state school child got into Eton

[kris123]

Dear Mums,

Our son was accepted into Eton, and we are indeed very happy, but as always there are now new concerns. He is currently attending a state school, and is due to finishing this year at year 6, whereas Eton only starts in year 9. This means that we have two years "inbetween".

Please note that the offer to Eton, as all of them, is conditional on passing the common entrance exam , which I hear is not difficult, but still requires some work (especially as there are specific subjects like history and geography and latin to cover).

Our choices are:

1. play it safe, send him to the local prep school waste 14k a year basically, and put him under totally not needed stress with kids fighting for 13+ intake. Most prep schools will take him as he will simply improve their statistics.

2. send him to the grammar school, which our son will most probably get into (he did pass the test, but decisions due in March). Issue there for me is that they will not know the Independent Common Entrance System, and will not prepare him for it, and furthermore will not even know that he is leaving them at age of 13 to go to Eton. To add to this they do not teach Latin, one subject that is needed on Common Entrance Tests i think.

3. send our child abroad for one year, to France or Germany to learn a new language, have some fun, ski, relax, and basically enjoy a year after the stress of last two months, learning to board etc. Then bring him back for year 8 to prep school and prepare him for the exam that is towards the end of the year.

Now, I am lost with this topic, but maybe someone can guide me, especially on feasibility of plan 2) and 3). You see we are very much pro state school system - grammar of course, and want our son to learn that there are grammar schools for smart kids and be proud of his years there.

Now my concerns are:

a) how difficult are these common entrance tests? can someone actually fail them if they are smart and do some work, or do you need a lot of work and prep for it like with the admissions process?

b) what is the level and type of work done at the grammar schools... is their program similar to prep schools so that this knowledge can be used for common entrance?

c) how risky would it be to take a child out of the UK education system for one year, and bring him back to the prep school and prepare for the common entrance tests in one year?

Thanks, happy but still concerned parent

Firstly, many congratulations to your DS!

If your son has been at a state school I would have thought that a stint in a prep school (especially if he spends a term or two boarding) would get him accustomed to a different type of regime and would help him settle in more quickly when he gets to Eton.

Secondly, if you are worried about 'Eton bashing' I would have thought that he might be more likely to suffer from this at a grammar rather than a prep school.

I must admit that I thought that the different exam for boys coming from state school only applied to those going for the burseries, but as you say you have spoken to the admissions office then I must be mistaken.

Seeker, no more than your child doing my child a favour by being there.

I understand that some elements of grammar system are unfair, like GS not available in all councils, and child aged 10 being too young to be able to be guided by the school teacher alone (where parents are unable or anaware or do not care), but I assure you that there is no better favour that you could to do the independent schools than that of eliminating the grammar schools.

Communism worked like that too, everyone equal - meaning everyone having nothing. Interestingly though, even in the communist regimes they recognised that the best way to "utilise" the talent was to give them an environment to thrive in.

Oh this is hilarious. I do hope my DCs benefit from having someone like your son at their primary. Their lives will be the richer for it.

Don't worry about Seeker, Kris. She is one of the biggest hypocrites on here when it comes to education.

And I admit it, on a regular basis.

Actually, I think you can only be a hypocrite if you pretend to be something you're not. I never do that.

'telling me that you have helpful information but will not release it is just spitful'

No more so than your blithe disregard for anyone's children but your own.

Still, look on the bright side, if your son shares your lack of understanding and empathy, he'll probably do well at Eton.

I would very much like to know the name of the person at Eton that told the op about the exam(not common entrance) that her son will sit.

There is mention of such an exam but it refers to a "small number of boys" getting places that way so Kris may be jeopardising her son's chances by taking that route. Obviously the majority of boys will have come via the Prep & CE route.

In her shoes I would also be concerned with my son starting at Eton at an academic disadvantage - who wants to be the boy who has to do catch-up lessons in French and Latin? Certainly one way of marking him out as a low-achiever.

BTW Kris - do you have any idea of the kinds of boys who go to St Olave's? The majority are not from ordinary backgrounds - quite a number will have been to Prep school and will come from families that could quite easily afford private education. So you won't be teaching your ds any particular social skills by sending him there - nor will he be "teaching" them how to deal with Etonians. They will cross paths for 2 years and then meet up again at their Oxbridge interviews.

