Harrow/Eton/Radley/Winchester Entry 2028

[MrsHLQ]

Starting a thread for all those parents whose sons are currently in Year 6 and who are hoping to join one of these 4 schools in 2028

As the first stage of their assessment process, the boys are sitting ISEB exams this month

Here we can discuss anything and everything to do with the entire application and assessment process over the next 6 or so months or so. By which time we should all know if we have offers, rejections or have been waitlisted

Good luck to all the boys sitting ISEB exams!

@TM2026 Hi, my son has got an unconditional place with the Housemaster he chose. Well done to everyone who wants Winchester.

No some got conditional place ( going back for retest in yea7) some got unconditional house place in a specific house they had their interview, some got unconditional general places.
what did you get @TM2026

That is interesting, thanks for sharing.
We have an unconditional GP - we didn’t apply for a specific house as we have come from something of a non traditional route (plus we live overseas).

What is the difference between a general place and a place in a house? Does that mean the housemaster that interviewed you didn’t think you were a good fit or just numbers?

Thanks.

Eton tranche 2 results are out!

And now Eton is out!!!! Phew what a day!

Interesting question, I can’t remember the answer that was given in one of thes threads before.
however on our interview day, i asked the house master if he see fit our Ds in his house? He then told me he wouldn’t want to
give any hint or hope but the interview was for a general and that he had a list of names for house place interviews and my ds wasn’t in that list.
surprisingly we got a house offer .

on the other hand my friend that had visited a
specific house and interviewed in that house only got a general place .

We got an unconditional offer for the housemaster we had chosen - and yes the Year 8 test they will all still do no longer risks an offer being withdrawn.

It's likely our first choice - the school appears to have broadened it's intake in the last decade to a more rounded set while keeping its academic edge, we love the scale (half the size of e.g. Eton) and it seems a slightly gentler and less flashy place than e.g. a Wellington while still being strong on sport, music and drama. From what we have heard the new headmistress is making a lot of sensible choices e.g. banning smart phones for first two year groups. There are some excellent housemasters. And the city is of course gorgeous.

Am sure it's not perfect (I'd like less evening prep, it needs to watch the scale of its international cohort, it needs to ensure it teaches enough to the test that the kids get the grades they deserve rather than thinking it's above that kind of thing, and it's weekend policy could be relaxed as others have so the kids that want can come home every Sat evening rather than just on Sunday. It would also be good for them to confirm long term coed plans as sticking to sixth form doesn't feel like a obvious landing point). But no school is without it's drawbacks, and I hope DS will be v happy there.

Re Winchester, that House-centred system will be changed from next year on. The same as Eton, we apply, get offer and then choose a House. We got an offer last year. So I'm not sure about this year, though.

My DS has been fortunate enough to receive offers for three of these schools and now the difficult task of deciding between them begins. He has grown and matured so much in the last year alone that instincts we had when he was in year 4/5 are perhaps not the same now.

Can anyone shed light on the pros and cons of the pastoral care at these schools? Is one much stronger than others? Do any of them fall short?

My son is pretty resilient and is thriving with the independence of flexi boarding at his prep however I’d love to know how things are managed if the wheels fall off or the pressure of big exams gets too much? All the schools say they have great pastoral care but what is the reality rather than the marketing?

My son has received a house offer for 2028. It is likely our first choice. We really like Winchester and think it will suit him.

He is a bright (not genus level) curious boy, with strengths in STEM. However the subjects he really loves are those covered by Div, English literature, history and Greek mythology. He is sporty and loves all sports, however would not be at the level to sit a sports scholarship. He is quite a gentle boy, loves learning and is literally interested in everything. You would probably describe him as slightly quirky.

