Abingdon v Radley

[1805]

can anyone give me reasons to favour one school over the other? The choice would be Ab day v Radley boarding (obviously). I'm going to look round them both shortly to try to get a general feeling.
Also if you can suggest any areas/issues I need to question at either school??

DS is sporty, musical, and academic. Happy to go to either school. Knows boys going to both schools.

Thank you.

Please don't turn this thread into a private/state slanging match. I just want peoples views on these two schools. We won't be considering any others. Thank you.

[1805]

Ok I'm scared now. We are in constant touch with Radley, as is ds, so I think we just need to keep tabs on where he is.
Ds still really wants to go there.

[Justfeckingdoit]

My DH and BIL both went to Radley. One is is a elitist, patronising twunt who speaks with 17 plums in his mouth and one is totally normal

I have meet a 50/50 split from Radley, some are such unbelievable caricatures and some you would never know that they even went to public school.

My (normal) DH refuses to let any of the DC board at any school though.

Where you went to school only matters if you tell people, my DH never does.

Kind of depends if you want your DS to tell people I suppose.

[1805]

What did dh dislike about boarding?

[grovel]

I think it's a bit daft to compare boarding (30+?) years ago with boarding today. My DH was at Radley in the 70's and was "only quite happy" (he can't honestly separate teenage angst from the boarding etc). Our DS was at Eton until recently. He would tell you he was really happy. DH and DS are very similar personalities. Boarding schools now are much nicer places.

[grovel]

Having said that, I would add that Radley is still sporty in an old-fashioned way. Most boys would be able to tell you the names of the First XI, First XV etc. At Eton the boys don't care unless they are trying for a team. You do what you do and care about your activity.

[happygardening]

OP when ever the subject of full boarding is bought up on MN there will always be those who will cheerfully tell you with tales of their dysfunctional sociopath husbands, brother in laws, bosses etc. i have worked with seriously dysfunctional children not a boarder amongst them there are plenty of things which cause children to be dysfunctional and indeed some may have been or in fact attend boarding schools but this is only part of the picture. It is generally home life drugs alcohol sexual emotional physical abuse neglect death of a parents chronic ill health in a family and most sadly exceedingly messy divorces that causes children to be dysfunctional.
Boarding has also changed although Radley have been slower to change than many.

[Hucklebury]

John Moule, Warden at Radley College, seems to be incredibly unpopular with pupils and parents. Does anyone have a son (currently) at the school who can give me their honest opinion?

[1805]

DS went on to chose Radley. Moule seems pretty good as far as we're concerned.