St Pauls/Colet Court - any views?

[MrsGuyOfGisbourne]

Considering secondary for DS1,including Colet Court, leading on to St Paul's. However, SO many people we know have used the word 'arrogant' to refer to theirpupls and alunmi, so we are wondering now whether event ot proceed with the exam (next week!).
Would welcome views from any mumsnetters with direct experience...

I went to the girls' school. Yes, arrogant is a good word. It's been used to me by a uni friend, oh dear..

I went a long time ago, but I'd say that if your ds1 is good at keeping up with homework, a good self starter, a touch on the arrogant/independent side anyway, it could be a suitable place.

Getting lots of information by going round the place, seeing what the test is like, having a look at the other parents and sibling can only give you more of a gut feel for how you all respond to the school.

We went through all this with my DS1 a couple of years ago. More experience is better in my opinion, then you can all have a giggle about the different schools and thrash out why you do and don't like them.

Good luck

Is your ds1 doing 7+ entry for CC ?

I'd say that given the exam is only a week away, let him do it. if he gets an offer, you can then decide whether or not it's for you. Don't burn your bridges yet.

No direct experience, but dd did 7+ and is at NLCS. Comparable academically - she and her friends are very young still, but already it's clear some are more extrovert and outwardly confident, some more reserved and contemplative. Like any other school in that respect, but all very bright in different ways.

Dd is certainly an independent learner and keen to do/try new things. Everything done at a fast pace, like CC I'm sure, so not the place for a child you'd need to nudge to do their homework.

Be honest with yourself and ask yourself if ds fits that sort of bill.

I acually think that boys from St Pauls are alot less arrogant than boys from other Public Schools with comparable reputations. Give me an old Pauline over an Etonian, a Wykehamist or a boy from Westminster anyday.

The girls are a bit differnt IMO. I would send a DS to St Pauls but never a DD (if I had the money).

Thanks - very helpful. We liked the people we met on the open day, and the boys who greeted us were very likeable little boys. We asked one of them why he had given up his Saturday to come into school and he confided that they got house points for it -and free Mars bars! ( His delight seemed so 'normal' and boyish that DH & I found higly amusing). We also went to the Xmas fair and found very nice, friendly chatty parents (maybe the arrogant ones don;t tuen up to those events ) (Although the DC preferred the KCS Xmas fair as it had a toy stall, and have now based their prefernce on that...)

my brother is an old etonian and a thoroughly lovely man. just because people make these sweeping generalisations doesn't meant they are true.

make a decision based on your personal encounters/experience with the school and not based on somebody else's impressions of one or two alumni they may have met once upon a time and found to be arrogant.