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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Senior schools for boys (London day or boarding)

86 replies

laurent · 30/08/2011 19:16

Have now started thinking about senior school options for my twin boys but there are so many good schools the task seems rather daunting Shock so was wondering whether Mumsnet could offer a helping hand.
They're both bright and generally do well at school, although DTS1 prefers playing football and getting muddy while DTS2 is the more academic one. He also loves drama.
I've only now realised that finding the right school might be a bit problematic as they're such different characters. Ideally we'd keep them at the same school as otherwise the logistics of it would be a nightmare. So far we've shortlisted Westminster, St Paul's, UCS, Latymer Upper and Highgate, I'm eager to hear any experiences and other suggestions!
Initially we didn't think of boarding as an option at all, but their prep school suggested it and both boys seem keen. I don't know anything about boarding these days so I'm eager to hear any experiences of that as well!
Thank you in advance :)

OP posts:
happygardening · 10/09/2011 10:48

At Eton you are not interviewed by a an actual housemaster for a place in his boarding house until you've been offered a place ay Eton itself. You are offered a place after you've been interview by one of the beaks (teachers) the interview lasts no more than 10 mins, sat their computer generated psychometric test and and a reference has been taken up from your sons prep school. At the end of this process you are either offered a place, or a place on the waiting list or are declined completely. I know from boys at my son's prep that it is quite difficult to get off the waiting list you have to keep telling Eton about your son's achievements e.g, captain of first 15, major part in school play, prefect etc. It is at Winchester where the housemasters do the interviews and select the boys they want for the school and their house. The parents meet the housemasters before hand and choose one that they like and register there son with that house. Boys are then guaranteed an interview which is rather nicely described as "conversation" it last about 1 1/2 hours at the end it there are four options: 1. you are either offered a place in his boarding house, 2. you are told that your son is not suitable for his boarding house but suitable for the school and another boarding house might want you, 3. you are put on the waiting list, 4. refused place. I've no idea how easy it is to get off the waiting list.

yotty · 10/09/2011 12:34

Happy gardening, can you tell me what sort of written test your son did at Winchester in Year 6? I am assuming it is something along the lines of verbal and non verbal reasoning, or is it straight forward maths and English. My son due to do test next term. I am sure he will quite enjoy an 1 and half hour conversation with an adult, but NVR is not his strong point.
By the way, I hope your son is enjoying his new school. Do you spend hours wondering how he is getting on?

happygardening · 10/09/2011 13:06

I understand that not all housemasters do the same thing. I think he had to write about what makes you particularly good a chosen sport, and a verbal reasoning and non verbal reasoning test there might have been a comprehension (or at least the housemaster told us he sometimes did this) if he did then he read a passage and the housemaster asked him questions about the passage. The interview was very relaxed talking about family, friends, hobbies and interests and also questions like who do you admire and why? In his case it lasted well over two hours and when we picked him up we could hear the two of them laughing together. His friends were interviewed by different housemasters and did different things. The housemaster was recently telling us how he can tell when children have been prepared because their answers are what they've been told he wants to hear rather than what they really think. E.G. Do you like music? Yes I like classical music. Which composer? Mozart (boring).

yotty · 10/09/2011 13:30

Thanks Happygardening, very helpful. Let's just hope he gets in, as he has set his heart on Winchester.

marriedinwhite · 10/09/2011 15:14

suppermummy I don't want to be unhelpful but I know too many families where the parents have tutored their boys from the crib to get into St Paul's or KCS - where this has been against the advice of the prep or they have got in on the second or third attempt, the boys, in my experience, have rarely been happy and have sometimes left after a few years because they were square pegs stuffed into round holes or just struggling academically. The right school for your son will the school that opens its arms to welcome him. Ardingly, Lancing, Ampleforth, etc., might all be alternatives - or indeed Kings Canterbury - and I wasn't being damning about it further up - it's my family school at the end of the day!

suppermummy · 10/09/2011 15:45

Thanks all ...you all have been sooo helpful.
I will try an speak to the music department...at eton
My son is sitting for his interview at Harrow this week ....just hope he make it....he is a bundle nerves.

happygardening · 10/09/2011 16:17

suppermummy ggod luck. Do look at Kings Canterbury if no joy we know lots of children there at the vast majority love it.

happygardening · 10/09/2011 16:22

Sorry for spelling errors typing with sons netbook and haven't got glasses on!

