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.

Yes it was, but what were her reasons because the second school was so wildly different. If you are picking a school based on the child's needs/personality then why opt for a vastly different one as the second choice? That makes no sense to me.

Grovel, sorry if my questioning sounds aggressive, it's not the intention, I'm merely intrigued. :)

Nope, I wouldn't have put Wycombe Abbey; there are girls schools I would choose before that one. Depends also what you are looking for in a school. Can't say I would have considered Oundle either for ds.

Propatria: if we had been coming back to UK as well as ds, then yes, I would have considered Canford for him; but, he has been at an International school since Year 6 (when I foolishly took him away from Mount House), and I can't see him moving from a non-uniform, call teachers by their first names environment to a much more formal regime without a struggle. Had he been younger, then yes, I would have considered it, but as he's going for sixth form, then Symonds fits the bill perfectly. He will also have access to a wider gene pool than he does at present. We live in an ex-pat bubble, where there are some stonkingly well off families, and so he doesn't have experience of some of the kids I taught, where not everyone has two cars, and you have to make careful decisions about what you spend your money on. I hope that Symonds will open his eyes a bit (well, I know, it's Winchester), and get him used to living back in the UK. It'll be a bit more egalitarian than the school here which selects by parental/their employers ability to pick up the fees.

Thats interesting and makes perfect sense, thanks Scary,there are plenty of top tier schools I wouldnt touch with a barge pole but that doesnt mean I cant see they are top,just not right for my offspring.
What I really dont get are parents who make the big decision to go for a £30,000 school and then dont even consider the best,why would you spend that sort of money and not even try for the best money can buy,why settle for mediocrity,At least give one of the best schools a shot,if you dont get in you dont get in at least gove it a try.

Gove it a try..lol...

The other thing to add is that ds doesn't make friends easily, and the cliques from school won't be present as such at Symonds, or in such a big way as there are when one joins a school in sixth form and the cliques are already there. I know it is a criticism that new sixth formers and some of their parents make of his current school, and there should be enough like minded kids at Symonds for him to be friends with, as well as the boarders.

Ease of travel is a must as well. He can fly straight to here from Southampton airport which is a stop on the train I think from Winchester, and we can get there easily by car or train as well. He is also surrounded pretty much by relatives, so has a safety net at the most 15 minutes away in case of need.

I understand what you mean about the fees investment, but balanced against that, if you put your child up for lots of schools and they don't get into one they've/you've fixed their heart on; then they feel they've failed.The 'best' school may not be the best for that particular child. I wouldn't send ds to Millfield, but a friend sends her lad there for the sport, which is at a level that he couldn't get here. A family acquaintance (who can afford it) won't look at Downe House for her dd, but is looking at St Mary's Ascot.,

I also find the thought of staying at school for sixth form odd, but that's because I grew up in Hampshire, and we all left school at 16 and went to sixth form college. I think Symonds will suit ds (and he has been offered a boarding place, so they think he will suit them too. I know it's not for everyone, my nephew went and really didn't enjoy it, so couldn't understand why I was so delighted that ds had got a place; but ds will get more freedom than I allow him here, and hopefully have the same great time that I did when I went there almost 30 years ago. I hope he gets better A level grades though!!!!

I think we all have schools that we have issues with -Sherborne(boys) is one for me,I know people who are very happy with it,I know how good the school is etc etc but Ive just heard/know too many pastoral care issues for me,likewise Millfield,wouldnt look at it but IF i had a really really sporty child then I know its the school,a couple of pals with very Rugby orientated(not a brain cell between them) boys love it,new England captain etc etc...
Dont think its a case of putting up a child for lots of schols then labelling a failure if they dont get in but you can work out what you want single sex,country/town etc etc and then find the top couple of schools in that category and give it a try,if they dont get in ,so be it,you then just move down a level,nothing wrong with that.
Its the not trying in the first place I find odd...
Sounds like Symonds is just right for him,best of luck

Colleger, I don't mind your question at all. It is quite hard retrospectively to apply a rationale to our decision-making.

