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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Shrewsbury School

45 replies

difficultpickle · 13/10/2012 17:26

Received the glossy brochure for this today. Looks lovely and interestingly is going co-ed from 2014. Haven't seen much comment on MN about this school and the only thing I know about it is it's known for rowing. Possible choice for ds if we choose co-ed as it has a bus that collects and drops off beg/end of term near where we live [lazy parent emoticon].

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nokissymum · 13/10/2012 17:40

Watching this space with interest!

EvilTwins · 13/10/2012 19:43

No help at all other than to say that I was in their choirs and school plays in the early 90s and I have very VERY fond memories of the place. Smile

blueberryboybait · 13/10/2012 19:47

I have a friend with 2 sons there - one very musical and the other very much a rugby boy, both have done fantastically and have has their respective interests more than catered for.

Original poster
difficultpickle · 13/10/2012 20:16

The c

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Original poster
difficultpickle · 13/10/2012 20:18

The few comments I have read on MN say it's not academic. I'm looking for a good all round school so I'm wondering if Shrewsbury could be a possibility. I also wonder how it has changed under the new head. What I've read there was resistance to going co-ed.

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Original poster
difficultpickle · 14/10/2012 09:43

Bump. Ds is only in yr 4 but some schools encourage visits from this year (eg Winchester). I'm planning to get a short list of schools (probably between 4 and 6) to visit in year 5 with the hope of selecting a first and second choice.

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middleclassonbursary · 14/10/2012 12:28

We knew the head mark Turner when he was at Abbibgdon very capable and well regarded very pleasant but a complete stuffed shirt. This reflected in the type of boys school Abbibgdon became.

Original poster
difficultpickle · 14/10/2012 14:02

That's interesting. Not sure I want ds to become a stuffed shirt.

If I had to send ds to secondary school tomorrow I think I would choose Bryanston which definitely doesn't have a stuffed shirt reputation.

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HandMini · 14/10/2012 14:30

I have two good friends who went there and mnow several others. Generally seems to turn out nice, pretty well rounded boys...not so hot-housey as some other publics.

middleclassonbursary · 14/10/2012 16:36

We've friends with DC's at Bryanston they seem really happy with it.

Original poster
difficultpickle · 14/10/2012 16:56

I think I need to be a bit patient and see how ds develops, hence the only school I will visit in year 4 is Winchester as it has specific open days for dcs in years 3 and 4. Seems very early to me.

The prep school I chose for ds when he was 3 was not the right school for him by the time he was 8 so I'm wary of planning too far ahead. Having said that I need to balance the fact that lots of schools these days seem to do pre-testing in year 6. That means I need to have made a decision on possible schools by the start of year 6.

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grovel · 14/10/2012 17:35

You will get much more feedback on schools as your DS moves up his Prep school. Much of it will be nonsense, of course, because parents talk up the schools they have chosen for their DCs - and denigrate the others. They (understandably) can't bear the idea that they might have got the decision wrong so they over-egg the cake.

FWIW, I think Shrewsbury is the best school in its region. What that means is that it attracts high quality teachers and pupils who want to be in that part of the world. There are plenty of teachers and pupils at Shrewsbury who could have shone at Eton, Westminster, Winchester, Harrow etc but chose not to apply.

Unfortunately the biggest variable is one you cannot control. If your DS goes into a house at a public school with a great, supportive cohort of other new boys he will thrive. If he goes in with a less good bunch (it happens at the best schools) his experience will be significantly diminished.

Original poster
difficultpickle · 14/10/2012 19:44

Good point grovel. If I listened to parents at ds's old school he wouldn't be where he is now. Sometimes you have to plough your own furrow and hope for the best. If I manage to get a school that is a good fit for ds I will be happy and just have to cross fingers about the boarding house mix.

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sleepdodger · 14/10/2012 19:51

evil twin me too do I know you ??!!
It's got a good reputation but interestingly local (state) sixth form is v good too so mix of locals variable as high ish local levels of Oxbridge applicants generally if that's of relevance I don't know!
V good for sport and music- great music facilities particular

sleepdodger · 14/10/2012 19:51

Btw what's stuffed shirt?? Confused Blush

EvilTwins · 14/10/2012 19:53

sleepdodger Ooo-dunno. I was in Concert Choir and Chamber Choir and Troy and Guys & Dolls, and also attended that sixth form college you mentioned...

Original poster
difficultpickle · 14/10/2012 19:59

The music facilities are what attracted me, that and the local school bus! At the moment ds seems to be very musical but who knows if he still will be by the time he is 13?

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Original poster
difficultpickle · 14/10/2012 20:00

stuffed shirt means (at least to me) someone who is pompous and self important.

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mumzy · 14/10/2012 20:53

The fact that they are going coed would flag up warning signs for me. Either the school is not financially sound or they need to raise their academic standards or both. I would definitely investigate both possibilities of I were you

Original poster
difficultpickle · 14/10/2012 21:02

mumzy, hadn't thought of that. Not overly concerned about academic standards (more interested about fulfilling potential) but obviously would be concerned about financials.

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Colleger · 15/10/2012 07:37

I went to look at Shrewsbury because at the time they still offered 50% non-means tested scholarships. Not sure if that's the case. I was not impressed. On the open day all the Head went on about was Darwin, Darwin, Darwin. Darwin is dead, can we discuss the school please! Hmm

There was a science lecture run by exceptionally able sixth form boys but two were foreign and all had came in in the sixth form. Two boys should me around the school and I didn't like the house system. Boys do not have a cap on pocket money and some very rich boys would kit out their house with Tv's and xboxes whilst other houses didn't have such things.

Shrewsbury's results have, on the whole been raised by their sixth form intake. When i spoke the Head of Maths about my son's maths ability he was shocked as he'd never come across a child so gifted. The teacher was a typical Cambridge Maths grad so i found it surprising as he would have been surrounded by such students at Cambridge and although gifted there are plenty boys with similar ability. I really don't think it's worth the money, but then I don't think many schools are worth the money.

Original poster
difficultpickle · 15/10/2012 08:38

I wanted it as a back up so slightly easier to get into than our probable first choices. Colleger none of what you experienced sounds very good. Was your visit recent, ie with the new head in place?

It is on the outer reaches of schools I would consider in terms of distance. Our closest is Eton but I don't think ds has any chance of getting in there!

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goinggetstough · 15/10/2012 11:05

I know 2 families with DSs at Shrewsbury. None have obtained good ASresults and were the type of boys that needed to be encouraged. This didn't seem to happen. I appreciate that in the sixth form DCs should be more independent but even so I felt these DCs should have been more closely encouraged.
colleger Your comment about pocket money and there being no cap I think is slightly a red herring. No schools these days with the advent of bank cards etc can have a cap on pocket money. yes there can be a limit on the amount of moNey in the house bank but notes to how much an individual may have at their disposal.

goinggetstough · 15/10/2012 11:16

I know 2 families with DSs at Shrewsbury. None have obtained good AS results and were the type of boys that needed to be encouraged. This didn't seem to happen. I appreciate that in the sixth form DCs should be more independent but even so I felt these DCs should have been more closely encouraged.
colleger Your comment about pocket money and there being no cap I think is possibly a red herring. No schools these days with the advent of bank cards etc can have a cap on pocket money. yes there can be a limit on the amount of money in the house bank but not as to how much an individual may have at their disposal. It did seem strange that these very wealthy boys were allowed to kit out their houses rather than just their own room.

dapplegrey · 15/10/2012 15:12

OP - are you sure your ds wouldn't get into Eton? Has his prep school given you any feedback?