MotherOfGirls · 10/09/2011 20:17

laurent - I have no idea how far you're prepared to travel for boarding but you might like to go and visit Malvern College. They have a fabulous new sports complex (highlighted in the Tatler guide) and they take sport seriously. They also have strong drama but they still achieve great things on the academic side. I chose it for my girls because it suits them both (they are VERY different) and because, although it is co-ed, the house system is very strong so they have a lot of single-sex time too. It is a campus school and they go back to their house for break and for all meals - and even to shower and change for sport if they want to. I feel it's a bit of a hidden gem - no ridiculous waiting lists or hoops to jump through to get in.

Good luck in your search.

suppermummy · 11/09/2011 00:22

I have a question....what does music exhibition mean?
is it a scholarship?

happygardening · 11/09/2011 00:41

An exhibition is for those not quite scholarship material. So for example if 100 children sit an academic scholarship exam the first 12 will get the scholarship the next 4 the exhibition there are usually less places available for an exhibition. I'm assuming its the same principle for music the best get a scholarship and then a few who are not quite that good can get an exhibition. When large sums of money were attached to the awards there was less money with an exhibition. I think you often get free music lessons with a music scholarship and I think I read on one schools website with an exhibition you didn't get so many free lessons. Two boys at DS2 prep got music scholarships/exhibitions into Harrow both were one was grade 8 and the boy who got the exhibition was the next one up from grade 8 cant rememeber waht it was called. On the other hand another boy got a music exhibition into Stowe and he was grade 5 on the trumpet and bloody awful in my opinion. So the standard varies from school to school

suppermummy · 11/09/2011 08:57

happygardening ...Thank you very much....

suppermummy · 14/09/2011 08:46

my son sat for the assesnment at harrow yesterday...the house master who interviewed him said that he wz very impressed wt my sons cv.
he spoke to me for 30 min. explaining to me how well my son spoke through out the interview and he went on on on...does this mean anything...do you think he will get a place at harrow...

happygardening · 14/09/2011 10:38

Sounds positive I don't think housemasters are stupid they know parents will analyse every word they say hoping to get a clue as to whether or not they like your child so I'm sure they pick comments carefully.
How long do you have to wait; they let you know near to Xmas don't they?

suppermummy · 14/09/2011 23:09

Yes that right...we will find out infirst week of december.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 15/09/2011 17:44

laurent you are still in time to register for St Paul's if you haven't already done so but you must register before May of yr 4 otherwise you will be put on a waiting list.

Depending on where you live Merchant Taylors in Northwood might be another option. I know a few people with boys there and they like it. It gets good results and is a friendly school.

WineOhWhy · 15/09/2011 18:33

I am not sure why the logistics would cause a problem in sending them to separate schools. I can see that it would at prep age, but by senior school I imagine they will be travelling by themselves. people with children of different ages have to deal with it where (say) the older child gets into a competitiive school and the younger child does not make it through the admissions process, or whey they have B/G and are fans of single sex education.
What woudl you do, for example, if they dont both get offers from the same school?
I would consider individually which schools are right for them and decide on that basis. if it happens to be the same school, all the better!

suppermummy · 07/12/2011 12:22

anyone heard from harrow for 13 plus 2013 entry

Colleger · 07/12/2011 13:01

Do you mean as in Pre-test results or Pre-test appointments? I believe they start in Year 7 but don't know if they do it in the same way as Eton and have the oldest children tested in the first half of the year and the younger ones in the last half.

Colleger · 07/12/2011 13:04

Sorry just seen your post above suppermummy. When DS had his Winchester interview the housemaster also raved and said he was the brightest boy he'd interviewed in years. I didn't want to count my chickens but he was offered a place so I think with the comments above its likely he has a place. I'd call up though just to check when results come out.

happygardening · 07/12/2011 13:48

Does your head not know when the results come out? I know its nowish. It's dreadful waiting I know just how you feel.

Colleger · 07/12/2011 15:01

Lots of mail goes missing too at this time of year and one school forgot about my boys on four occasions so it is worth calling up!

grovel · 07/12/2011 15:08

peteneras, Ralph Allwood's successor was Director of Music at Westminster. Tim Johnson. A live wire.

Colleger · 07/12/2011 15:17

This is the same director that ignored all my emails when we were looking at Westminster for DS2. Not a good sign when only 30% of the school played an instrument! In fact since Ralph left I've also had two emails ignored by the music department. :(

grovel · 07/12/2011 15:26

Colleger, phone them.

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