Saint albans boys v haberdashers boys

[bulletpoint]

does anyone have any experience of these schools ? And would they be a good second choice to harrow school ?

UCAS scores quoted above are average per pupil for that school.

I'm not sure you can equate Win Coll with showy privilege. Of course, Eton's grand buildings and uniform have made it a target for tourists and the media but they are the most diverse of all the Public boarding schools. The uniform gets discussed frequently at Eton - even every male teacher must wear it. One of the reasons it has remained is because Eton is so vast - 4000 acres - and it is much easier to spot a boy/teacher by members of staff. This is for a boys own safety and so they can't get up to any nonsense as they are effectively in the public eye. The uniform does not make the school, just gives boys good posture!

I'm afraid MrsJ that you dont read my postings I said that at St A 25% got A's in comparison with Win Coll 51% getting A's.
I have already asked you to expand on comments like "showy privilege" but you seem reluctant to do so. I haven't got the faintest idea what you are talking about.

Happygardening - yes, I agree Winchester score a much higher proportion at A*. But this surely raises questions as to why St A ave score per pupil is still higher than Winchester. Put crudely the top half of Winchester is much better than the top of St Albans but the bottom half of Winchester is much poorer academically than St Albans. Looking at Winchester's results there o seem to be more than just a few stragglers

I don't know why I read this thread as I know nada about private or public school generally or these schools specifically. However, I must point out that there are no sink comps in Peckham, happygardener! Southwark state schools rock. (ish).

We lived in Peckham in the 90's and there were certainly sink comps then. I'm delighted to hear that its improved.

:) I was being slightly tongue in cheek. But I do think things have improved a bit, hg.

MrsJ you still seem reluctant to expand on your comment "showy privilege" is this because you are unable yo back it up with any real facts just your own prejudice?
By the way according to St A's websire 94% got A-B compared with 95% at Win Coll and out of 326 Pre U sat only 16 weren't A** - B grades so a few stragglers would be an appropriate term.
Anyway Win Coll is not about exams it has a virtually unique daily non examined curriculum here the boys are able to get away from the prescirbed curriculum and develop others skills.

happygardening "By the way according to St A's websire 94% got A-B compared with 95% at Win Coll and out of 326 Pre U sat only 16 weren't A** - B grades so a few stragglers would be an appropriate term."

Yes, but as you said yourself, St Albans do 4 subjects against Winchester College's 3 subjects. So the 94% St Albans statistic is the more impressive versus Winchester College's 95%. But it's a relief to hear Winchester College aren't really about the exams and are "virtually unique".

I wonder if you should stop digging.

The win cool boys Pre-Pre-U used to sit around 5 A'levels and that was not including general studies!

HG, no point in this debate. This is one area where we know we are right.

Good grief! This argument is still rolling on ? All i wanted to know is peoples opinions of habs v saint alban's with a mention of harrow.

I think you are all just going to agree to disagree here, frankly in my opinion they are ALL excellent schools! Let each person be happy with what they have chosen for their dc and desist from trying to put one over others.

As many know, best way to judge the school is, go & vist the school with DC. You'll instantly feel if it'd suit. Prospectus, web page, or league table, etc is only supplementary info. I was sceptical about the visit and instead I was looking for quantitative measures. After visiting a few schools, I could see the differences regardless their fames. They've got different ethos and the way to deliver it. I suggested my experience to friends, but interestingly enough, everyone sees the same school differently.

You're right bulletpoint why am I still arguing with MrsJ? Its completely pointless. Without ever having met me she has accused me of not being middle class, I'm so middle class I frighten myself and of not knowing how my DS feels about the scholars.
She has hurled endless accusations at Win Coll not which are true; poor exam results, ridiculous uniforms, financial inequalities between commoners and scholars,"showy privilege" a comment she seems reluctant to expand on despite being asked and deliberately not valuing all the pupils who are not scholars. All these are so far removed from the truth that only a person who knows nothing about it would come up with such comments.
I just find it frustrating. But its time now to give up and leave MrsJ to her prejudices but as colleger said we know we're right.

I must train as a proof reader then I would not keep making mistakes! I meant to say: She has hurled endless accusations at Win Coll none of which are true.
It might be a more rewarding job than my current one!

LOL at you all knowing you are right. Interesting then that Bulletpoint chose Harrow, which Colleger doesn't rate at all, Colleger chose Eton which Happygardeneing doesn't like and she chose Winchester for one son and a comp for his sibling.

btw My ex-husband is an Old Wykehamist.

I rate Win Coll and Eton but both are so different. DS1 will do great wherever he goes although he is more a Win Coll boy. Hopefully he'll always remains lovely and genteel wherever he goes. Harrow has it's strengths but only a certain type of boy would thrive there.

I think the difference between HG and I is that I would pay for my children to go to schools other than E or W if they couldn't get in whereas HG would only pay for StP's or W. I think that's right HG?

