Anyone trying to decide between Peter Symonds and Barton Peveril??

[Tansie]

Got the former's Open evening tonight. We saw BP about a month ago.

The snob in me 'wants' PS for DS; the realist errs towards BP as it's a lot closer to home and it appears at first sight that they want identical GCSE marks to do what seem to be the same Board 'A' levels.

Until this year, I think, PS insisted on General Studies A level as well which was an off-putter as BP successfully do an 'Extended Project' in the A2 year which has assisted DC into chosen universities; but now I understand PS do 'extension' instead of GS.

I am (beyond snobbery, - at least I admit it!) not hugely swayed by any 'You have to go to PS because 'it's the best''- because, as in all education, I ask 'best for whom?'. Discovering that blah blah %age of DC got blah blah result is all well and good, but you'd need to know where the DC were at, academically, when they started (i.e. PS intake is bound to be academically more able than BPs!); but the biggie for me is whether rumours I hear that PS is only really interested in its 'guaranteed Russell Group' DC are true?

I went to a GS many moons ago with a 6th form like that- really no interest on the 'solid performers' in the middle, and I don't want for DS to repeat that mistake.

Some state that having PS on your CV 'impresses', but I also wonder whether, just maybe, it could have the more recently reported and feared 'Private School background' effect where the 'impressee', as it were, thinks 'Well, I'd bloody well expect an A grade from there', but might regard a good grade from an 'unknown' Sixth Form more favourably? Just a thought! A mate has deliberately moved her DC from 'the leading' private' in -ahem- 'Oxbridge' to send them to the local, excellent (PS-esque) state Sixth Form in order to attempt to 'hide' the years of private when it comes to uni entry.

For the record, DS wants to do Maths, Physics, Chem and Geography and should get the grade necessary to enrol (i.e. should get a B in the sciences, but not an A*). Whilst ultimately it'll be his decision, I am pleased to see that although most of his Y11 cohort will be heading for PS, he's looking with interest at BP, but, at 15, relies in us to help him with the 'decision matrix'! Wish I'd been given better advice at 15 to do my A levels at the local Tech, not at the GS, because 'that's what everyone did'...!

[BeatriceBean]

Im not sure its that clear cut. There's many v academic types, including oxbridge, at BP. In the area I was in most of the tutors were Russell group and fantastic teachers.

[BeatriceBean]

To iain that is.

[lainiekazan]

I can only speak for the favoured destination of those at ds's school. I'm sure for a lot of people BP is far more convenient - if you are coming from the Hedge End/Botley type of areas, for instance.

[BeatriceBean]

If you live in Winchester PS would be the natural choice, although always worth a look at the relevant departments in other colleges. It will be down to the subjects they take at the end of the day.

Many people commuted to BP from areas South east and South west of BP when I worked there. It was the "academic choice" worth commuting to for those that were much further out, in the way that those North of PS would naturally lean towards PS!

[lainiekazan]

I have just had a quick look at entrance requirements for PS and BP and for English Literature, for example, PS require a B in English, but BP a C.

Frankly one would have thought you would have needed an A at GCSE to make a decent fist of A Level in any subject (barring a good excuse) but that's another thread.

[furrlinedsheepskinjacket]

its snob value pure and simple at the end of the day.but its ok to be a snob. :)
both of my dcs had option to go to either bp or ds.chose bp as nearer and far easier to get to and from.it is a long hard academic day at ps esp if you travel out of winch.at the end of the day ent req and a level results aren't that diff.so down to you and yr dcs to weigh it all up.
yy to winch mob being louder than Eastleigh parents who just tend to get on with it.i think that says a lot actually.
ime a few local kids we knew at ps crashed and burned (pressure?) at as and a2 exam time and had to re do year/revise uni plans.
i'm v happy with our choice so are my dcs.

[TalkinPeace]

in DDs case it was (a) the course strength (b) the fact that she does not like the "school" feel of BP
and luckily she did like PS otherwise I might have found myself coughing up for KES

[BeatriceBean]

That's interesting Talkin - it was a few years ago now, but when I taught at both PS had the more "school" feel and structure to it, and BP was a little more college/uni like in it's freedoms (not always a good thing). That was a good while ago now though. It's funny how things change.