THe only reference I can find to entrants not doing CE (whether from Prep or the state sector) is for the New Foundation Scholarships, as below:

"In September 2009 Eton was able to start offering a new annual scholarship for one or two boys who have been educated in the UK maintained (state) sector for at least years 6, 7 and 8 of their schooling up to age 13. From September 2011, we will be able to offer four places. This scholarship is aimed in particular at boys who would not be able to attend Eton without very substantial financial assistance (in certain cases, full assistance may be given), and who are not in a position to prepare easily for the King?s Scholarship."

So only 4 places are available under this system. Not sure how many boys they take overall but taking CE would certainly improve the chances for Kris's ds.

I love this thread
Kris - you're brightening up my day
your comments are classic

To my knowledge nearly every public school offers an alternative to CE (well, apart from Westminster, I think). DH teaches at a top public school and children take the school's own entrance test if their school doesn't prepare for CE. I wouldn't be surprised if Eton had some sort of similar set-up.

I don't know if you got a response from another parent whose ds attended state school before going to Eton in the end which is what you said you were looking for originally.

Is it all clear now then Kris, how to prepare, what the exam consists of, etc?

Just wondering, you have a dd too, don't you? You say you can "just" afford to send ds to Eton, so I presume you could not really afford the 2 years of prep school on top of that or at least not easily. What will you do about dd when the time comes? Have you calculated her schooling into all this as well?

looking at my last post again, it seems a bit rude, I didn't mean it that way though

my dd was at a state primary school with a boy who got a place at Eton. I don't know the financial details obviously but he left the state primary at the end of year 5 to go to Westminster under school for years 6,7 and 8. This seems consistent with info provided by other posters so if I were you, OP, I would be looking at something like this rather than trying to make the grammar school system fit your needs.

DanZZZ, it would be great if we can maybe start a new thread on this topic as it is interesting one to me too (or I will start it for you if you want). I will call it
"SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR GIRLS. SPECIAL VIEWS ON BOARDING AND SINGLE SEX SCHOOLS".

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I have a reply ready, but due to amount of negativity here and expected further spiteful comments that you will now see on anything I will say here, skewing peoples interpretation of my answers, new thread is the best way I think.

Indeed I am even thinking of shutting this thread down, as I now seem to be the "enemy" to some, a user of the system, person without the morals, and one that deprives other kids of their futures.

Internet is a great thing, but difficult to control.

Iirc, with Whitgift, which you mentioned earlier on, you have to agree that it is your intention for your son to be there until he is 18, so you would have to lie.

In January we will pull out of all further private schools admission processes, including Whitgift.

Of course you're not the enemy. But if you find being challenged on here difficult, then you will find it infinitely harder in real life. And if you follow the path you suggest you will definitely have to justify it in real life - I guarantee it.

can you explain why you decided that no other public schoil than Eton would be appropriate for your ds. Most parents who want to follow the public school route would have an alternative or two in mind should their application not be successful. Eton is not the only school with the facilities etc you describe. I am genuinely interested to hear your reasoning.

Why will you pull out of all other private school admission processes in January? You won't know if your ds has got a place at St Olave's until March. What will you do if he doesn't get a place at St Olave's?

Kris, to get back to your original post at the beginning of this thread. look at the best route for your son into Eton, if that is what you want.
At least 3 posters including myself are dubious about a separate exam for state school boys other than this 'New Foundation Scholarship'. One of them who seems to have an inside knowledge of Eton is even asking for the name of the person who told you about a seperate exam. This is a highly risky route for exceptional boys and is aimed at those who qualify for a bursary, which I do not think you do.

Entry by CE is the most straight forward and requires boys to do higher level french, maths and Latin. You need a prep school, this is their job and they have been specialising in it for years. Even if he neters prep school in year 7 he will have alot of catching up to do. Eton will not take a boy from whatever background who is not up to speed on entering year 9.

I don't have personal experience of Eton, but I do of Westminster, which can't be much different. They move very fast academically in the first year and the day is very full. No time for catch ups. Some boys who have been tutored for CE and got in this way find it very difficult once they are there.

Actually the Whitgift exam is on the 6th of January - are you not planning on taking your ds to the exam?

I also didn't realise that St Olave's now tell you that your ds has passed the exam - in the past you just had to wait until allocations day in March.

It is quite concerning that you don't seem to have thought through a back-up plan for your ds. There are no guarantees with St Olave's or Eton.