Why would anyone consider going to Rugby school better than the mixed local comp?

[Charis2]

I read this article in the standard earleir, and just thought what is this headmaster on? Why is this scholarship presented as such a huge honour for the boy, when in fact it is a way of the school paying to improve its results by taking in some of the best sixth form students without fees.

What "lifechanging" opportunities does he expect he can offer, which Hassenbrook acadamy can't?

www.standard.co.uk/news/london/needs-pic-teenage-footballer-wins-70000-scholarship-to-boarding-school-that-invented-rugby-a2953791.html

Headmaster Peter Green said he hoped Michael and other Arnold Foundation scholars would have a “ripple effect” on their communities when they return home.

He said: “We might be able to be transformative and transform their lives. Then when they go to university, and after, they can start to transform their own local communities. It’s not about parachuting someone out of that. We want to keep their association with where they are from.”

What a snob. Does he think the staff at Hassenbrook only teach poor peoples maths and physics, and the maths at Rugby is somehow a better class of maths? perhaps he thinks the laws of physics perform better there too?

I hope this lad has fun, but I don't think for a moment his life is going to be in any way better because he spent two years mixing with rich snobs rather than normal people.

All a bit simplistic and Mendelian..........

As so many things it's easily summed up by a verse from a hymn- one that used to be sung frequently in schools.............

"The rich man in his castle
The poor man at the gate
He made them high or lowly
And ordered their estate"

Of course state schooled pupils take exams but this is actually the worst place and time for DC to learn to fail well. Those exams matter!

Far better to experience these things in scenarios without high stakes.
And very regularly, so they become part and parcel of a routine school experience.

But this often costs a lot in terms of money and time ( things state schools don't have in abundance).

Surely this is not controversial?

"Far better to experience these things in scenarios without high stakes.
And very regularly, so they become part and parcel of a routine school experience."

What, like end of year exams and sports trials, and auditions and music exams and end of topic tests and athletic tournaments and inter school matches and award assemblies.......

There wre loads of things about private schools I wish we could have in state schools........but this one is just bizarre!

Bertrand I agree. I assume you must have done philosophy at some point?!

end of year exams and sports trials, and auditions and music exams and end of topic tests and athletic tournaments and inter school matches and award assemblies

All of these things happen in state schools too!

As pointed out above, kids from state schools do better than those from private at uni. Yet private school kids still get the top jobs.

Meritocracy is dead, a country run by and for Tim nice but Dims, just look at the fops in the commons and banking industry. The so called "talent" it does make me chuckle...

And Grazia i know NLCS very well indeed. No child of mine would ever go there, regardless of ability.

"All of these things happen in state schools too!"

Apparently not, Long. And kids who go to state schools apparently never have similar experiences in their out of school activities either.

However, I disagree with you here - "Meritocracy is dead, a country run by and for Tim nice but Dims, just look at the fops in the commons and banking industry. The so called "talent" it does make me chuckle..."

We make a huge mistake if we underestimate the "top job" people. People like Boris Johnson have minds like steel traps under the bumbling exterior. Ditto Cameron and his crowd.

run by and for Tim nice but Dims, just look at the fops in the commons and banking industry.
I think perhaps you should meet a few people who work in banking. The three I'm on on first name terms with all went to comprehensives... and no, they're not lowly grunts: they are all middle aged and fairly senior.

T'was a sweeping generalisation, flawed I know, yes I know some very smart bankers.

I also know people who are MPs, who are top corporate jobs, whom if it wasn't for their familial and educational connections would have got no where near such powerful and well numerated positions.

I sat at a state school talk by one MP, whose father and grandfather were former members of the house, who told a group of 6th formers that you didn't really need any qualifcations to be a policician and thought: " Yeah, you just need to be related to be dropped into a safe seat." One of the kids called him on it and he immediately lost face in front of a bunch of nice, clever, but decidedly not connected children.

That school NLCS looks fab, what's wrong with it?
I couldn't afford to send my dd there, but I'm not sure it would suit her anyway.
I'm sure it suits lots of people.

Apologies I've only read the first few pages.

My dds private school has an indoor pool, an AstroTurf hockey pitch, a shooting range among other sporting facilities. But more importantly it has different and dedicated teachers and coaches for swimming, athletics, horse riding, hockey, netball, cross country, shooting, fencing and football . All experts, some olympians. At our local well regarded comp, the hockey team has played one match so far this term and lost miserably as they have no dedicated teacher and the team practices are cancelled regularly. I can't think of a time when ant of my daughters sports coaching was cancelled.

From so many of these posts- below A is a failure. It is so narrow. This is not what it takes to grow into a well rounded adult.

And seriously, children with learning disabilities are part of our world.Where do they fit in this narrow idea of what matters?

My well regarded London non selective comprehensive state school has an astroturf with floodlights atheltics track, rugby pitch, tennis courts, indoor sports hall, cricket nets (outdoor and indoor) and a cricket pitch. It has well qualfied PE teachers who can and do take all of these sports. Has inter house competitions, inter school competitions, 6th formers who work with local primary schools as coaches. A huge sports day at the end of the year which is massively well participated in.

But whatever, I really hope I never meet any of you at a dinner party. You sound like bleeding racial hygenists most you.

But you are in London! Honestly you have no idea what the majority of comprehensive schools are like outside of London. Your school sounds amazing but it's most definitely not the norm. It's the Rugby of comps

No indoor pool, stables or fencing salle though I see.

What a lot of nonsense on this thread!

I live close to Rugby school. I know several people who have sent their children there (some with scholarships).

I regularly visit Rugby School's sports facilities. I've also just trawled round the local high schools, considering a secondary school for my youngest DC, so have been able to make comparisons.

You would have to be an idiot not to be able to see Rugby School is above and beyond the local "super selective" grammar schools, outstanding bilateral (comprehensive) school or any of the local independent secondary schools.

But then they have the funds to excel. State schools receive about £4.5Kpa per pupil, rather than £35K pa. per pupil. I'll let you do your own maths.

It obvious to me why parents choose Rugby over other schools. Fantastic facilities, teachers and pastoral care.

There is absolutly nothing that Rugby can offer that I would consider desirable for my DC Really, are you actually aware of what Rugby offers, OP?

Are exam results at Rugby better than the local "super selective" grammar schools? No, but it's about much more than just exam results IMO.

As said up thread; money buys advantage. Such is life.

Agreed London bus, Rugby is fantastic.

Assimov..no indoor pool, fencing or stables no. Bit too niche for a school of 1900 kids really. But kids who don't have that terrible whiff of buying, not earning their success.

They can do that sort of thing in their own time.

fencing and riding i mean.

Well as long as we have the fencing, polo and A* grades- who really gives a shit about anyone else? Go us!

'People like Boris Johnson have minds like steel traps under the bumbling exterior. Ditto Cameron and his crowd.'

Have you got any evdience to back up such a wild statement?

So odd, these threads. Private school parents seem to think that state schools are somehow negligent for not providing Olympic quality sports coaching and fencing and Nobel prize winners to give lectures......

As if if they tried a bit harder they could do the stuff private schools do...

"Are exam results at Rugby better than the local "super selective" grammar schools? No, but it's about much more than just exam results IMO.
"

They are, actually.