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Original poster

Beckham kids to start at Haberdashers.

135 replies

VivaLeBeaver · 14/03/2011 08:04

Nowhere near me but I see MNers talking about this school. So if you have a kid there you may soon be rubbing shoulders with Becks.

uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/13032011/58/world-football-beckhams-moving-england.html

OP posts:
EmmaBGoode · 14/03/2011 14:01

SardineQueen, Habs is a very popular choice for Jewish parents. My DC went to prep schools in Hampstead and it tended to be the Jewish children who went on to Habs, whereas the non-Jewish children went to either Highgate or UCS.

It just seemed an odd choice for the Beckhams, that's all. Particularly as they are coming from the American system which is very different to the British system. I would worry that they would flounder in such an academic school. I would have expected them to choose somewhere like King Alfred's. Although maybe commuting distance is a big factor.

EmmaBGoode · 14/03/2011 14:02

skybluewinking, I can't believe you accused me of that Shock

crystalglasses · 14/03/2011 14:21

Yes there are a fair number of Jewish pupils at Habs but there are also plenty of Asian, Japanese, Chinese and UK English children as well. Sorry if I'm mixing up religion, ethnicity and nationality but ykwim. The main issue with Habs boys or girls is that it is highly academically selective and turns away vastly more applicants than it offers places to. Nobody would ever be offered a place there if they weren't judged academically very able, no matter how wealthy the parents or how gifted the child in non academic areas. If the Beckham boys are offered a place it would be because they were academically very able.

crystalglasses · 14/03/2011 14:23

Emmabegoode - 'it tended to be the Jewish children who went on to Habs, whereas the non-Jewish children went to either Highgate or UCS'

Although Highgate and UCS have a terrific reputation, they are not in the same academic league as Habs

LaurieFairyCake · 14/03/2011 14:26

DH went there (not Jewish) on a full scholarship - think it's pretty academic - he got the highest in the entrance exam ever (wonder if he still holds the highest mark 25 years later).

The sports are goooood there - DH was very sporty and the facilities were excellent.

EmmaBGoode · 14/03/2011 14:27

Is that right crystalglasses? I thought they were all much of a muchness.

LaurieFairyCake · 14/03/2011 14:27

I thought the Beckham kids were going to Merchant Taylors though Confused

EmmaBGoode · 14/03/2011 14:41

I thought the Beckham kids were going to Merchant Taylors

I think they only take children from age 11, so the younger two couldn't go there.

crystalglasses · 14/03/2011 14:50

Emmabegoode - In the schools league tables the Haberdashers schools in Elstree/Boreham Wood are usually in the top 10-15 schools whereas UCS and Highgate are usually well below - in the top 50 or so, so still impressive. Highgate is part boarding so that may make a difference to their pupil intake.

ednurse · 14/03/2011 14:55

I live not far from them, suprised they are travelling quite far to school.

SardineQueen · 14/03/2011 18:21

What crystalglasses said.

olivertulliver · 14/03/2011 20:04

Victoria & David were at at rugby match recently one of the boys was playing in.

All the parents studiously ignored them, in a very British manner!

EmmaBGoode · 15/03/2011 07:37

Actually, I've just looked at the league tables and my school did better than Habs (feeling a bit smug now Grin)

QuickLookBusy · 15/03/2011 07:58

"buying their way in"

"Create a sports bursery for them"

"...if they did suspect shenanighans"

Hmm Nice way to take about children you don't have a clue about. They might each have IQs of 150 for all you lot know.

bronze · 15/03/2011 08:07

My ds3s Godfather teaches there, sport funnily enough. I'll have to pick his brains if he's heard anything

hocuspontas · 15/03/2011 08:14

That's what I thought ednurse. Unless they are moving from E.Herts I would have thought Hailybury a better choice distance wise.

EmmaBGoode · 15/03/2011 08:18

People are so rude, aren't they QuickLookBusy? I think a lot of it stems from snobbery. After all, the Beckham's are - shock horror - working class! How could their children possibly have the intellect to get in to one of our best schools?

That said, I would be concerned about the change in curriculum, but the Beckhams are good parents and I don't think they would put their children in a school which was unsuitable.

heartheriver · 15/03/2011 08:21

When the dc of slebs go to private schools, how is the privacy of the slebs managed? For example, if my dc were at Habs, and we had the Beckham dc back for tea, or for a party, I might pick up info about their parents which would be of interest to the tabloids (esp since they are so mega famous). It could even be, I dunno, Victoria feeling very sick during her pregnancy. What stops me telling the tabloids bits of info I get from her sons? All this is pure wondering, btw, we live nowhere near and couldn't afford the fees...

colditz · 15/03/2011 08:22

the Bechham children both have incredibly successful parents, their mother especially seems to have her head screwed on right up tight. i wouldn't be remotely surprised if, with this combination of genes, plus the very best of childrearing environments (loving and affluent) they had quite enough academic abilitity to pass an entry exam.

pawsnclaws · 15/03/2011 09:10

Don't think HABS has boarders anymore does it? Haileybury certainly does, which could be relevant as the boys get older.

The Beckhams came to look at my son's old prep school but chose a different one (ours would be a bit of a trek from BP, and frankly would be a security nightmare).

olivertulliver I gather from my friend who knows the boys at school that this is pretty usual - DB usually drops the boys off and is polite and friendly but in a head-down sort of way.

catinthehat2 · 15/03/2011 09:22

David & Victoria slebs
The boys are not

there's no avoiding the "ooh the middle one is playing rugby against my boy's team, wonder if DB will be there" and all the excitement when he is

unfortunately, as soon as you mention Habs, it's well known how academic it is, so really that's sets up a big enjoyable indulgent lot of speculations on how thick a kid is. Kid is not a sleb, hence not acceptable in my book.

applecakesarenice · 15/03/2011 10:07

This rumour has been circulating in the area for some time and I think that it's probably true. Knowing Haberdashers pretty well I'd be fairly certain that they wouldn't take the Beckham boys if they weren't academically able as regardless of money and fame if they couldn't keep up it would be very unfair to have them in a very academic school.

I'd say that Habs is an ideal choice for the boys. It's set way back from the road and there is no way of getting a glimpse of any of the pupils from the road. The school itself is set in the countryside so again, it is impossible to just wander in to the schoo and any unfamiliar faces would raise questions immediately. Whilst it's a private school it's not a public school so there are no aristocrats, just lots of hardworking parents from extremely diverse backgrounds so it's likely that the boys would be able to mix and blend in easily. It also has amazing sports facilities on site so there would be no need to leave the school at any time other than for matches.

It makes absolute sense that they brought the boys over from the US in January / February time as this was the entrance exam period and no doubt they were sitting just like all the other children vying for places.

Good luck to them.

crystalglasses · 15/03/2011 10:13

There are and have been plenty of children of celebs at Habs boys and Habs girls. I've never known anyone go to the newspapers or take photos to sell.

Anonymousbird · 15/03/2011 10:18

I thought they were at Heath Mount anyway? So a friend of mine whose kids go there tells me!

goingroundthebend4 · 15/03/2011 10:22

i live down the road from them and good luck to them all .End of day their mum and da dmay be famours but they are just children and Vb and Db are just mum and dad to them