Ask me Questions

[theoldetonian]

I am a current housemaster at Eton College. Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have.

I can also answer questions regarding other public schools and send you in the right direction.

What do you know about other schools if you work at Eton?
I know about Wellington College because my uncle used to work there?

Most public schools generally use the same tests regarding acceptance etc.

Will you get fired if Eton knows you are on MN?

does your contract have a clause about SM?

Do you judge parents who send their children away to school unless absolutely necessary?
It completely ruined a couple of my family members.

Bot, surely?

Are you going to tell us Eton is head and shoulders above the rest because your son goes there!?

@theoldetonian ah, ok I get it.
Two questions if that's ok?

From an educator's perspective, which private school do you think is the least value for money?

If you had kids and could afford it, would you send your kids private, and if so what school?

Why does WA outperform Eton?

Where can I find your A level and GCSE results for 2024? I appreciate that Eton has the full list of their exam results on the website for the last 5 years but not yet 2024. Another school that we have applied for has not disclosed their full results this year, obviously they are not happy with them. Will Eton be updating the website soon?

Have you permission from the College for this AMA?

If so, are your responses checked before you publish them by posting here?

How have you got time on your hands to do this ?

Would you send your own son(s) to Eton?

Is Eton genuinely needs blind or is it harder for a full bursary child to get in as compared to a full fee paying child? I have a friend who would like to apply but will need financial help. Are the housemasters told who has paid up front in full vs who is on a full bursary or does the bursar manage to keep this confidential?

Why does Eton still run its process in Year 6 mainly years and years before boys join? Is this not a) more costly and b) boys change a lot between year 6 and year 8? Why do the public schools not streamline their admissions processes more so it is less of a headache for parents and children alike?

Also did you also post on the 11 plus forum?

It is quite a difficult choice now for parents with talented boys who get in to the best grammars to choose somewhere like Eton, even if they can get financial help or have some money to spend. It is a huge investment to pay 300k plus for the same grades or sometimes worse than in a London grammar.

How does Eton add value over an above let’s say Queen Elizabeth, Wilsons or St Olave’s?

Why is Eton passing on 20 per cent VAT when they are the richest school and Tonbridge School is only passing on 12 per cent?
How are they going to fill the places for boys who are talented but sons of professionals and not multimillionaires/billionaires, nor bursary boys. Is it accepted that you have already lost those types of boys to academic day schools?
Professionals know that Eton will be pocketing the money saved.

It doesn't.

Average A Level Point Score:

Wycombe Abbey: 49.77
Eton: 52.01

Oxbridge Admissions:

Wycombe Abbey: 21
Eton: 48

Quick google and Wickham Abbey is half the cohort size of Eton. Oxbridge/Ivy league figures must be quoted relative to cohort size.
In any event, I now also look at LSE and Imperial figures. Oxbridge is no longer what it used to be.

True re cohort size, but the A-Level results speak for themselves and disprove the erroneous claim of the earlier poster.

Honestly, how would a talented all rounder from South Wales fit in for sixth form?

There have been a couple who went from our grammar school and loved it! They have a scholarship/bursary programme for really talented state school kids.

This can't be real.

Your stats don’t take into account the fact that a year group at eton is roughly 3x that of WA therefore the Oxbridge numbers for WA are proportionately better

the WA avg point score for a levels this year was 1005.4 / 42% a* or A. Eton elected not to publish, again.
In fide vade, pal ;)

@Seagall - do you think it is a 17 year old boy again? I thought they had their iPhones taken away and all tech is monitored by the school now?

Eton might not publish its results, but the government does - see the statistics cited above, which prove beyond doubt that Eton out-performs Wycombe Abbey.

https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/110158/eton-college/16-to-18/advanced-level-qualifications?accordionstate=0

All the more impressive when one considers that Eton takes a 'whole child' approach to education rather than the hothouse style of WA.