for each child but they will look for articulation, curiosity, enthusiasm, general knowledge etc. If applying for a specific scholarship there may be particular requirements and assessments.

Original poster

Jpickin · 28/07/2023 18:32

Askil · 28/07/2023 17:22

@tennissquare I can't see anywhere they said offers were already in place and the questions they are asking sound like the questions of someone at the very early stages of deciding between two schools. If they have offers already then that's great.

In any case, the Harrow that many seem to remember (nice but dim) has long gone. Harrow is very academic with a strong focus on extra curricular. It used to ask for a minimum of 65% at common entrance which was more in line with Eton's 70%. Many other boarding schools asked only for 55% min. That's if you pass the hurdle of the very difficult interview at age 10! where you're expected to know things like names and faces of various heads of state, opinions on tax, Brexit etc etc the final test isn't too strenuos but age appropriate and many don't get in. It being a full boarding school it does not empty out at weekends at all so it's a thriving lively environment 7 days a week. I don't know if Fettes is full boarding. Harrow has exeats every 3 weeks where the whole school empties out i.e go home.

Wow! They ask questions like that at the Harrow interview - Heads of states in other countries to a 10/11 year old? O my goodness!

Any one has ideas of type of questions to expect at the Harrow interview - i have idea of general questions to expect but more interested in examples of questions that has to do with current affairs and politics?
Kindly advise - post

OP posts:

Muchtoomuchtodo · 28/07/2023 17:23

Are you looking for this September?

Askil · 28/07/2023 17:22

@tennissquare I can't see anywhere they said offers were already in place and the questions they are asking sound like the questions of someone at the very early stages of deciding between two schools. If they have offers already then that's great.

In any case, the Harrow that many seem to remember (nice but dim) has long gone. Harrow is very academic with a strong focus on extra curricular. It used to ask for a minimum of 65% at common entrance which was more in line with Eton's 70%. Many other boarding schools asked only for 55% min. That's if you pass the hurdle of the very difficult interview at age 10! where you're expected to know things like names and faces of various heads of state, opinions on tax, Brexit etc etc the final test isn't too strenuos but age appropriate and many don't get in. It being a full boarding school it does not empty out at weekends at all so it's a thriving lively environment 7 days a week. I don't know if Fettes is full boarding. Harrow has exeats every 3 weeks where the whole school empties out i.e go home.

motherstongue · 28/07/2023 17:17

I think of Churchill, Nehru, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Curtis, Lord Byron and James Blunt 😁
Fox isn’t representative in my experience. He’s a bit of an ass (as Curtis would put it).

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllanty · 28/07/2023 16:39

Tony Blair for Fettes..

LaDeeDa123 · 28/07/2023 16:09

I think of Lawrence Fox and Crispin Odey when I see Harrow.

tennissquare · 28/07/2023 16:07

@Askil , the OP has the place and guardians lined up at both schools, she is deciding with her ds which to accept.

Askil · 28/07/2023 13:41

If your ds is about to start year 9 this year, he may have missed the boat or 'boatie' even for Harrow, pardon the pun. Entrance tests for Harrow start in yr6 (ISEB) with the main test and interview in the first term of year 7.

LIZS · 28/07/2023 13:40

You might want to check ratio of day/boarding, including full boarding, at Fettes to see how many international pupils remain over weekends and what activities are planned for them. Depending where you are currently, Edinburgh may feel a more manageable size city than London and has nice cultural feel.

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllanty · 28/07/2023 13:38

Harrow latest GCSE 8-9% is about 75%, such academic ranks about 50+ in UK, compared to Fettes 53% probably ranks outside 100.