Winchester College Sixth form entrance

[eduneering]

Dear Mums.

A boy is sitting the Sixth form entrance exam in WinCol. He's currently in a day inde school and has been doing good. Previous papers are available, but simply doesn't know how deep knowledge the WinCol expect, especially in subjects with essays. Are they generally within secondary schools' curriculum? All I could say is to read newspapers for the current issues in the world.

Suggestions or experience would be appreciated.

Hope you are right singergirl. My DS is going for 13+ pretest at Winchester soon. He is exactly as you describe. Bit dyspraxic, so brings his average down as not good at spatial and working memory not great either. However, ask him to write a piece of creative writing or a poem, then he does really well. Despite working memory not being great still came top in English and second in science last year. Fingers crossed

'Just looked at the two websites (freely available to all who can be bothered to look) Winchester College results are significantly better than PS. The OP obviously does have the money or she wouldn't be asking about it.'

Smaller, selective cohort. Given that PSC isn't that selective and has far more students, I think they do really well. I shall see in September what they make of ds, as he will be boarding there.

We are abroad and PSC offered great education at reasonable boarding prices, and Winchester is reasonably easy to get to via car, plane or Eurostar from Belgium. I went there too almost 30 years ago, and would go back like a shot.

scaryteacher really it is not possible to compare Win Coll with PSC not only is Win Coll selective but the ethos is completely different. At Win Coll nearly all full board the vast majority since they were 13 years old. This boarding house centric culture with all the infra structure involved; house masters, matrons, compulsory chapel, traditions, meals taken in house, inter house competitions extra curricular activities etc. I could go on is what Win Coll and others like it are what parents pay for. PSC is a sixth form college probably a very good sixth form college I don't live in Hampshire so I don't know but we have excellent sixth form college where I live so I'm not against them but you are comparing apples and oranges.

OP is not interested in Win Coll. I don't get why when you enquire about a school you are given other options. PS would not even cross my mind, it's not the type of environment I would want if I was looking at Winchester!

It depends why you're moving them Colleger - I do want PSC for my ds, as it will give him a more varied experience than he has had to date at his current international school, where the gene pool is smaller.

Happy - PSC is an excellent sixth form, and with a far larger sixth form cohort than Win Coll. As I am sending ds there is September, and as I went there myself as a boarder, I am aware that PSC is a sixth form. Of course it has a different ethos, it's a state sixth form. Had I wanted the traditional boarding school experience I would have sent him to one. I didn't.

scaryteacher that is the point you cannot compare one against the other. Neither is better as both are completely different and are appealing to different markets. If you like one you are very unlikely to like the other.

I'd probably like Win Coll; ds wouldn't. That's why he is abroad with us; he didn't want to board, and so I took him out of prep when we moved. Educationally, probably not the best decision; but on balance, looking at what we have gained being together as a family, and living abroad, priceless.

I went to Peter Symonds then Oxford. Win Col is far superior academically ( and also to KES and PGS). If you have a very able son and can afford the enormous fees then don't hesitate. Win Col is premier league, if not THE most academic school.