Manchester Grammar for Boys - Any success stories

[Chan1982]

Hi,

My son is 5 and is at reception and doing good. We looking at the prospectus for MGS and were very impressed. I thought we will let our son give it a try and see if he does get thru. I know they take kids from year 3. Just wondered if any one here can share some success/failure stories. How can i prepare my son. Since i have a good 2 years, i would can get him ready.

Also, does anyone here have kids who go to MSG. Do they like it? is it a very stressful environment? Is it worth the money? It it really as brilliant as it sounds, the local grammar school Altrincham Grammar sounds great as well, but is MSG so much better off?

Many Thanks!

Hi,

Any comments here are much appreciated.

I would hope that some Trafford posters would appear soon. If DS can get into Alty boys for free why pay for MGS? Is it not a long commute?
A friend has a son at MGS (yr6) but they live local, moved from London where he was in prep and he's very academic. The close by state schools were full at the time so it's worked for them. Others describe it as pushy and some bullying - all hearsay however

I think the difference is that (I believe) that if your son gets into MGS at Y3 entrance to senior school is pretty much guaranteed. Whereas sitting the 11+ for Alty is more of a gamble...

I know lots of boys who went to MGS, they predominantly enjoyed it. I don't know what you would call a "success" story - they now do things ranging from management consultant to theatre producer to fruit picker.

It's not guaranteed - they counsel out those that aren't at the right academic level.

I did wonder, George, but don't have boys so haven't looked into it at all.

I think it's like any highly selective prep- they make it clear early if your son is not the right academic level?

I live in Sth Manc/N Cheshire. If your son is very bright and if you are sure you want single sex and you are in the catchment for ABGS, then I think you would be mad to consider MGS. MGS is indeed an excellent school but ABGS is nationally renound, on your doorstep and free! You could always throw money at his education right now by sending him to one of the preps in Trafford when he reaches 7. They are well versed at getting bright kids into the best of the Trafford Grammars.

If what you are looking for is good facilities and a pushy academic environment then both MGS and AGSB is very similar. If you want a broader but slightly less pushy education or a co-ed environment you need to look at schools such as the Stockport ones; Stockport Grammar or Cheadle Hulme.

I think MGS did guarantee when the were taking boys into Y5. However, when they changed to Y3 a couple of years ago they seemed to make it clear that transfer was no longer automatic.

I have visited a few times in a professional capacity and in my limited experience I found the boys to fit into 2 camps; either very 'boyish' in a rugby playing, play fighting, confident all rounder kind of boy or very shy, geeky, introverted, some with high functioning asd etc. there didn't seem to be a middle section if that makes sense but maybe that was just my limited experience. there seemed to be lots of boys in both these camps as it where so if your son fitted in either then im sure he'd be fine. All very bright boys and due to MGS's blind admission policy, not all very affluent boys either.

Yes that's right - there was a guarantee when the earliest transfer was year 5, not now it is year 3. You need to go and get a gut feel - it has a distinct ethos. It's not right for everyone, even if they are bright.

We turned down a place at AGSB in favour of a place at MGS. Contextual value added is slightly better at MGS. The extra curricular programme is far superior at MGS. Transport to MGS is much easier for us.
I have heard reports of bullying at both schools (slightly more at AGSB), but it is all just hearsay.
Both schools do very well at getting boys into the best universities. Both schools have excellent academic success.

Y3 is very young to send your only child to a single sex school I think...

But I love MGS and all my sons went there. It's a fabulous school. Is it worth paying for rather than going to Altrincham for free? Depends on how rich you are and what else you'd like to do with that money I guess!

I visited MGS and Stockport Grammar last October with a view to DS doing exams for both in January 2016. We did the open days and also had a tour on a normal school day.

Obviously just my opinion, but I much preferred Stockport. MGS felt very pushy and hugely selective. I liked the whole family feel at Stockport. Both had great results and lots of extra curricular activities. However I got a real feel for the pastoral care at Stockport. MGS was too much about what they expect from the boys where as Stockport was about what we can do for your child. Stockport had a friendly feel to it.

I know that is not a comparison regarding the Grammars in Trafford, but just my feelings about MGS compared to another private Grammar.

I think there is very little difference academically (in terms of results) between AGSB and MGS. You're talking a difference of 2 or 3% between overall results. From an entrance exam point of view at Y6, I know of several boys who have passed MGS but not passed AGSB, but none the other way. The general perception is to try for AGSB, if your son doesn't get in and you can afford it, have MGS as a back up. I don't think (and this is only a personal opinion) that the benefits offered by MGS over AGSB are, on the face of it, worth the school fees unless money is no object. But as everyone says, you need to visit the schools. And also remember that what may appear to suit your son at 5 is not necessarily what will suit him at 7 or 11.

