To board or not to board...

[HolofernesesHead]

...that is the question! And if so, which one?

Here's the background: dd is 9, in yr 5. We are moving in June (already sorted) to a vilalge in Hertfordshire. It has a village school that has already said it will take her and ds (7 y o). It's v. good, 'outstanding' by Ofsted's standards (not that that's everything), v. nurturing etc.

There is no obvious feeder secondary school - the children from there go to schools in literally four different towns. So lots of choice potentially.

We are moving because of my work which is a four-year fixed term contract, so we know that we'll be moving again in 2016, when dd is just coming up to GCSEs. I might find a job in the same area - but then again, might not. Dh works full time too (in a v. central location in London, so geographically neutral in that we won't be moving because of his work). As we both work full time, boarding school is affordable, but it might be tricky to support the dc financially through university if we put all our finanical eggs in the boarding school basket. (I know this might make me sound barking mad to be talking about university when my dc are not yet into double digits, but there you go...)

So the reason we are thinking boarding school might be the way to go is that it'd guarantee continuity between living in Herts and wherever we are after that, and it'd hopefully give the dc a great childhood / education. I am pretty much in favour of the state system generally, and part of me would feel disloyal (I am state educated, and have no regrets or bad feelings about that). Dd is v. much in favour of boarding school, and ds is picking up on her enthusiasm. The local schools (in the 4 different towns) range from excellent to really not what I'd want, so it feels a bit of a lottery, and unfortunately for us because we are very much in between all those places, we could well come bottom of the list for the good schools.

So WWYD? And can you think of any boarding schools in the south east that you'd recommend?

If you're happy to move at Year 7 then I would send them to the local school and then apply for Haileybury.

Agree with Colleger that people over-rate the difficulty of getting in to some of the allegedly hyper-selective schools. The schools themselves fuel this idea, as does this forum.

League tables are over-rated too; agree about the need to look at the detail.

Anyhow, as long as a school is ambitious for its students as individuals, does it serve any purpose to jostle for position as to which of two or three very good schools is 'best'?

My two DN went to Haileybury; it seems ok.

Sorry Happygardening, the comment about league tables was aimed at peteneras not you!

I'm sorry if this comes out the wrong way but I really hate this term super bright. I personally went to a private secondary but not one that was selective. It still got 50% of the students achieving A grades and stimulated everyone to the required level - this thread seems to be suggesting that if your child is gifted the only place they can achieve is at a famous public school.

How about the Hockerill school then? Convenient for East Anglia and it has a good reputation from what I've heard.

What I do for a living does not detract me from my personal opinions (often supported with facts and figures) about the different facets of the British educational system, Happygardening. Rest assured I?m highly trained to look for minute details in my chosen career, hence my last posting.

Quote: "I never had any intention of discussing exam results which have been done to death recently on MM pateneras brought the subject up."

Oh, did I, HG?

Next, you said, "I was not trying to start a debate about which school is the most academic or not."

But the trouble is you think forum members cannot read between the lines. Who was it who invented the terms, super bright, very bright and bright in relation to the 3 well known public schools? I never knew schools could be so neatly categorised into those 3 headings you told us.

It is not the first time you have felt compelled to use such terms or similar every time Winchester is mentioned, e.g. very academic/super bright, etc. Just go back to all your postings on MN to see what I mean.

What utter balderdash!

All I did in my last posting was to show Win Col is not as academic as you would have us believe, not according to the FT anyway, as there are at least two dozen other schools which did better. The league table was provided as evidence in black and white; it was not an exercise to show which is the better academic (public) school; if anything, there are a couple of state schools on that list which happen to be located on my backyard, namely, Henrietta Barnett School (85%) and Queen Elizabeth?s School (79%) which out performed at least two or even all three of the public schools in question. None of the locals here refer to these schools as super bright or very academic like you do all the time Winchester.

And then of course you begin to split hairs like suggesting only As and Pre-U count for anything. Well, like I said, the rest of the world don?t see it that way ? not least the Financial Times. And if you really want to talk about Pre-U and nothing but Pre-U, let me point out that Win Col?s nemesis at Windsor do Pre-U too and their percentage A?s of nearly 60% eclipsed those of a mere over 50%.

All these, of course, have absolutely nothing to do with the OP's question of whether to board or not to board. So I don't know what significance those ridiculous categories of schools you invented have to do with the OP's question.

The only point to me of sending my DC to any of the famous public schools would be for the hugely rich extra curricular opportunities that those schools, with all theirs funds, can provide. Small class sizes possibly too.

Nothing else which can't be provided in the less privileged, more meritorious state school sector.

I'd be arguing about playing fields, not academics .

Well Yellowstone, there's only one place to go for playing fields and you know that.

The rich extra curricular opportunities are thrown in for free.

Bargain then pete .

I think for us, location is a big factor - we want to be able to give our dc the best education available to them, but we want to do so in such a way that we get to see them as much as poss, given that both dh and I work ft.

Academically, I think it's a moot point which of these schools is 'best' - let's face it, they're all excellent, and have different characteristics / ethoses that endear them to different people. A good friend of mine who went to Eton wishes he'd gone to a much smaller school - he found the size of it terrifying, but that's just one person's reaction. So I guess I'd be listening carefully to my dcs' responses to the schools we visit, and take seriously the things they notice / find difficult.

In terms of university preparation, I am less concerned about that as I feel pretty well placed to guide the dc through that quagmire!

