The big Eton, Harrow, Radley, Winchester question...

[TinkerBellThree]

I have been reading a lot of threads on this site and found it hugely informative (and sometimes quite amusing). I hope you don't mind me picking your brain as I find that I am increasingly confusing myself.

Our DS is in year 5 and we have started to visit senior schools for him.
We have seen Radley, Harrow, Eton and Winchester, and been to a few co-ed schools as well, but have decided that single sex is probably more right for DS.

DS is quite academic (though I tend to believe he is not as much so as his school tells me he is), sporty and very competitive. He is very social and he loves to try out new things.

Our DS' Prep is adamant that he is made for Eton and Eton is made for him, and I must admit we loved the school when we visited, so we have put his name down there. However, it is exceedingly hard to get into and I am not counting my chickens (and I think the likelihood of a place is slimmer than slim) so I believe we need (several) back-up(s) - so here is where I am getting confused...

Radley (who I understand is a "normal" backup for Eton) is not encouraged by our DS' school (not sure why) and Harrow worries me a little with its reputation of not being very challenging academically (has this changed?).

Originally we ruled out Winchester as it was not "sporty" enough, but having been to visit, we have had to re-think as we found there were lots of opportunities for our DS to do sports. Our DS' Prep think it should be on our list - but is a boy so "suited" for Eton really suited for WinCol?

All the above schools are within easy reach of where we live, so we will have ample opportunity to see matches etc.

Where should we put DS' name down? For all the schools on our list + some (as he may not get into any of the above)? Or should we be more focused?

I know a lot of you have vast amounts of experience and possibly been through the same conundrum yourself, and I would really very much appreciate your input.

Eton Mess...

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. This is a sorry state of affairs and puts a new dimension on the academic successes of many children innocently affected at Eton and Winchester College.

It appears to me that any form of comparison between these schools and others will be a little misleading and that is a real shame for the majority of pupils who have not been involved nor "benefitted" from the alleged teacher-led cheating.

Sadly the fact that at Eton it was one of their senior examiners does not help.

I just wonder what the adjusted exam results would have looked like?

Big picture though, the practise of remunerating staff on pupils' academic performances is a poor moral hazard and must be stopped.

Presumably they will get their predicted grades - which will all be A * - as if you take a bunch of bright students and give them the questions in advance - you can confidently predict top grades.

The students should have been disqualified with all that that would have implied for their university applications. Their parents would then have sued the school and CIE and there would have been real consequences. As things stand it is difficult to see how they will not have benefitted from their teacher having cheated and the failure of the school and the exam board to take reasonable precautions to address a completely predictable conflict of interest.

In some cases their high predicted grades will have led to them getting university places at the expense of equally able students from other schools.

Actually for pre U it will be D1 or D2 but the same applies.