Eton for one child, nowhere for another - what do you think?

You are twisting my words there and you know it. Where have I said Black students can't go to Eton? Or can only attend schools for "poor and ordinary kids"?

The facts are;
20 percent of Etonians have some degree of bursary support.

20 percent of CH students pay full fees.

It's a different set up, and if OP wants a school that both her children have a chance of getting a private education in, as a person who would not be able to pay full boarding fees, the fact is that it's a better odds chance, since she says herself that her younger boy is bright, but not scholarship to Eton bright.

It's just a suggestion for the OP to consider. I have no idea why you are getting your knickers in such a knot about it.

If you can get a scholarship for him then I'd take it. Blimey, are they still giving them out since VAT on fees? I thought private schools were trying to help fee paying parents by not putting fees up where possible given the increased costs. I suspect bursaries will soon stop for most private schools. Though I guess Eton may be different....

Oddly enough, @IndiganDop, I know, and know pupils and alumni of, both schools. Some of my closest family friends (people I grew up with) attended it, and others have children there now.

I’m sure you’re aware that‘Black kids’ are also allowed into Eton? Some are from wealthy families, others on bursaries. And I’m afraid I don’t subscribe to any idea that Black children should only attend schools for poor kids and ordinary kids as you put it. They’re perfectly capable of thriving at Eton, too.

See my message above! It's about the demographics.

The point is, No child at CH could afford to be at Eton. A good 80 percent of Etonians can.

What on earth do you understand about CH?

The point is, CH isn't a school for wealthy kids that also offers some bursaries. It's a school for bright kids whose families are not going to afford a private education. It's more like a school for poor kids and ordinary kids with a few kids paying full fees. That means that the demographic is definitely different. Many of the current intake, for example, are really able Black kids from London boroughs. In my day, it was a lot of Vicars' children and kids who had lost a parent early so were single income families.

It's a very different experience as a school from being a bursary kid at Eton or similar. Not necessarily better, but it's naive to say it's not a very different establishment.

The whole ethos is to take bright kids who don't come from the sort of families who could afford Eton.

What on earth do you imagine Eton’s own bursaries are for??

Yes! It’s as if no other schools with bursaries exist. As with all threads like this, there is so much misinformation and stereotyping.

"If you hold the oldest back and then discover the youngest has some amazing talent - maybe he’s the next Beckham - are you going to hold him back also go be fair to both?"

This!!

Christ's Hospital School is being seriously plugged on here! Must be good.

I went to Christ's Hospital. Kids much more down to earth than Eton, and if the younger is less academic (but still bright) you can get a governor to sponsor your application which reduces the exam entry requirements.

The whole ethos is to take bright kids who don't come from the sort of families who could afford Eton.

Lots of less wealthy private schools are going to cut bursaries massively to try and offset the vat - unfortunately will likely mean big bursaries will be hard to come by

I'm not interested in reading through all their bursaries guidance! It won't show the whole picture.

If anything I'd say Eton is these days tarnished by that disgusting politician Boris Johnson
@Mabs49

Do you think Fettes is tarnished by Tony Blair? Or Winchester by Rishi Sunak?
Maybe Phoenix College, Wimbledon is tarnished by the fact Kemi Badenoch went there.

I grew up with some siblings at state and some at private (I was state) - absolutely no resentment then or now. Eton however is quite a jump! If you hold the oldest back and then discover the youngest has some amazing talent - maybe he’s the next Beckham - are you going to hold him back also go be fair to both?
why don’t you apply and go visit and see what you think if you get the offer - apply for state also obviously

Here you go:

www.etoncollege.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Bursaries-Guidance.pdf

I would ‘cross that bridge when you come to it’. The process of applying to private senior schools is onerous. If your older child ends up being accepted and offered a scholarship/bursary I’m sure your younger child will have a better idea what is required and might not want to follow in their sibling’s footsteps.

I personally wouldn’t consider private school for one and not the other except for significant SEN reasons.

It doesn't help. I keep seeing this again and again touted around here on MN on social media. I went to private school and I have zero connections. I got all my jobs off my own back. I've never rung up any friends and said "oh give me a job".

I have ZERO connections. I imagine it's the same for most of the Eton too. Most people pass out of private school and into the real world, get a job and steadily work their way up.

And it's just not possible these days for companies to shoe someone in because they went to Eton together.

Companies and government ask for clean applications - ie, you can't put your school down anymore. You only put your grades.

Large corporates don't employ their employees' friends. It just doesn't happen anymore.

Want to work for a top flight bank - go to Cambridge and do maths.

Want to work for one of the big five accountants - do maths or economics at a Russel Group uni

Want to work for a magic circle law firm - study law or similar and prepare for a grilling at interview with all these companies. These positions don't come easily.

Let's not talk etiher about immigrant work ethic and education and how competitive that segment of the job market is either. What about their network? Or dare I saw it, the Jewish network? I often see this in many places I've worked in. I'd say those networks are far stronger based on creed and culture.

Even parents at these big corporates can't squeeze their kids in these days. Eton contacts can't either.

I'm not sure what these networks are that people endlessly wheel on about.

If anything I'd say Eton is these days tarnished by that disgusting politician Boris Johnson. If I had the opportunity to send my kids there, I'd actively avoid it because the name has taken a real nosedive and I'd not want to saddle my kids with being lumped in the same bracket as Boris.

I'm not against private schools but please do believe me, there are no networks. Graduate recruiters aren't allowed to 'let someone in' because they were at school at Eton together.

There are too many checks and too much oversight from people on high, interviews are done by multiple people these days and there's too much 'clean' applying for this too happen.

Perhaps the only place where Eton education might be worth something is in the Tory party, among MPs...

But I'd imagine even that will change before long. People up and down the country, including me, are sick of Eton MPs.

I never said I knew.
I suspect, however, that Eton is hardly an exercise in educational diversity and inclusion.

I second Christs . Really good school. I know a few friends who have had this educational split and they sent them to Christ Hospital. Great academics but won't create such a divide. Nice down to earth kids - all very bright from mixed backgrounds.

That's not really what you implied. You were challenging a poster commenting that they were all wealthy. You don't really know.

Nor do you.
Bursaries aren’t handed out lightly. If the parents could afford to pay the full fees they wouldn’t be given a bursary.

I think it would be really unfair to hold one child back to "make it fair" for another. It's NEVER going to be equal so you should push both to be the best they can be within their individual limits

That's not really what you implied. You were challenging a poster commenting that they were all wealthy. You don't really know.

LochKatrine · Today 21:15

Are you saying that a fifth of boys who go to Eton are from modest backgrounds

I have no idea what backgrounds they are from. I said 1 in 5 has full or partial help with fees.