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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

Winchester waiting list for 2014

44 replies

yotty · 04/12/2013 20:33

DS still on waiting list for September 2014. Was assured by registrar I should hear something after the October half term or definitely by the end of this term. No news yet and only one week of term left. Anybody else heard in the last couple of weeks?

OP posts:

summerends · 12/12/2013 21:48

that is excellent news. From what I hear everybody's house is the best! I have the impression that they really do make an effort to match latecomers to the best house for them, an advantage for the parents who would find it hard to choose. When they make an offer of a house you can go and meet the housemaster and see what you think.

Original poster

yotty · 12/12/2013 22:21

That is good to hear summerends. We will sit tight and await further news, but in the meantime just feeling hugely relieved that DS is on the path that has wanted to take for a long time.

OP posts:

waitingforthepost · 12/12/2013 23:25

well done Yotty....congrats to your DS....must feel so good to have it all sorted !

Original poster

yotty · 13/12/2013 07:53

Yes it feels good, however, now have to go through the slightly risky process of turning down a place in our plan B school which he would have no trouble passing the entrance exam to.
Let's hope his current head has got the measure of him and he passes the WinColl entrance exam in May otherwise it could all go terribly wrong.

OP posts:

summerends · 13/12/2013 08:15

I would n't worry about your DS's academic suitability yotty, that has been tested so if he is being prepared to the right level he'll be fine. Has your DS's school experience in preparing for the Winchester entrance (without parents using outside tutoring)?

happygardening · 13/12/2013 08:40

Fantastic news yotty and what a relief. The new HM of Furleys is very popular and would apparently be my DS's other choice if he couldn't be in his current house.
Its the Latin you have to watch for the entrance exam. Although in fairness I don't think they're expecting A's from all.

Xpatmama88 · 13/12/2013 15:10

Congrats! Every boy is very loyal to their house, and everyone think their house is best!

buddyandpip · 06/10/2014 10:29

Yotty I was wondering if your son is now at Winchester College and if so how is he enjoying it? I ask because I am in a very similar situation to you with DS on the waiting list for 2015. A very unsettling situation for us!

Original poster

yotty · 06/10/2014 22:12

Yes, he's there and seems to be settling well and enjoying himself. The waiting list situation is awfull, but I'm glad we stuck it out as he is happy. He was offered a place in December, but we didn't hear which house he could go into until after the Election. He basically took the place of a boy who was offered a place in College. The boys in my son's house were delighted that my son took the other boy's place as they weren't keen on the scholar.

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buddyandpip · 07/10/2014 09:35

So pleased to hear this. I hope we will be in the same position this time next year. DS is very keen on Winchester so is having to work very hard to make sure he will be a position to pass the entrance exam if he is fortunate enough to be offered the chance! How did your son find the entrance test?

Original poster

yotty · 08/10/2014 09:46

To be honest his school was pretty rubbish at the preparation. To me, they left everything very late. The first time he saw a set of winchester college papers was in March. We did get him some extra help with his French oral preparation as his school just didn't teach him to the appropriate level.
Having said that he passed. He got B's, C's and one D. He seems to be doing fine academically.

OP posts:

happygardening · 08/10/2014 09:54

I think you'll find a mixture of B's C's and at least one D is very much the norm according to the admissions office only a few fail it every year.

buddyandpip · 09/10/2014 12:57

Well done to your DS Yotty. The school is preparing my DS but it is all quite difficult when you are preparing for an exam that you don't know you will actually be taking! He does need to do a bit of catchup with French, but the school says they have it in hand so hopefully things will be fine. It's just all a bit of a worry though and would be so much easier if he was moved off the reserve list. Do you have any idea how many were moved off the reserve list last year?

Original poster

yotty · 09/10/2014 15:52

I have no idea how many got moved up from the reserve list, but there must be at least 12/15 as I think there are 15 places in the scholars house. Have you spoken to the registrar recently? I rang him last December and tried not to give him an ultimatum, but explained that either DS was going to take the WinColl exam in May or in March he would take the scholarship exam for another school. A week later he came up with a place. Don't know whether it was coincidence or a bit of timely pressure.
If it's been a while since you last spoke to him I would give him a call.

OP posts:

happygardening · 09/10/2014 17:01

There are 13/14 places in College each year I think as a general rule these 13/14 will give up places they already have in commoners boarding houses. Unfortunately Election is not until May in the year of entry.

summerends · 09/10/2014 18:04

yotty I think the registrar at that time had recently come into post and therefore could have needed some time to get to grips with numbers. That might have explained why you did n't hear before and then your prompting produced a rapid response.
buddy if your school regularly sends a few to Winchester then the staff there will be promoting your DS's cause but direct contact with Winchester at the least affirms your continued commitment to taking up a place if offered. If your DS is working at the level of Winchester Entrance, are you considering him doing a scholarship elsewhere? If so the extra preparation is very much the same level for most schools and therefore not lost effort for your DS.

buddyandpip · 09/10/2014 18:05

That's good to know, I hadn't appreciated that these places became available if boys moved into the scholars' house. Maybe there is hope after all! Interesting yotty, we may need to do something similar as I think it is very unsettling for my DS (and me!!) not knowing which school he will be going to at this point. it would be lovely to know by christmas.

VentaBelgarum · 03/10/2016 12:31

"" Heureux qui, comme Ulysse, a fait un beau voyage,
(..) ,
Et puis est rentré au Collège , plein d'usage et raison,
vivre cinq années bien occupées et prometeusses .""
Based upon Joachim de Bellay, because it is quit undertaking
and hard work to get into Winchester, and I most admit as a father
and also speaking for my son, it feels like ' home coming ' !
So we passed the " Itchen without an itch " but it took as a Non Native,
North European boy, some extra work . This is my first entry to this website
and the Winchester-thread specific, and I would like to thank HappyGardening,
for all his good advice ( you could really take his opinion to the local Natwest).
Have a nice day, and all the best for the Winchester Boys ...
Regards

JessieR · 17/05/2020 08:06

Hiya, did your sons all get a place at Win college?

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