Day or boarding options close to SW London for chorister's next steps..

[Tuppenyrice]

Hello, I wonder if any of you kind people could help me navigate the murky waters of secondary school choices.. I have a son in yr5, a boarding chorister, he is musical and academically able. We will apply to selective day schools in London, but want alternative options, as they have become notoriously hard to get into. I've got some on my list:

Day:
Kingston grammar
Hampton
St. John's leatherhead
Reeds
Cranleigh

Boarding:
Kings Canterbury
Lancing
Brighton college

He needs somewhere the music is important. Somewhere he will be stretched but not a massive hothouse.
We won't get a bursary but we would need a scholarship to help with fees.
Personally I can't bear the whole private school thing so would prefer somewhere not too flashy and 4x4 heavy.
;)

Can anyone help me?!
Many many thanks if you've read this far and not wanted to slap me.

Is that a bit like king Alfred's in golders green?
Lots of rich offspring?

If I had a very musical DS who was academically able I think I would be asking my prep school head about trying for Eton/Win Coll in the first instance. The musical standard at both will be in a different league to any of those mentioned above.
Your only problem is if your DS is in yr 5 now then depending when his birthday is you might have missed the deadline for registering for Eton and your seriously running out of time to register for a house at Winchester although I think you can register on a separate list. Radley might be the other one to look at I dont know much about its music dept only here say but to get a place you would have to be promoted off the "Wardens List".

A number of those mentioned down the thread including St Johns and Reigate are registering early and pretesting during year 6/7. Epsom , Whitgift , Sevenoaks ?

Did you ask me about Frensham Heights?

DOn't think it is particularly rich offspring (not more than the Surrey private schools) we looked around it for DS1 and I liked it. Lovely grounds, great theatre - music, art and drama are it's big selling point.

I know several young people who have gone to Frensham from state primaries. We even looked at it (I loved it, DS didn't).

But it is a bit alternative compared to the others on the list.

I had assumed he wasn't Winchester/Eton material as it hadn't been suggested. Although they would be the obvious choice, and have been able to take choristers from all kinds of financial background.

Re Eton
Got as far as requesting prospectus and saw he needed to be registered ASAP as it needs to be before age 10.5. That has just passed.
He's academic but he's more of a natural musician than a mathematician iykwim.
But he certainly has a shot at Winchester etc, yes. We only discussed day schools with his Head but I will go back and tell him we are going to think about boarding as well just in case DS desperate for that.
Again it's the dosh. We aren't bursary material but will struggle as have 3 kids etc.
Yes was asking about frensham. Am typing on phone so it's hard to navigate, sorry if it looks rude by not naming people. Not intended.
This is really helping me get my head round it all as it's all a but alien to me.
Thanks again.

TBH Tuppeny if you live near enough to commute easily to Kings College School and your DS has the ability to get in I would n't bother financially stretching yourself to go boarding even for somewhere like Winchester. If the commute to KCS is a bit much that is a different matter. Of course you need a less academic fallback option which was your original query.

Summer he could walk to KCS so yeah I think it's the obv choice.
Let's hope he gets in.

Are you sure you not Winchrster "bursary material"? I believe they take your other children into consideration. Ring and ask. Mind you I have to say with 70/130 doing math pre U at Win Coll not being a natural mathematician might not be great for your DS.

Apparently Westminster is all about the maths, too.
My DS is a thinker, good at English and can really sing.
The rest is all fine but the above is where he excels.

Lancing is a good school and has an excellent reputation for music. The chapel is amazing, boarding houses are all pretty standard, absolutely brilliant art acilities, good mix of boys/girls, day/boarders. Saturday school with compulsary chapel attendance twice a term, (If I recall correctly?) This was an aspect of the school DS wasn't happy with. Academically its not as strong as Brighton, although it still pushes its pupils. More expensive fees than Brighton, bursaries were available when we looked & didn't feel we would need to jump through too many hoops to get one.

Brighton isn't as well known for music. May be a bit too hot-housey for you though not in the same league as say Westminster. It is an extremely popular school with Londoners as its an hour maximum via train. Lots of Brighton pupils get on at Croydon according to DH. More day pupils, boarding becoming increasingly popular. No Saturday school. Again here the bursar is amiable & willing to discuss finances so doubt you'll have any problems on that count.

We were originally looking for day schools & so didn't even consider Kings. It probably would have suited my bright, sporty, likes-to-try-his-hand-at-anything DS. When you look around the schools, don't think of your 10 year old being a pupil there, but think of him at age 14. Would he want to be restricted at a school with Saturday school (for instance?) or where there's limited facilities for the things he enjoys?

Latymer Upper like musicians, have a strong music department and are expanding their bursary offer. They take about a dozen at 13+ and though entry is competitive, the academic range is wider than at the very selective schools.

