Rendalls House at Harrow School

[WaryGreenReader]

If anybody has any knowledge and experience of Harrow’s boarding houses , specifically Rendalls and the current House Master, please can you share your insights? Thank you

Hello

what is the context?

has your some been offered a place there without visiting the house or meeting the housemaster?

Please ask for a visit, that is the best way to see Rendalls. If you hold an offer to Harrow you should be told by their admssions team about how to do this before you accept the place. The House Master and Assistant are amazing, and will make time to see you. Hopefully you met the House Master at an Open Morning, or if you came when your DS was being tested? Rendalls will also have a brand new Matron soon, the last Matron just retired and she was brilliant. Hopefully the new Matron is great too! Email Harrow ask for a visit to see the house.

Why are people applying to schools without visiting and then trying to find out about them on the internet after being offered a place

it’s bizarre IMO

Agreed, Mumsnet is certainly not the place to be asking about individual people. Best to visit the school and speak to the House Master themselves. This way they can makeup their own minds instead of listenting to us random people on the internet. It is bizarre indeed.

There’s an identical thread about Moretons Hiuse at Harrow

presumably from yet another person who has been offered a place at Harrow without knowing anything about it

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/boarding-school/5513012-moretons-at-harrow-school

what on earth are Harrow doing? Do you not as a prospective pupil at least have to show some sort of interest and knowledge about the school during the application process?

imagine going for a job interview, being offered the job and then going online to try find out what the company does

But how could they not know about it? The boys have to sit the Harrow Test where they are interviewed by the House Master. House Masters also meet parents then. There are so many Open Mornings and Tours that they could access where House Masters are present. House Masters actively pick the boys in their houses, and parents have to meet the House Master before they accept an offer. Anyone who actually received an offer letter knows this.

Then there are the Experience Harrow days in Year 7: House Masters are present. Then the Scholarship Days in Year 8, where House Masters are present. Families can come to House Plays, Art Exhibitions and Music events which are all open to the public. House Masters are present at these, to support their boys. Harrow has exhibtions in their museum too... House Masters go to these as well. It is very easy to meet a House Master.

I think some people just want to know more without doing the work.

The best thing is to visit the school, and any school where their DS may be staying, living and sleeping for 5 years.

@MrsHLQ isn’t Winchester the only school that allows you to choose your house master for the entire time you are there?

Surely the @OP is just asking for any insider information they might not have picked up on already at this point. Like some have said they would've met the HM and visited the house already. People just want to get some info from experienced parents, no matter how small.

No I don’t think that is the case

certainly at Radley and Harrow you remain in the same house for your entire time

same with every other school that I’ve visited

You have a choice of houses when you apply for Harrow; you can let them know who you prefer by ranking your House choices.

Hopefully people would have visited the school a few times and met House Masters before they put their DS through the testing process, especially since it is the House Master doing the interviewing?

@MrsHLQ sorry what I meant to say was you choose your House Master before you have even got a place at Winchester ,
are they the only school that does that ? Although I believe it is changing next year !

Gosh I never knew that , I obviously chose a house but really do not remember doing it !!!

No, at least some (perhaps all) Harrow offers are to particular houses

radley you choose after your offer

You can do so on the registration form. Email Harrrow School's Admissions and they will let you know which houses you put down (if any) and you can even change your mind and let them know which houses you prefer. They can also organise a visit for your family too.