We loved the housemaster we met and felt he struck a good balance between helping the boys to keep on top of their work whilst also being very aware of their mental health and making sure the pressure didn’t get too much for them. We felt we would trust him to be on top of and quickly spot any issues arising with the boys and within the house, for example any bullying etc

We will likely accept the place. Well done to all those who have been offered places

In response to Misstiggywinkle above, I think the pastoral care can vary greatly within a boarding school depending on the housemaster. Some will be better than others and they will all have their own style of managing their houses and the boys within them. I think it’s important your son clicks or at least feels comfortable with the housemaster and you feel comfortable that you can get on with him and he would identify and flag any issues he spots.

When my son met the housemaster at Winchester for the house we applied to, he instantly warmed to him and felt comfortable with him. We let him choose between the two housemasters we met and of course if he didn’t warm to either of them we would have asked to see more. When he was invited for interview with him he got very excited as he was looking forward to seeing him again.

if you know people are at at, or have recently been at the school it would be worth asking them what their housemaster is like and if they would recommend him.

@vjceqgub tgis year we are given our chosen house as long as the House master thinks you are the correct fit ! My son is in the house he chose

Thank you for sharing. That seems the same as before. I welcome the change for the future parents because it was very tricky and time-consuming to choose a House, when we were wondering even which school is a right school for him.... Anyway, congratulations to all families who got offers. All excellent schools!

Has anyone here been on the Waiting List for Eton College and later received an offer?
We were informed that there will be a reassessment in the summer term of Year 7, and I was wondering if anyone could kindly share what they prepared in the meantime.
To be honest, the thought of needing to prepare for another year feels quite daunting, so any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

I know of three boys who were waitlisted, and all got offered a place in the end. Only one went to Eton in the end though.

I know of three boys who were waitlisted, and all got offered a place within the next few years. Only one went to Eton in the end though.

I know of three boys who were waitlisted, and all got offered a place within the next few years. Only one went to Eton in the end though. Hang in there if you want it!

I know of three boys who were waitlisted, and all got offered a place within the next few years. Only one went to Eton in the end though. Hang in there if you want it!

@Winchie I wouldn’t take a wait listed place , I would only go to a school that really wanted my boy ! But saying that if it was a choice between Harrow and Eton wait list I would take Eton to be fair .
I know several boys that got wait listed for Eton and all got places .
I also know boys that got Eton but didn’t get Winchester nor Harrow .

My DS has been placed on the Eton waiting list this year, and we’ve been told he will be reassessed next year.
I’d really appreciate any advice from those who’ve been through the process — particularly on what we should be focusing on over the next year in terms of preparation.
Any insights or experiences would be hugely helpful.
Many thanks 😊

@Giraffe101 we have accepted our place at wincol .
my son also choose his house master and house .
he and his wife are both lovely . I am sure my son will do incredibly well there , he is really happy to be going to Winchester .

I know quite a few boys who did this - and they all got places eventually so congratulations to your ds.

The wait listed boys I knew got retested via the Eton list test (officially unrevisable) but my ds reported that his gaming had really helped for quick reactions 😳(may have been him justifying his incessant gaming) when he took the test. The interview is all about interests, resilience to board and an assessment about whether your ds will fit in - some practise may be needed but it shouldn’t feel forced imo. The downside seems to be that the offer can be pretty late (summer term year 8 for one boy) so many parents have gone with other offers to give certainty to their child, and that the child misses out on the socials and visits etc to Eton that are used to build confidence before entry.

@201513Plus I've been in this situation. The most important thing to do is to find out from your head why your DS has been wait-listed and do all you can to make up for that 'weakness' in the next assessment. I would also say it's important to be keen and bright-eyed in the interview. My DS was perfect on paper and an all-rounder but didn't come across as 'polished' enough in the interview. Eye contact and presence seem to matter at Eton.

For those who receive unconditional offers in Y6, how do prep schools keep those boys motivated to work hard if they know that however poorly they perform in Y8 tests that their place at their chosen school will not be withdrawn? I wonder if the prep schools ever get feedback that the senior school can really tell that the boy has spent Y7 and 8 coasting and wasting their potential.