Thats right but I wouldn't pay for the others but I can say this because we accidentally moved into an area with an outstanding comp. Etons not for me but I acknowledge that its an outstanding school, Harrow is also not for me and I hear mixed things about it but I accept if it works for your child then its great. At Win Coll and St Pauls we felt comfortable and as did DS2 and I'm happy to pay for that.
The reason I argued so determinedly with MrsJ is she described a Win Coll neither DS or I recognised.

And I've already said I think Eton and Winchester offer an excellent education. I just don't like everything about them, but I'm certainly not criticising the education on offer. I've no doubt it';s excellent. Obviously I've never been a pupil or a mother of a pupil at either school so I'll never discover what they're really like, or would be like for my son. It IS all prejudice, based on what I've seen (I have been to WC lots of times!), read, heard, watched etc. But it's NOT chippiness because I am very pro excellent education. I'm just interested in what motivates people to choose certain schools, especially the big name ones. Besides, I don't think my boys are natural boarders, so perhaps that's part of the reason I'm not keen on some aspects of those schools. I asked DS2 a few months ago if he'd like to go somewhere to weekly board for sixth form (as preparation for university) but he hates the idea. Really hates the idea.

Interestingly, I also live on the doorstep of an 'Outstanding' comp (among the best in country apparently) and I think the education on offer is poor. We looked at it and it had a nice feel though.

The reason we choose a select few schools other than researching and knowing they were excellent was value for money. Most boarding schools now cost the same but none have the academic rigour, the best facilities or can attract the best teachers than Eton, Win and Westminster. I'd say Eton facilities and the numerous speakers that cone to the school is superior tothe oter two schools but that aside if I am going to pay top dollar then why would I send DS to an unknown school that has fewer facilities, less able teachers and lacks worldwide status but costs the same?

If I went down the day school route I'd probably do the same and location dependent I'd be opting for Westy, St P's, Abingdon, MCS Oxford. Can't think of any others off the top of my head.

MrsJ why didn't you say in the beginning that you wanted to know what motivates people to choose these schools! It was simple for us ideally we wanted a very academic boys school in the south that only does full boarding and has no fussy uniform (my particular irrational little pet hate we've all got to have one). Our choices were very limited as true full boarding is rare. We first looked at Win Coll when DS was about 9 and remained ambivilant although we liked the way the boarding houses are organised (which is fairly unique the housemasters have a lot of autonomy). Later we met our housemaster and that's when we obtained a glimpse of the real Win Coll.
My DS was offered a place at one of the top 10 grammars but the commute would have been an eye watering 100 mile round trip that's after I'd driven him to meet the bus 10 miles away. We both commute to work and know what a pain it is and wanted to spare him the misery of this as long as possible. Obviously I could have virtually given up work but it would still have been a logistics nightmare affecting my other son and also away from work I'm a notoriously bad time keeper! Therefore if he hadn't passed their entrance exam it would have been our very good comp with its ten minute walk I've no doubt for him that the exam results would have been identical and even the university options but despite having more time and money we cannot offer him all the other stuff that Win Coll offers. Maybe it's because I'm a slack parent but I just don't do after school activities and because we live in a rural area children depend completely on their parents for this kind of thing. So like many practicalities motivated decision our decision and I acknowledge we are fortunate to be able to afford it!
I slightly disagree with colleger re the teaching I think you get good and bad in all schools or perhaps I should say ones that your child does/doesn't click with in all schools; the best university teacher I had was not from a Russell group uni the best primary/prep school teacher was at a tiny crammer for the grammar. They did it for me/my DC's but not others. Facilities are pretty standard too at all the schools we've ever looked at admittedly nearly all well known; science blocks swimming pools theatres etc although I admit Eton is particularly impressive and as I always say a bit too perfect for me.
MrsJ having spent t six years at a boarding prep I know that many people want their children at schools with big names and wouldn't be seen dead sending their children to schools like St Albans but I believe that if we as parents are happy with the school then the child is likely to feel the same way.

St Albans is right on our door step and I know DS could secure a 50% scholarship there. I'd love nothing more than to send him there and save loads of cash but his dream is to go to Eton and he has worked hard and is such a good lad that I feel he deserves to go there.

Yes, Colleger, you're a fantastic parent(s). As parents, we'll do anything and everything humanly possible to secure the best for our offsprings even if it means living on raw apples off the back of our garden. I do reckon what is best for one may not be for another.

Colleger - Did you apply for a scholarship to St Albans?

"I rate Win Coll and Eton but both are so different." - Colleger

I agree. I think DS'd be more comfortable in WinCol, but he likes Eton more. In parents meeting, we often get a feedback of different side of DS that we never knew at home, which coud be better suited for Eton.

Very confusing as my judgement so far has been on the basis of the fact that I knew my boy. Perhaps one of the down side of the combination of boarding and (very early stage of) adolescent, or I'm too sensitive?!

Thanks to bulletpoint for starting this thread as there seems to be hardly any in favour of harrow here. Just to digress, i started a thread sometime ago about why some people didnt like Harrow, there was lots of meandering but no one actually gave any concrete reason as to why Harrow wasnt a good school.

We visited Harrow and really liked it, also met a number of boys recently who are there who love it, i think with every school there will always be those who love it and those who dont.