Harrow v eton

[nokissymum]

i started a thread before about people's experiences with Harrow and got a few responses but felt maybe I needed to word it differently.

I am hoping their are mners here who have more insight into both schools, what are the differences and why one and not the other. Thank you.

[grovel]

Tut tut, Jajas, Colleger has just posted on the relative merits of Cheltenham and Dean Close.

[Matekiddleton]

Eton,. of course. Why Harrow? If you have the choice it should be between Eton and Winchester or with another comparable school. I would choose a comprehensive over Harrow. I went to Cambridge and I didn't meet a single OH. I do know a couple of OHs and they HATED it. I would say that they left over 20 years ago but they were both (in their own words) scarred by the bullying. I do know the details and it sounds awful.

[Matekiddleton]

The kids I know now who failed the (pretty hard) Eton Entrance have gone to Marlborough. Harrow was never considered.

[Colleger]

Jaja, on the whole,I tend to stick to one topic per forum otherwise I get mixed up so Public Schools for Mumsnet, vintage cars on the Top Gear site and sperm quality on the fertilityfriends website!

You will also notice that I have discussed the merits of Wells, Marlborough and two schools which find so hideous that I choose not to mention their names again!

[YouPoshMiddleClasses]

Jesus Christ, you can afford the fees for these schools?
Read my nickname, is all I can say.

[Colleger]

Oh and it's all very well mocking my posts but I find it wholly odd that people would read and post on threads when they are one of the following:

don't have boys
don't have school aged children
are anti private school
have no intention sending DC's to Eton



How would the OP feel if we all decided not to post on subjects which we had relevant knowledge of?

[Colleger]

Now I get it Jajas - you are a Canford lover! :p

[happygardening]

The main difference is that Eton is bigger and more acedemic than Harrow. You are always going to find people who love/hate both. Both are full boarding, and single sex. I never looked at Harrow because for me its location was impossible and I've heard other parents say the same thing - most live in Kent/Surrey. At my DS prep we have boys who go to both (and plenty of families with brothers at both) and there is little difference between them in terms of personality and one of the brightest boys this year chose Harrow over Eton. I would be able to find at least 50 parents at my DS school speach day (yawn) who will be able to tell you why one or other is the right you. Go and look at both and form your own opinion although this hard with Eton as their tour is not very inspiring and very impersonal.

[TheMead]

We never knew what to expect when the head of study in DS prep suggested us just to "visit" and "feel" the atmosphere of the school. After visiting a couple schools, it became obvious regardless how tidy and well-known they were. I think Harrow should be the same.

Although most schools have similar tour routines, greeting tea, wondering around the school buildings & boarding facilities, and coming back for questions, etc. Ones for Eton was rather different (still feel like tourist), partly because of larger group and no campus-based environment. The first real feel of Eton was when you visit there for house selection after conditional offer.

[Colleger]

Yes, I agree that the major downside of Eton is that there is no way to get to know the school until after accepting a place. I was lucky in having a good friend who has invited me to many special events and I gained an insight into the "real" Eton because of this. Even now I am learning things that I would not know with my other on being there such as the music that rivals most conservatoires.

It is difficult for Eton though because many people go on a tour when they don't even have a child, let alone a son!

[happygardening]

This is the problem with Eton - unless like collager you can go to events you will never get a feel for it when go for a tour. I have a friend whose son is there and when she took her younger son to look round it on one of their tours she said that she would not have chosen it if she didn't already know what a good school it was.

[Abitwobblynow]

Matekiddleton you are absolutely right about the bullying at Harrow.

20 years ago.

Now, it has incredible pastoral care - in fact, more so than Eton.

Why do I know this? Because our prep school is an Eton/Harrow feeder. The new boys that go off, the Eton boys are still crying about going back to school 2 terms later whereas the Harrow boys have settled within the first week.

This is understandable in a way, because Eton is very collegiate and this (and own rooms) is a very big ask for little 13 year old boys. Whereas at Harrow there are tutors assigned to every house and the shells (new boys) are watched like hawks. Harrow have found that there is very little bullying from older boys to younger boys (this is seen as unmanly), but that the jostling amongst the peers for top dog position is watched very closely and if it looks like they need help the beaks intervene.

This is the feedback from mothers and prep school anyway. Bottom line, they are both great schools and either one makes your DS a very very lucky boy.

Harrow seems very tribal: there is a tremendous network from old Harrovians with influence reaching out to younger men. Who you know and all of that.
I am not too sure about Eton? Eton certainly gets more Oxbridge places. But the calibre of the staff of both school is exceptional, and there seems to be a lot of 'exchange' between the two schools.

What did you choose, in the end?

[Greythorne]

Zombie thread

[Abitwobblynow]

Whats a zombie thread?

[Abitwobblynow]

Oh, dead and gone!

However, a topic that is perennial

sure to come up again

[Colleger]

I know a few boys that have struggled at Eton but I put that down to them being top of the pack at their prep and then bottom of the heap when they get to Eton. Boys going to Harrow are not always top of the pack, although some will be.

I am impressed by Harrow's network and that OH's are expected to offer work experience to the boys. I have always been very impressed with the Harrow tours but less so with the OH's and the type of boys that are sent there as they are often children of old boys, so similarly arrogant.

As for the house system, I can't see why it would be any better than Eton. Eton has a maximum of ten new boys in a house each year and a maximum of 50 in the entire house. It is small enough for the 3/4 members of staff to keep a very close eye on the boys. The boys have a house tutor and another external tutor so they can mix with boys outwith the house too. I also think single rooms are preferable now my son has got to 13. He needs his privacy and a space where he can get away if he needs too. How many 13 year olds want to share a room at home? I didn't used to think this way.

Radley has an even better system. They have single rooms for the first year but there is a curtain instead of a door and the rooms have no ceiling so the boys can chat to each other and it's not so isolating for a boy who wouldn't cope in a single room. After the first year, the rooms are single.

[Abitwobblynow]

The chanting at the Eton Harrow cricket match at Lords is so amusing.

Heard yesterday: Harrow to Eton 'We all failed the Eton test, do dah, do dah'

And a financier invited to Eton to talk to the boys: 'it is rather a sad day when you have to get an old Harrovian to come and teach you how to make money!'

[Colleger]

It is funny, although I'm not quite getting the Harrow chant? Lol!

[peteneras]

Harrow v Eton?

Nay . . . . .

ETON RULES!

[Abitwobblynow]

Colleger if you get a b or c letter the next place is Harrow. Also that many old etonians are sending their boys to Harrow now.