Lucy, out of interest, did you look at CHS and Kings Macc also? I'm currently doing the rounds too. Not sure if both Chs and kings are less academic than SGS or whether that was just the impression that SGS wanted to give! I do know a woman who lives in CH and whose son is at a local prep and she told me she'd always assumed he would move on to either MGS or Chs but now she's actually considering CH high school as she said it has become very academic recently. I don't live there so doesn't affect me but interesting. I think I discounted MGS as I was pretty sure I wanted co-ed.

I looked at MGS, AGSB, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport Grammar and Kings macc.
MGS and AGSB were our clear favourites but Stockport was a good back up choice. We would have preferred co-ed but based on what we saw the two boys schools offered more to suit our son. I think the key is that all schools are best for some children, but not others. It's about seeking a school which will suit your individual child. For us that school was MGS.

Torwood, Kings Macc is too far for us and no bus routes for CHS. We live in Tameside.

We looked at Oldham Hulme, which we liked, but not as much as Stockport. Oldham is Co-Ed, but they teach boys and girls in separate classes. Very small classes I might add. My DS does like the idea of 'just boys', but Imthink that is because he is going through a phase of finding girls very annoying.

Stockport was right for us, as my DS sometimes lacks confidence, although you wouldn't know it to meet him. He does put himself under a bit too much pressure at times and I felt that MGS would be too pressurised for him. I felt Stockport had the balance just right.

We also went into a year 7 English class at Stockport and the teacher had my DS mesmerised. He came out raving about it. This from a child who hates English and writing. He felt that the classes he went into at MGS were very 'strict' (his words).

I do know people who have had sons at MGS and they have thrived and loved it, it's just not the right school for my DS.

I agree with lucy about MGS being very selective and it would be very pressured for some boys. For my son who craves being in a very selective environment and was sick of feeling 'held back' at primary school due to the mixed ability of the classroom MGS is a good option for him.
Knowing that these schools dont set for almost any subjects (only maths from year 8 at most) and also knowing that several of my sons primary school mediocre ability classmates gained places easily at Stockport we knew it would only be a back up choice for us. My son really wanted to be in a more selective environment. Hence why MGS and AGSB stood out above the rest. We would have been swayed by the no cost nature of AGSB if it hadn't of been so bloody difficult to travel to each day. I couldn't bear the thought of my son spending 90 minutes at each end of the day travelling (only 10 miles but awkward public transport routes).
Stockport is without doubt a very good school (same for kings and cheadle hulme) but everyone needs to just look at what their child needs and the sort of environment that their child will thrive in and enjoy.
I also like the fact that around 20-25% of the boys at MGS are in receipt of some level of bursary funding. It's really important to me that my son is at a school where the children come from a range of economic and ethnically diverse backgrounds as well as the school being the right fit for him as an individual.
I don't think you can really assess those things at 5 years old though as the OP is attempting to do.

No, you can't, I completely agree. And outsiders can't judge what is right. No one understands why we pay fees for two very bright boys and don't send them to MGS. But it wasn't the right school for them, or for us as a family. I tried really hard to like it. But I didn't and neither did they.

Same here George. DD1 is academically gifted and great at sport into the bargain. She sat and passed the entrance exam for Withington but we turned it down in favour of one of the co-ed independent schools mentioned on here. I am regularly asked why isn't she at WGS. If all I was interested in was 4 A* Alevels then I may have opted for WGS but as it was I wanted her interests to be broadened away from what she was good at ie academic studies and the 3 sports she plays very well. I felt WGS wanted her because she was so bright and sporty. I know she's bright and sporty and I wanted a school that would allow her to do well in those areas but bring out other sides of her. I also felt quite committed to opting for a co-ed environment.

Op, if you really want boys only and you live in Trafford then, unless money is no object, you really need to weigh up what you would get from MGS over and above what you would get from AGSB. Think about travel too if you live close to AGSB.

I was thinking about this over the weekend. If you like MGS but can't decide and if you can afford the fees then why not put him in for the test and if he passes them send him. As you live in Trafford their is nothing to stop you still sitting the test for the grammar. Then you can make a decision whether to keep him at MGS if he is thriving and their are no financial issues or move him to AGSB. He would certainly be in a position to give the grammar entrance his best shot if he's spent his junior years at MGS. I know lots of parents in Trafford who pay at primary level to give their children the best shot at their preferred grammar school at 11.

Hi everyone
Can anyone please help ! My DS1 is already in Manchester grammar school. My DS2 took the entrance exams aswell recently . Does anyone know the siblings policy? Does anyone know of people that 1 son got in and the other rejected? Any advice would be appreciated. Many thanks