Magdalen or Cokethorpe

[Mrspresident]

I am giving advice to a friend on whether to send her son to Cokethorpe or Magdalen. My friends DS is both academic and sporty at the same time. Thoughts?

Wow. They are two wildly different schools.
Just advise the one which would suit their son the best.

Has the DS got a place at both schools? As the Pp said, the schools are very different. Magdalen is far more academic and therefore more selective.

I can't really believe anybody would be struggling to choose between those two schools as they would suit such wildly different children.

it is rather odd.
OP???
can you explain the reasoning for looking at these two schools and not MCS v Abingdon, or Cokethorpe v OLA for instance?

Weird whatstod0 I was going to post in exactly the same way -you must live near me! Not sure how someone could be deciding between such dissimilar schools.I'd also assume that someone who'd done all the hard work prepping for the Magdalen exam would then want to go there?

I don't believe this post is sincere. Smacks more of Cokethorpe Marketing or one of their mates trying to invent the impression Cokethorpe is actually good for more academically able pupils by suggesting this ridiculous comparison.

There is a case for sending an able much younger kid to Cokethorpe Junior - the EY section is outstanding - but it fails badly to build academic focus as you go through the years, and I think the Senior department, at the moment, is poorer for able kids than many local comprehensives. We moved DC1 away, likewise with all the more able kids in their cohort. If you are looking for a Sports Academy, albeit with a very narrow specialisation in field team sports, or are interested in drama, it's actually pretty good. The teachers are great and Value Added scores fine. It's just not remotely suitable for a kid able to get into Magdalen.

If this is in fact a sincere post, I suggest Magdalen is the obvious choice if the OP is looking at a post-offer decision. If it's all coming up, I suggest Abingdon be looked at - I think it is better for the bright/sporty combo than either C or MCS, and offers a larger number of serious options inside and outside the curriculum than either school.

OP??

Smacks more of Cokethorpe Marketing or one of their mates trying to invent the impression Cokethorpe is actually good for more academically able pupils by suggesting this ridiculous comparison.

Wow, I thought I was cynical!

I've never been quite sure what market Cokethorpe was aiming at. Given that the comps in Witney are very good you're not going to get a lot of people dissatisfied with the state offer. And if you want a more selective education you'd obviously try for MCS or OHS or similar.

Living in Abingdon while I don't know the school personally it does seem a little more down-to-earth than MCS - the lads walking round the town don't seem to have their noses in the air and the one family I do know at the school are lovely. Meanwhile a lad at DD's primary who got into MCS was totally obnoxious about it - telling all the other kids how he was going to a "better" school than they were. So I'm probably biased!! But I do generally get a good impression of Abingdon.

I've never met a single boy at MCS who's "totally obnoxious" or who walks around town with his "nose stuck in the air" and I know it professionally. I always think its less sophisticated and less image conscious than Abingdon I personally would describe it a super selective grammar that you pay for.
I do agree about who are Cokethorpes aiming at? As already said state options in West Oxford are pretty good so I personally would have thought that if you want an excellent all round school with a broad intake and have the money to pay for one then St Edwards is significantly better.

Blimey for a terrible moment I thought this was baby names

I've never met a single boy at MCS who's "totally obnoxious" or who walks around town with his "nose stuck in the air" and I know it professionally.

Sorry, it was meant to be a light-hearted comment. Hope no-one's offended. And DD was actually quite upset at the time and asking me why she wasn't going to the "best school in Oxfordshire" -she hadn't picked up that it was a boy's school quite apart from it being private. So I admit it didn't give me the best impression, but as I pointed out I'm clearly biased.

you get obnoxious kids anywhere and everywhere though. I will admit to not being impressed by the behaviour (and language) of the Abingdon boys at a recent football match though

The point in question though is why anyone would compare MCS with Cokethorpe. It's like trying to compare chalk and cheese.