Independent schools for the quirky/odd/non-conformist/downright difficult!

[Colleger]

Says it all really. If music school doesn't work out then we need to register at a school that will cater for a boy who is bright but only interested in academia when it suits him plus the personality above! I have to assume he won't get into Winchester and although Bedales would fit like a glove I do not want to accentuate the above traits! But let's not argue about Bedales!

Any advice?

Milkshake, no problem. Don't get too stressed (I did). A clever all rounder will thrive at lots of schools.

This thread is getting funnier and funnier - who are the mysterious Mr A and Mr J - why is Pretentious quoting a quoter of a quote of Micheal Winner and in which high-street is the Yamaha Music School ........

RosemaryandThyme "Pretentious" is certainly the right word she swallowed the Eton propaganda hook line and sinker. Are we really sure she's not on their marketing team?

Actually I know Eton are pretty proud of themselves but even they are not that far up their own backsides.

No, but Winchester are!

Peterneras does know what he's talking about. Anyway probably won't get in so I need to think on. :(

Are Win Coll?
I'm sure Peterneras knows a lot but no where is perfect not even Eton.

Charterhouse any good ?

At least Wellington is not up its own arse.

It's up Seldon's!

Winchester are but I wouldn't discount it. They all are at the end of the day!

Shudder at Wellington! Lol

Wow! Pretentious, sorry I meant Peteneras, you are really wearing the Eton T.shirt.
Do they really need someone like you on this thread to sing their praise? For a PR person you are doing a lousy job, you are putting me off Eton.

Putting you off Eton?

Don?t delude yourself, Pasta, you?ll have to fight very, very, very hard for a place there. I wouldn?t put any money on you succeeding, but keep trying.

For that Eton T-shirt.

For someone on record to say that she wouldn?t touch a school with a fussy uniform with a barge pole as the main reason for not going to that school, then we all know that she?s had her posterior well and truly stuffed, perhaps by the same barge pole?

Pretentious indeed!

This was a nice thread once (albeit Colleger is cheeky and willfully provocative).

I love how all threads end up about Eton and HG saying she despises it!

I NEVER tried to be provocative! :(

Pretentious: You have lost the plot. A dieu.

Here is some of the work of pretentious from a previous thread. Pathetic really!

?pete you are getting dangerously close to personal attack, though I have broad shouders.?

?pete I've no idea why anyone on MN should be so gratuitously rude to another.?

?colleger I think pete's rudeness to me has little to do with Eton.
There's no particular debate: I've nothing derogatory to say about Eton as a school, it just wouldn't be my own first choice.
I hope that the school still manages to instill in its pupils better manners than displayed by some of the parents.?

?Colleger, for those who are still living in the 18th and 19th century and think that Oxbridge is the be all and end all for education, well good luck to them. You're right, many bright Etonians don't bother in the modern day, "Five years at a medieval college is more than enough for me and I don't need to see another one at Oxbridge".........Btw, I saw in your earlier post that you couldn't make it to the playing fields today. What a shame, the biggest crowd I've seen to date. Maybe the tremendous weather has something to do with it??

I am not surprised HG despises it/you at all.

Hey Pasta!

No need burning the midnight oil digging into old archives to see what you can find. The rules are very simple:

1. If you can?t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
2. If a civilised polite debate is not your scene then join another thread.
3. If you want to resort to bad language having lost an argument then game on.

Chow!

