If Winchester College don't accept DS1 what about Charterhouse?

[yotty]

Probably going to apply to Winchester for DS1. If he does not get offered a place would Charterhouse be an alternative? He is bright, quirky and likes drama and music, but not good at sport or art. He would have to be a full boarder as we live a short plane ride away. I'm worried that the boys will all be busy playing sport or going home at the weekend. Should I be concerned or am I just being neurotic?

I dont know I dont think I've ever looked at a shower!

I would be rather annoyed if a Housemaster recounted any story about a parent looking round. It says more about the Housemaster than the visiting parent.

The fact is if I am spending a minimum of £150k on my child's education I want to make sure that the facilities are not substandard, and quite frankly there are a lot of shawdy boarding houses in every Public School. As it is I have never asked to look in a shower but we wouldn't buy a car (that costs less) without examining every aspect. Houses and boarding school are close to the two most expensive purchases and yet how long do we spend looking round a house, checking everything works, turning on the taps etc? Not long enough and it is the same with schools! I really wanted to see a class at work when looking round Eton but that was not available to see except for in the DT and Art departments.

Hi colleger this was not a housemaster recounting a story about a parent. It happened when I was on a tour of one of the boarding houses at the open day.

Interesting history of comments here. We're looking at Winchester because they have dropped A-Levels; any school who's gutsy enough to hold two fingers up to government education policy must be doing something right. At the moment son is in a supposedly 'academic' independent day school for boys: turns out they're only box-tickers like all the others. We visited Winchester in June, had a great tour, and were invited on the spot to lunch with the Master and boys. Next week son is going back to spend Sun/Mon/Tues boarding and seeing what the classes are like. Up to now all our dealings with the school have been very positive--we shall see if the boy likes it. Incidentally, he's 12. This is a last minute attempt, as we had no idea we wanted to send him to boarding school when we were supposed to get the ball rolling. So now it's down to about 15 places left for Scholars. Please, nobody tell me how difficult this is going to be!

Good luck there OldBroom! would like to the prep as we are trying to move DS to a supposedly academic boys prep to help him get into Winchester and don't want to end up at the same box-ticking school!

Would like to know the prep!!!

Honestly? Its notoriously difficult probably the hardest in the country. To get it you not only have to be incredably bright but your child has to be really industrious and hard working prepared to give their all to it. My nephew went to a London day school where they started preparing for it in year 7 and I think this is standard stuff. Their standard entry papers are GCSE level and beyond; I know that parts of the Latin paper are AS level and the same for the maths. I was told that the Eton scholarship is A level standard so God knows what level the Win Coll scholarship papers are. You need to be in a prep school which is familiar with its requirements and has the infra structure to provide lessons at the required level not just a normal bog standard scholarship level. Having said this my son who sat the standard entrance test was telling me that he has scholars in all his classes (they are streamed) including French and maths. The school will send you copies of the standard entrence papers why don't you look at these and see if your son is working even at this level.
On a more positive note its a wonderful school with a wonderful caring ethos.

Let's be clear, their standard scholarship papers are more like A'level!

the boys still look darned scruffy when they wander around town at lunchtimes though
not a tucked in shirt between them

OldBroom, how about Rugby? Moved to Cambridge Pre-U to replace A levels in most traditional subjects.

Nice to know they're producing normal boys then. What a dumb comment TalkinPeace2

Wellington?

I couldn't care less what my son dresses like if that sort of thing bothered me there's a well known school off the M4 I could have sent him too. As the head master said the other day have chosen to send your son to the "best school in the world" how they dress is immaterial.

Now let's not fall out HappyGardening!

Sorry collager hope you're ok any news

As a teenager it was easy to spot a Wykemist walking up the High Street. Shirt always hanging out but always with a turned up collar for some reason. Very neat hair, lambswool jumper always hanging over the shoulders and more often than not very very dishy!

I have friends who have dcs at Canford and are very happy with it. I also have a dh who went there and so I can endorse the Canford product!

Is Winchester reasonably generous with bursaries? Are are they only for scholars or can also-rans apply?

Not sure how generous they are, but as I understand it, you sit the scholarship and if you are successful they will offer a means tested bursary. So if you can afford it you get no financial award but if you need financial help they will help you out accordingly. Can't say I have looked into it for my son as he is not in the Winchester scholarship league. However, he is more likely to be offered a scholarship at a less academically prestigious school (according to his headmaster). So if he gets into Winchester we will have to pay the full wack or we apply elsewhere and get a fee reduction if he gets offered a scholarship. Tough choice!

Winchester are very very generous with their bursaries and you don't have to be a scholar to get one.

Yotty, don't know where you got to on this, but we considered Winchester for our DS as well as him remaining where he is. The final choice was his and he decided to stay; he'd thought it through. He has cousins there and the overall education is absolutely fantastic. Personally I'm not fussed about the showers if the teaching is good. But, and it is a but, his cousins say that in general people come from London, Winchester, or a long plane ride away and Sundays after chapel can be a bit lonely when people disappear so it might be good to get a few friends for him to visit until he settles in.

Thanks DottyT, I suspected that was the case. One housemaster told me that about half the house disappeared on a Sunday afternoon. Part of the reason Winchester suits us is that we do have friends and family within an hour of the school, so I console myself with the thought that hopefully there will be somebody we can call on to take him out for lunch if he feels lonely. Personally, I would love to be seeing him every weekend, so I can understand why it is allowed. It's just tough when you live too far away to make it viable.
Sometimes I wonder if somewhere like Marlborough, which is that bit further from London has more kids around at the weekends. Does anybody have any views?

I'm sure the co-ed factor makes both boys and girls want to stay in at the weekend!

once he settles down there won't be a problem. and it is a fantastic school - would have been thrilled if DS had decided to go. (NB - the latin and french papers at the standard non scholarship level are testing and one friend says that at her DS's prep school - well known, academic - the Pauls, Westminster and Winchester applicants are all advised to have separate tutoring on top of their ordinary schooling in those two subjects. But once you're there it's fine and at this age it's not hard to catch up; boys come from a variety of backgrounds and schools. )

dottyT is right the Latin and French papers for non scholars are difficult and extra tuition maybe required, Winchester are aware that both are often poorly taught in prep schools so I understand are less worried about "poor" marks in those subjects than in Maths (not an easy paper either) or English. If your child is at a boarding prep. school you do need to keep a particular eye on whats going on and check regularly that your DS is getting appropriate level of teaching. They should at the very least be in the scholarship stream because the exams require detailed discursive answers rather than descriptive answers or just regurgitating facts onto paper as required for CE. The best thing you can do is be at a prep that has recent experience of the exams.

With regard to weekends yes lots of boys do go home or shall we say out on Sunday but this also happens at Eton and I suspect Marlborough as well its just how things are but there are activities all day on Saturday right up until bed time and my DS says as the boys get older they seem less inclined to go home.