Thank you Mutaroo, that is really useful advice abut looking ahead.
Got info on Brighton and it looks lovely and we could always move nearer the sea... :)
DS is not a type, despite being a chorister, it's just that music is his strength. He likes to have a go at all sport, for example, and is pretty competent but not amazing at it. But then he's so busy singing he doesn't so as much as he'd like. I have a feeling he'd be we'll into drama too.
He's very robust!
Needmoresleep - Lancing and the chapel thing, I sort of think he would like that but then my DH said he may hate it by then having had it so much for 5 years.
Thanks for all these tips. :)

Apologies for random punctuation from my auto correct!

Westminster is not just about the maths so don't rule it out. They have a huge number of excellent mathematicians, but subjects like History or Art, English, Philosophy and Languages are also very strong. Indeed a good proportion of their Oxbridge places were in non-quantitative subjects. Most students seem to be good musicians and there is a lot of both school level and house level music happening. The sport focus is on participation with a good range on offer, so something for everyone and the new sports hall has made a real difference. Girls in the sixth form dilute the maths focus a bit as well.

If you don't want a hot house, don't look at Brighton!! It is all about grades.

If he wants somewhere musical have you looked at Christ's Hospital? Music is very important and popular, but it's not a school for everyone!!

Christ's hospital doesn't appeal.
Is Brighton anymore hothouse than a London day tho which is what we are aiming for. He's bright enough. Just not sure i want it all pressure pressure etc
Looking at the glossy brochure it seems to be top ind school or something.....

We will apply Westminster, why not give it a shot eh.

Westminster will be pressurised although more from the children than the teachers. Choristers are remarkably good at focused concentration and fitting a lot in so usually can cope very well with the pressures of intense school life. However I wonder whether after the intensity of a chorister life time and an environment for your DS to develop other potential interests might be more valuable long term than going for the most academic school. At Westminster he will not have much time left (with Saturdays school) after academics and music commitments. That's fine if he wants to be a musician but he may have other strengths that would be a shame for him not to discover.

I don't really want to start a debate about a specific school, however I don't think boys entering at 13 necessarily feel much pressure at Westminster.

Entry is sufficiently competitive at that point that boys who cannot cope easily won't get in. Those who are anxious and pressured, and there are some, were almost certainly like that before the age of 13. There are some who are so insanely clever that the rest look ordinary. Great is you like a culture where clever is the norm.

GCSEs aren't that demanding and unlike other schools, there is not much focus on competing against peers to be top of the class or win prizes at prize day. And you can drop maths at A level. Our experience was that there was plenty of time to work hard and play hard. Because it is run as a boarding school, a lot happens after school or on Saturdays.

Have a go. If he gets a place he will be fine. If he doesn't don't worry.

Needmoresleep I think Westminster may be a bit too much like the life he is living at the moment. I don't think the boys who get in struggle with the work but the time taken for the academic focus, Saturday school and high level music inevitably leaves less time for other stuff.

Needmore-Yeah, I'm quite chilled about where he goes, in that I'm not a massive snob about it. Just feel he's had this amazing intense experience and want to utilise it, I guess.
So, will give the biggies a shot but wont make a big deal about it to him when he sits pre tests. Just going to say to him that everyone wanting a school in London does it, and keep it breezy.
Summer- i take your point about a fresh start with less intensity. It's something I'm really thinking about when I think a less selective school might suit him well so he gets to do drama etc without being so serious. He's got a good sense of humour anyway so can't see him being too intense.
The thing that worries me about a less trad/selective is that I worry he will have less of a shot at choral scholarship at uni. Something that could be his ticket to ride, iykwim.
I know that's a long way off but I know it's his edge.

I was going to suggest Trinity too.
My DS knows of an ex-chorister there at the moment (St Paul's I think).
I'm pretty sure that students have gone on to get choral scholarships in the past.

Does the head of his current school have advice? Presumably he has experience with senior schools suited to ex-choristers? I would also ask the parents of current choristers at his school as they generally have good insight into senior schools and info on scholarship availability.What instrument your DS can offer makes a difference too.
As for choral scholarships to uni, I know nothing about this (so really shouldn't comment) but I would imagine this would depend somewhat on what happens once his voice changes and how much support he will get at his senior school to maximise the potential of this future voice. I personally would opt for a school with excellent support for a musical child, focussed on the individual child's needs and willing to advocate for that child, whether or not it is a "name" school (not saying you're doing that, but thought I'd throw it out there).

Choral scholarships at Uni are not usually worth a great deal - even Oxbridge. Usually meals and music lessons, they don't help with entry either.
But if he has a good voice as an adult male, has continued training then he will have a good chance (even more if he becomes a bass).

Tuppeny I know of choral scholars (including KC Cambridge) from state (not even ex choristers) and private schools. As long as he continues vocal training and is lucky enough to have developed a good voice then I imagine the type of school won't matter for his chances. What is a different issue is whether he wants a school with a strong chapel choir. He might however prefer to spend more time developing music theatre or other types of repertoire. As you know more than most a high level chapel choir is a major commitment at school and at university.