Can we have a not-too polarised discussion about Eton, Harrow and Winchester?

[needtothinkaboutseniorschools]

I need to choose a senior school by the end of this year. We're looking at these three after discussion with school. Ds is only 9 so it's difficult to know what he'll be like in 4 years but right now he likes quantum physics, Lego and Dr Who and is very musical. He would be aiming for a music scholarship or exhibition and I trust the advice from the school as they clearly have a lot of experience in recommending senior schools.

I'm amazed we're even thinking about these schools and think all of them look amazing, but I've trawled through other mn threads and seen that some posters have extreme opinions about some of these schools. I'm thinking surely they can't be so different, as they all look great and they take boys from similar prep schools.

So please could I have some informed views on what the schools are like, without it getting too polarised? We will look at all three, but I know that the view you get on an open morning or tour isn't the same as the day-to-day experience.

We are also considering some state schools near to us, as those are good too, but clearly offer a very different experience.

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/leaguetables/11816591/GCSE-results-2015-state-school-results.html.

Just trying to get back on track here - I don't care about the fine details of the league tables - any good school will help ds get the exam grades he should, and all three schools we're interested in are good schools.

needtothinkaboutseniorschools - ... I don't care about the fine details of the league tables It was posted in response to happygardening asking a particular question.

What do you want the outcome to be if you are not interested in exam results?

Ahem, MumTrying, HG didn't initially mention exam results until you did and I'm sure that's not what she meant, and anyway, her post above is about A level/Pre-U results while your table is about GCSE results. needto has the right idea I think: all these schools, and many others, are quite good enough as far as exam results go.

Mum you link is to GCSE results here are Henrietta Barnets A levels results. I'll let decide who's results are better in terms of %s.

here are Tifgb girls.

jimmy

Yes, let's abolish private schools because you are jealous.
The world isn't fair, if you'd care to open your eyes you'd see this.
Some children don't have the same opportunities, two of my dc had an appalling education like the drugs you mention above. You would not comprehend what ds1 had to go through.
The other has the opportunity for social mobility through a private school, but according to you she shouldn't attend and they should be abolished.

What do I want the outcome to be if I didn't care about exam results?

I am more interested in the whole person. My son loves music and I want him to be able to make the most of his talents. I want him to be able to play sport and pursue his interests and grow up in a supportive and intellectually challenging environment. I want him to be interested in the world beyond his own experiences, and to go to a school with a Christian ethos.

Sorry, posted wrong link, should be this one:

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/leaguetables/11803533/A-level-results-2015-results-from-400-state-schools.html

From what I understand, QE Barnet sent approx. the same numbe to Oxford as Eton did last year. Eton had approx. 50% success rate amongst those applying. If I can find the document I will post, assuming the OP does not object that is.

Cargundian I actually quoted HG - The bottom line is that no state school can offer what these three schools offer in terms of exam results

needtothinkaboutseniorschools which one of the three schools do you think will best help you realise your desired outcome?

here are King Edwards Camphill. I'm getting bored now maybe mum you can find a state school with better A level results, I've done the top three according to GCSE results.
Interestingly not only are Etons and Win Colls results better, the state schools are girls schools and we are constantly bieng told that girls out perform boys clearly they don't always.

happygardening Ok I thought QE Barnet was suposed to be a good state school. Perhaps I'm wrong (it's boys only btw).

The school at the top of the league table you quoted got les As 207 out of 490 that less than 45%, but approx 86% As. Significantly less A's and As the precedding year.
Pates which came 2nd in the league table you linked into got about 34% A*s and 77% A's.
I'm my book Eton and Win Coll which consistently year on year produce the same exam results have as I said earlier "better exam results".

mum I'm not disputing these are good state school and so they ought to be they like Win Coll and Eton are super selective you select the brightest you get the best exam results.
But as I said Eton Win Coll and others in the independent sector not only achieve amazing exam results they provide an enormous range of extra curricular activities, but also full boarding which for most is a positive life changing experience. One has to assume the OP feels the state sector simply can't compete.

Eton or Win Coll ... just over 80% achieved A/A grades*

A-levels taken at QE in 2015 ... 84.9% received A* or A grades.

happygardening I was quite clear no the point I did not agree with.

Single sex boarding would, for many people, be an extraordinarily high social and developmental price to pay for A-level results.

But Boho most are not only paying for exam results!
I used to live in the catchment area for one of those high achieving state schools mentioned above, DS was offered a place after she thought and investigation I turned it down because one reason I wanted a broad all round education not a results obsessed exam factory.

Some thought not she thought.

Which Bobo, is perhaps the reason that some people ( i.e. me) did not use A level/ Pre U ) results as the reason for choosing a school.

DarklingJane - we are also one of those families that chose a school (for DSS1 and DSS2) that had good (but not outstanding) results. We believed that the school we chose would be able to take its whole intake to its full academic potential, whatever that might be, without any form of obsession over HE destination etc. However, more important was a particular ethos and a close and trusting relationship between the head, teachers, pupils and parents. Oh - and a mixed day school!

mum Thank you for correcting my math instead f my guesstimate 84.9% A/As instead of 86%. Win Coll by the way this year got 84.4 % A/As and the same last year and the year before and the year before that QE's results were significantly less good in other years. Sadly I also suspect with the huge number now achieving A's at A level it's A* that .are more important
You may be interested to know that SPS got a slightly higher % of both A*' and As, ditto Westminster.

I am sorry, I misread.

happygardening show me a state school with better A/Pre U results than Eton or Win Coll in terms % of A/A grades*

I've shown you a state school that has done this.

What's more QE has performed at this level consistently for a number of years. As you seem to have the A level pass rates for this school for the last few years, despite claiming you don't know anything about state schools, perhaps you would like to post them to demonstrate your point that this was a one off year and not typical for this school.

It is not the exam grades that are important so much as the range of subjects available.
My DS has a real flair for languages, none of the state schools linked to above appear to offer the range of languages that are available at A level at Eton, which is 8, plus Latin and Greek if you are a real sucker for learning vocab!

Earlier this year I saw a mumsnetter had started a thread because she was baffled that her DC had an A* in GCSE French, yet was unable to hold even the most basic conversation in that language.

At Eton every language has a native speaking staff member, usually a teaching assistant on a year's secondment, and every boy has to arrange extra conversation sessions in their own time. The boys may not end up fluent at 16, but they are certainly able to communicate and have basic conversations.