Eton: "HG despises it" I'm not sure I've ever said I despise it. Its not for me; i wouldn't touch it with a barge pole but I have plenty of friends with boys there and they love it in fact I've never heard anyone with a boy there say a bad thing about it and I think in the past I've always acknowledged this. I accept it is a good school if it works for your child. I find it too perfect, too polished and as I heard someone say "Eton the brand" and this is an ethos that does not sit comfortably with me. I also don't believe that it has "the resources and ability to deal with all these without so much as moving a hair let alone batting an eyelid" it cannot be the right fit for all. In fact as I've also said parents we know with boys at Eton and A N Other whether it be Win Coll Harrow Stowe or anywhere else for that matter seem to agree it suits a certain type of boy.
I do have a loathing of fussy uniforms and wouldn't touch a school that has one. I believe education is about preparing children for their lives in the the 21st century and I personally don't believe that ridiculous uniforms do that. Children want to run and jump and play games etc and have fun boaters and tails coats etc restrict this. I also know that some parents like their children to be seen in these uniforms because its telling others that they have money and can afford independent ed. Our children are not meant to be outward signs of our wealth.
I would advise anyone to go and look at it although even its most ardent supporters admit the general show round is awful and form you own opinion.

HG, I was having a joke with you!

As for uniform it does not make the school. One could argue that putting boys in men's suits at the age of 13 is also dressing them up in an inappropriate way but I don't care about all of that. Of course Eton would not suit all but then neither would Winchester and the fact that Winchester is less inclusive means it simply cannot be the "best school". Buy neither school needs defending or criticising. Peterneras and I have first hand experience of the boys, staff and every day runnings of Eton and even parents with children at other public schools choose to paint it in a false light (not saying you are doing this HG). I know the facts and the lovely young chaps it produces and there is less arrogance there than at any of the major public schools we talk about. Eton, it's pupils and parents never feel the need to criticise other schools. That says it all really.

The attack on Peterneras is low. I have no issue with any member on here but I really don't want this thread to turn into personal insults or the pros and cons of Eton. There are two schools I wish my son could get in to, I'm not sure either would fit perfectly but they would be the closest match. Unfortunately I don't think he can produce the goods in the pre-test for either. :(

HG regarding Eton and Winchester, it is interesting that a large number of parents have their boys sit the test for both an only these two. Yes they are different but if they were that different then most parents would pick Eton and Rugby or Winchester and Oundle for example.

Eton, it's pupils and parents never feel the need to criticise other schools. That says it all really.

Have you re read some of your own comments about other schools and children? under the name you currently use and previous names?!

Hmmm interesting point colleger in my experience this is not the case and a couple of other parents at other prep schools were saying the same thing. I agree they do have similarities but differences as well but I think first time parents struggle to see it thanks to the fact that both have pretty awful open days/tours. I think timing of interviews and notification of success not perhaps also plays a part why this cant be standardised I dont know. Certainly parents I speak to with boys at both feel there is a significant difference. I agree that Win Coll is less inclusive because it is more selective but from what I understand from other parents it is more tolerant of children having "strengths and weaknesses" than Eton although I suspect this all relative.
Uniform is just my particular thing I know most people dont feel as I do but was useful when choosing a school it eliminated quite a few! In my ideal world uniform would be simple, easy to care for, come in the right sizes; long in the leg but tiny in the waist and hip and stand up to lots of wear. But then in my ideal world lots of things would be different not just school uniform. At least at Win Coll we can buy it anywhere and there's a degree of freedom with regard to colour etc. Luckily the boys don't have to wear suits every day. Actually when I rule the world I'm going to pass a law ensuring wider variation on school trouser size!

Pompous! Funny you mention the word ?civilised?, you don?t come across as one! If calling me ?pasta? is your heat then it?s pathetic really. This thread was fairly civilised until you opened your .....You seem to have that effect wherever you go!! Sad, very sad case!
This time I say A DIEU for real not because I can?t stand the heat, actually I can?t stand some of the company.
HG, grovel and few others I really appreciate your balanced opinions. A couple of pretentious ones! I wouldn?t dignify you with an answer in the future no matter what nicknames you are under.

Really sorry to see you go pastoralacademia I agree petenaras has rather hijacked this thread and spoilt it. I think many were quite interested before he/she joined this problem of finding a school for the quirky is probably a concern for many.

pastoralacademia I recommend the dog section of MM talk really nice people they were so kind about my dog dying.