I just don't think we were particularly committed to a "type" of school (country, town, co-ed, single-sex, super-selective etc). There are lots of very good boarding schools out there and I think we thought our DS would be fine at most of them. He's quite able academically, sporty enough and generally gets on with his peers.

Rather than give ourselves a choice of very similar schools we gave ourselves a contrasting choice between two schools of different types.

That must have made the decision process so much harder for you then. I had enough angst over Eton and Winchester, which i think are quite similar, and in the end it came down to location and Eton had slightly better facilities/number of societies. Turning down the Pre-U though was a huge dilemma as I'm very pro Pre-U.

Well, DS had passed the Eton test at 11 and it was our first choice. The only reservation we had was Eton's reputation for being a "sink or swim" environment. We wanted to wait until he was 12 to be sure that he was assertive/robust enough to "swim".

I agree about the sink or swim and was convinced that Win suited him, although I felt that he needed a rocket up the proverbial and learning to swim would be good for him. It seems that his parents and the school were both wrong and he's had a number of leadership roles this year and has developed a big mouth! His prep is a little too nice for Eton so I think it will be a shock when he goes there.

As an only child, it's not straight forward to be sure if he'd swim at Eton. Academically, (he's not a prodigy but) wer're confident. He's enjoying sports, far from a crosscountry and swimming, but in the first teams in major games. Music is the weakest though with a couple of distinctions, as he started at year 5. He's been settled in new environment fairly quickly and well when he moved from local state o boarding prep.

Despite all that, he's the one is waiting to be recognised, rather than go-out-and-get-it type. He knows he would swim at his best at first, but we're afraid he'd just afloat neither swim nor sink if he feels he's not good enough after his efforts.

I wonder if your DS came out Eton as you were imagined, grovel.

DS can be a floater (er, that doesn't sound right!) and I think he would have got away with doing the bare minimum at Win as its more liberal and independent. DS2 is a go getter so would seize all opportunities at Win.

TheMead, our DS is an only child as well. I recognise what you say about your son. I really would not worry (but you will!).

With the benefit of hindsight I think the "sink or swim" perception can be misunderstood. Eton expect boys to make choices and manage their own lives from Day One. There is, I think, less hand-holding than at most other schools. On the other hand housemasters will notice which boys are not busy and will prod them.

Our DS was very happy at the school and got a lot out of it.

Grovel, how are the College boys perceived? I dislike the fact that they wear a gown over their uniform.

I never sensed any issues between KS boys and Oppidans. I think it helps that there are Oppidan scholars in the houses too - so College is not the exclusive home of extreme cleverness.

Helpful comment on less hand-holding I can see what you mean. At the same time, I'm surprise to hear that WinCol is more liberal and independent although I cannot disagree completely.

I can see that you don't have to swim much (at 5:40), to impress 1300 boys and beaks.

I wondered about that too.

Just updating in case anyone is interested. After all that waiting, DS was offered a conditional place a Winchester just before Christmas. We have just heard he has passed the entrance exam and so he will be going in September. Feeling really relieved we hung on because we do feel it is the right school for DS. Let's hope he loves it and embraces all it can offer when he gets there.

Didn't read the initial thread, but always good to congratulate success. Well done to your DS, my Ds2 starts secondary as well in September, nowhere as grand as Westminster but we are happy to.

I read this thread with interest. Your son will thrive at Winchester, what an amazing school it it. Well done to your DS. A fabulous achievement to get there.

Congratulations! ds1 starts senior.sch as well in September, we're delighted

Congratulations to your son. I am in a similar position to you with DS on the waiting list for the 2015 entry. I am so glad it worked out for your son I so hope that we are as fortunate and will be offered a place in due course, although the registrar contacted us recently to say there has been no movement on the list as yet.

Yotty, well done to your DS, he will thrive at Winchester. An excellent school! My DS is very happy there.

Congratulations great news!