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Secondary education

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

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Original poster

Harrow School

12 replies

navis · 14/07/2012 12:27

My son is applying for entry to Harrow into the sixth form (for 2013). Has anyone had any experiences with the school? What is the new head like? How easy is it for new boys to settle in at 16?
I am also concerned about the drug problem. To quote a boy who left Harrow just a few years ago, "most boys there did drugs with me". Are drugs a large problem at Harrow? I assume that there is peer pressure for boys to get into drugs etc

Thanks!

OP posts:

Colleger · 14/07/2012 13:05

Well that boy is lying because that would mean 800 boys were taking drugs at Harrow and that is ridiculous. The school would not function! There is a minority anywhere but I've never heard of Harrow being particularly known for drugs.

I wouldn't worry about sixth form entry. The old boys probably look forward to the new intake and he will be in fairly small groups for A'levels.

happygardening · 14/07/2012 13:31

Many boarding schools randomly test children usually a whole year for drugs and the penelty for being positive is usually expulsion. I hear lots of things about Harrow positive and negative but that's not one of them!

happygardening · 14/07/2012 13:36

I also agree with colleger assuming he's friendly, open minded and currently has friends at school then in a boarding school with a strong house system I'm sure he will quickly make new friends. Talking to my DS it appears new boys into a house are given the benefit of the doubt for at least the first half term.

Original poster

navis · 16/07/2012 17:30

Colleger, that's true. I suppose that he was either lying or referring to his specific friendship circle.

happygardening, thanks for the information. Would you mind sharing these positives and negatives about Harrow?

OP posts:

motherstongue · 16/07/2012 18:57

Navis, I have PM'd you.

Colleger · 17/07/2012 07:52

The positives are the value added. They offer more value in teaching terms than other schools. Also the old boys network is very strong. Every boy at Harrow is given a work placement with an Old Harrovian. I thought their extra curric was very good and eclectic as it included falconry and there is a farm on site.

Music is exceptional at Harrow and probably better than at any other school in mt opinion.

Negatives: the location, and I feel the boys and OH's that I know are quite arrogant.

happygardening · 17/07/2012 09:26

We know quite a few there. colleger is right about the added value but I think you have to ask at what cost? If you take super bright boys your going to get fantastic results Harrow takes bright boys and although we're not talking Westminster St Paul's results it's not far behind, how does it do it? Nearly all we know there are very highly of it but one we know left after a very short period a bright but defibitely a non compliant I suspect not amenable to pushing. The other thing I hear is the vast majority of the parents are ghastly: screaming snobs very wealthy and like to flash their money around. May not be true but quite a few have said it to me alth

happygardening · 17/07/2012 09:29

We know quite a few there. colleger is right about the added value but I think you have to ask at what cost? If you take super bright boys your going to get fantastic results Harrow takes bright boys and although we're not talking Westminster St Paul's results it's not far behind, how does it do it? Nearly all we know there talk very highly of it but one we know left after a very short period a bright but definitely a non compliant I suspect not amenable to pushing. The other thing I hear is the vast majority of the parents are ghastly: screaming snobs very wealthy and like to flash their money around. May not be true but quite a few have said it to me although many send that DS's to that nice school just off the M4!!

Original poster

navis · 18/07/2012 17:08

Thank you for your responses. Thankfully, we are very local so the location is not a large problem for us. DS is also quite thick-skinned so I hope that arrogance and snobbery will not affect him too much. It seems that there are few negatives for Harrow which is very good news!

I've been looking at the scholarships section on the website and we qualify for the Kane Scholarship. Does anyone know anything about sixth form scholarships or are there any mums with DS's who have achieved one? How hard is it to get one and how competitive are they?

OP posts:

happygardening · 18/07/2012 17:52

There was a thread about this a few months ago I don't think the child in question got it because it all went very silent.

Original poster

navis · 18/07/2012 21:51

I've just had a look at the thread. I would have thought that the child stood a great chance - I guess you can never be too sure about the competition. Still, it's worth a try applying!

Does anyone else know anything?

OP posts:

motherstongue · 19/07/2012 10:55

Navis, did you read the last page of the other Kane scholarship thread as a Harrow pupil who was on the Kane scholarship put up a really helpful post. You could try sending a PM to Rachel101 who was the origianl op. She pm'd me quite a lot at the time and I seem to remember her saying only 6 boys were concidered for the Kane scholarship.

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