Winchester college v canford?

[yotty]

My DS1 is pretty bright but not a genius, not sporty, but loves drama. Can't decide whether he would be better off at Winchester, as he is a bit of a quirky character. Or go to canford and know that he would be in the top 30 percent of the year group, so could feel he could excel in something. Anybody got any thoughts/knowledge of these schools.

What I was trying to say was interesting thread !

I only opened it as it came up in active conversations in front of me and I live close to Canford. I don't know many children who go but the two I do know at the moment,have gone to Canford after failing to get into the Grammar.

Well heres" a " top ten,not in reality my actual top ten but a top ten but onethat has something for everyone ,be it single sex,co-ed or London day, Well in no particular order,Oundle,Rugby,St Pauls,Westminster,Clc,Downe,Radley,Eton and Canford....no sorry scrap Canford,I meant Harrow and finally Winchester,now it would be very possible to drop/change several of those schools but those are the type of schools I mean by first tier,it would be possible to come up with another10 all of whom had a case to be made but its that level of school Im thinking of.
s for regional,well lets let someone else start that one ,this could be fun...

Top ten globally as in known globally, not necessarily known in this country.

Eton
Harrow
Phillips Exeter
Phillips Andover
Hotchkiss
Hilton College
Winchester
Cheltenham Ladies
Rosey
Atlantic Colleges

In this country

Eton
Harrow
Winchester
Westminster
Radley
Rugby
CLC
Wycombe Abbey
Marlborough
Charterhouse

Perceived most academic

Westminster
St Paul's boys and girls
Winchester
Wycombe Abbey
NLC
City boys and girls
Haberdashers
Magdalen College School
Manchester Grammar
Eton
Oundle

Fwiw, I don't necessarily agree with all of this. Peterneras will be pleased that Eton is in all of these lists and Harrow is not!

Does any of this matter? Is the most important things what your DC feels about it and if you're comfortable there?

Peteneras will settle for just the very first name in your very first category.

It doesn't matter HG but someone asked so I obliged!

Agree with you Happygardening.
I have 2 thoughts on this subject. Firstly, being the alumni of such well known institutions can be a hindrance rather than a help. People you meet tend to put you in a box before they actually know anything about you.
Secondly, if each of these schools has about 120 pupils in each year group then each year about 1200 pupils enter these schools. I don't know how many 13 year olds there are in the country but there must be several 100000. So even if you take just the top 10% of that large cohort they can't all go to 10 schools. That leaves a high number to go to and excel at plenty of other schools, both private/public or state. that is why there is no such thing as 'top 10 schools', just the right school for your child.

Hallelujah! I am so pleased Yotty that you are going to think things through properly for yourself and choose a school based on what you feel is best for your child, rather than any sort of top 10 style ranking.
I find Propatria's comments such as 'scrap Canford' rather ignorant and frankly downright rude, I'm afraid, knowing that there are others on this thread who have children at the school.
Good luck Yotty - hope it works out well for whatever you choose. Signing off now.

Sarah relax,chill a bit,if you remember it was you that brought up the subject of top tier schools by claiming Canford was one,it isnt,never will be,does that matter? No, if you are happy with it,thats fine but if you make silly claims for it then you must expect that claim to be challenged,
Canford is a perfectly fine local school,wouldnt be my first or indeed second choice if I lived in Dorset but its ok, ,youve seen the type of school that are top tier,do you still think Canford should be on that list?

I wouldn't have put Oundle or Wycombe Abbey in the most academic list I must admit, and I would have put Oundle on a par with Canford.

You wouldn't have put WycombeAbbey?

As for academic, I suppose we could lump all London schools in together, except Westminster which is markedly higher, and then rank the other ones.

Oundle? Streuth.

Milton Abbey should be on the list, surely?

I think if you look at exam results,Oxbridge entries etc over a period of time youll see why Oundle was listed by colleger,it would be in my top tier anyway,academic or not,a top school for all rounders and top couple of choices if you want a mixed school,I know you have a soft spot for Canford Scary but its not really the equal of Oundle but to be fair Oundle does have the advantage of a 500 year head start...
Scary,if ds is returning to uk ,did you think about Canford or was it not practical?

Milton-should be on what list?

Milton Abbey - top 10 for lovely surroundings?

Our DS went to Eton but Canford was our second choice. We thought it outstanding of its type (co-ed, campus, not super-selective).

Lovely surrondings,thats a good list.would put Milton on that list and top of the ferreting list.

Can I ask why you would choose such a different choice as a second choice grovel? I would have thought if you wanted a school like Eton for a "fall back" then you wouldn't choose one that was so different - co-ed, although choices are limited for boys, but especially not campus. Or did you choose Eton because of its name even if you preferred co-ed, campus and not super-selective?

Gordonstoun has to win for lively surroundings, and it's stonking yacht!

Sorry ,Id give the lovely surroundings prize to Stowe...

Now Im intrigued whats lively about the Gordonstoun surroundings,could be a whole new category...

Grovel,are you Dorset based?

I was only suggesting that Milton Abbey be in the Top Ten. Stowe is, indeed, lovely. We're not Dorset-based but only 70 minutes from Wimborne.

Colleger, we were crippled by indecision. We decided to have 2 contrasting schools and delay making a choice until DS was 12. I suppose Eton was really our first choice but we wanted to be sure that DS would not just cope there but flourish.

I wouldn't put Winchester on the most well-known lists.

Eton
Harrow
Rugby
Charterhouse
CLC
Ampleforth if you're a Catholic

I'd never heard of Radley until 3 weeks ago.

But then why not go for a similar school to Eton as a second choice? Your reasons for Eton would have included non-campus, single sex, selective so opting for a similar type school would have been more obvious. I dislike campus schools, another reason for being very unsure about Radley, so I wouldn't be looking at Canford but may look at Sherborne.

I don't think it's wrong to admit that Eton is often chosen because it is Eton. I know so many parents who have done this, and many who say, "You don't turn down Eton." Let's face it, it's the most closed environment and the tours are awful so opting to send a child there is not an informed decision.

I prefer Westminster to Eton but DS refuses to go there, although I still have a couple of months to talk him into sitting the Challenge.

Grovel, why not have Winchester as a second choice as far more similar to your first choice than Eton?

Colleger - but Eton was Grovel's first choice.