We have decided to visit Haileybury first, and then take it from there. THanks for all your thoughts!

It's true, no other school can match Eton's societies and extra curric, nor it's facilities. From a value for money point of view it is the cheapest of all the boarding schools!

I wouldn?t bother looking at Edge Grove the headmaster has unexpectedly left, it?s full of young backpacker teachers and the curriculum is diabolical. Aldenham does not have a good reputation either. I would look at Hayleybury, Heath Mount or Beechwood Park.

Royal Masonic School for Girls would be a great idea for your DD it has just recieved a fantastic ofstead report.

Thanks DG, but I really don't want the dc to go to different schools.

I have just seen that there is a bus that goes from our (soon to be) village to Haileybury - so we could start dd there in yr 7 as a day pupil and then go to boarding later on - this could be great!

Am I the only one who is completely terrified about the entrance exams, though?

No need to be worried, let alone terrified. You have to try quite hard not to pass most of these exams, really.

Obviously there are a small band of schools which are very tough to get into, but the vast majority are not .

Domesticgoddessintraining, Why doesn't Aldenham have a goodreputation? I have heard very positive things about it and am about to view it as a possible prep school for my DD. I plan on sending her until 11 and don't currently have plans to leave her there all the way through although would like it as an option.

I wouldn't worry about the university fees. Martin Lewis on the Money expert forums, has quite a lot of information showing that unless you have boys (less likely, still, to have lengthy maternity leave than are girls) AND high-fliers who will definitely earn above £21k for all their careers, university graduates may very well never have to repay all the loans they take out.

For instance, if one of your children is a girl who might well want to become a vicar or an artist who never receives commercial success (though this might be hard to predict) and have a few years' maternity leave, she will not have to pay the whole thing back as she won't be earning £21k plus all her career. If you pay her fees in advance, you've lost out.

On the other hand, if one of your children is a boy who shows an aptitude for money and will probably go straight into the City on graduating and stay there most of his working life, he will have to pay his loan all back. But then he'll be able to afford to, won't he?

I would also imagine that as fewer people are going to go to university following this market adjustment, costs will go down.

We have been paying double school fees for the last three years or so, but frankly, the children are on their own once they go to university. Though, if we're not broke and don't need to pump our small remaining funds into retirement planning (our private pensions having been ravaged over the years), we may help out with deposits/rent for their post-university accommodation.

Maybetimeforachange. I don?t have personal experience of Aldenham but I know quite a few parents that have moved their children from the school as they were unhappy with the standards there. It does have a reputation locally as being a ?last resort? school. I also know that children who have been expelled from other schools in the area have been accepted into Aldenham which has lead to there being somewhat of a bullying being a problem, for some children (new boys in particular)

pateneras in life we all have different views whether it be schools politics or where to do our food shopping thats what makes our country so intersting. We cannot or for that matter should not like the same things and as between the two schools there are 2000 places we cant all beleive that one or other is the best. I repeat that these are my views and the views of many I associate with including parents with children at both schools and parents in general and teachers/heads at a variety of prep schools I have spoken to over the years. You or anyone else for that matter are at liberty to disagree with them but these are my views are therefore no less valid that yours.
You may be intersted to know that it clearly states on the Eton website that only 39% of the grades were A and that the Pre U is only offered in languages and music. The FT may currently not distinguish between A's and A's in its league table but then a few years ago it was lumping A and B grades together but I understand that universities are distinguishing between the A's and A's to quote "The A was introduced this year to stretch the brightest students and help universities differentiate between the best candidates." Secondly it is not me who states that the Pre U is a significantly harder exam the equivilant grades also atrract more UCAS points as well.

You believe that Eton is the best school and will hear no critism of it or accept that many are equally good if not better for an individual child. This is a very narrow vew on life and one that I work hard to avoid.
Finally I just want to thank you for drawing my attention to the FT league table. I have put a seperate posting regarding the dumbing down of A levels. I dont care whose getting 94% A grades I find it hard to accept that this has not been achieved wthout huge changes in the A level/Pre U exam format from when I and I suspect you sat it. I do not believe that this is the way forward for education in the UK or our children in particular.

Opps I cant seem to edit my post. Does anyone know if its possible to edit ?

Thank you for that, very interesting. I also live in the area and whilst I am aware that it isn't considered very academic, and that is understandable when there are so many academic state and privates close by I have only heard excellent things about it pastorally at prep level and certainly have never heard that it is a last resort school. I shall look forward to my tour of the school and keep my feelers out amongst people I know who go there.

I?m sure there are lots of happy parents and students at Aldenham, I just happen to have met parents that have moved their children and some that are unhappy..... but don?t let me put you off !! There are people that are unhappy in every school.

Thats zvery true that there will always be unhappy parents everywhere. Where have children been moved to from Aldenham? It is also interesting what you have mentioned about Edgeggrove. As I said, I am also in the area and I had never even heard of Edgegrove until a couple of years ago, Radlett Prep, Manor Lodge and occasionally Aldenham have always been the schools mentioned. Edgegrove's fees are in a different league to all the schools I have just mentioned which is the main reason I haven't looked at it but it is in such a beautiful settings with such great facilities that it is a shame that there appear to be so many issues with it.

Thanks Yellowstone for the reassurance! Exams always make me come out in hives, I'm afraid. DH is merrily ordering prospectuses (prospecti?) as I write (Aldenham being one of them).