13+ boarding SOS

[firstboard]

Dear moms,
My DS will got to Year 6 in Sept . My husband is being transferred to Switzerland and we may be moving countries frequently. We have decided to take DS to Swiss for 2 years and then send him to UK boarding schools from 13+ age.
I live in Manchester, so we don't have local boarding options. I have been franatically searching internet and have managed to register DS for Winchester, Westminster, Eton, Kings, Tonbridge, Harrow and Whitgrift ( Yes, I am paranoid !!) .
DS is very bright, managed to get through Manchester Grammar for Boys here. His maths is good and English is also above average.
I have received test dates of Eton and Tonbridge. Where should we begin preparation.
Getting registered and getting a test date all happend in span of 15 days and I am now wondering if I should prepare DS or leave everything to his potential because there is not much time left to shift gears.
We will be doing 11+ English, VR, NVR and maths - GL assessments . What else should I do?
Thanks for your replies .

[firstboard]

I now have dates for Eton and Tonbridge pre test - Oct and Nov !!!!
I'll keep you all updated on my journey. I will also complie all good advice you all gave me , so that anyone in my position will benefit from this.
How did our moms survive without internet and moms net ??!!!!

[EastLynne]

Good Luck

[firstboard]

Hi everyone,
I just wanted to update you all on Eton. DS took test yesterday. He doesn't remember anything about the computerised test. He says its something he hasn't done before. Says he tried his best and thinks he has done OK.
But he is very happy with his interview. It was an easy chat about what music instruments he plays, sports etc.
Now the long wait for results till December begins.
For international students, if they pass Pre test, in Year 8, they will have to sit in exam of Science, Maths and English. The paper will be set by the school. They don't have to do Common Entrance or National Curriculum exam .

[Xpatmama88]

Best of luck for your DS.

[ZeroSomeGameThingy]

It's always good to see an update!

How is your DS getting on at Manchester Grammar OP?

[peteneras]

Coming to this thread late, OP, if it’s full-time boarding and cricket you want for your son, then there are but only two schools from your original list - Eton and Harrow.

The annual Eton vs. Harrow cricket match is legendary and your cricketing son will have the chance to play cricket in the home of cricket itself - Lords! It is every cricketer’s dream of playing cricket at Lords.

As your son seems also to be very bright and academic besides being sporty, then realistically speaking there is only one school for him - ETON!

So now your son has seen the school and done the computerised test, what is his opinion of Eton and how does he like it? What about yourself?

[Dapplegrey]

Best of luck to your ds, firstboard. Keep us updated!
I hope he gets a place at Eton - the cricket there is excellent - though I know it is at lots of schools.

[0verseasmum]

Try Shrewsbury School for Cricket I think they even have an indoor cricket centre and are current holders of the Silk Trophy which they compete for against Eton, Oundle and an touring school - two schools you mentioned. Amazing cricket grounds but then I guess most of these schools have. Its mostly Coed now, good results and not too far from Manchester if you have family there. They run coaches to Manchester during exeats, definately full boarding - only about 100 day students. All schools you mentioned are very good schools, happy hunting.

[lastnightIwenttoManderley]

Radley also seems to be very good for cricket but not sure if its too late to get on 'the list'?

[firstboard]

Thanks everyone. Good to know that you all are watching this place. I will keep you all updated .

Zero - He loves MGS. This is "the school" for him. Sadly we have to leave MGS.
Paterneas - I hope he gets a place anywhere - Eton , Harrow or Winchester. Cricket is like cherry on the cake :) . He is above average, I will not describe him as "very bright".
We all loved Eton. I found the boarding house bit claustrophobic. DS was thrilled and relieved to see messy rooms !!

Overseasmom - I'll look up Shrewsbury school. We will be in Zurich, no where near Manchester.
Lastnight - I missed Radley's deadlie, they refused me in June !!
Thanks for your wishes Dapplegrey.

[summerends]

firstboard I hope that he finds a boarding school that he ends up loving as much as he does MGS. From my experience of boarding houses (not Eton) they often seem 'claustrophobic' to parents but children even teenagers don't seem to mind and always find some space to congregate and let off steam with their friends.
Your information about 13+ entrance for international students confirms the growing flexibility away from CE for international and the state sector. However I imagine that if Latin continues to be obligatory at Eton your DS will want to avoid extra catch-up lessons if he goes there so might be worth keeping up his latin.

[firstboard]

Bad news from Eton :( . He didn't pass, not even Waiting list. So Eton is out of reach now. DS is very dissappointed because he can't get his head around the result.
I don't think we could have done anything more. Its first failure for DS, s he has taken it to heart. I am sure he'll be fine.

Our next exam is Winchester in January, so gearing up for this now.
Thanks everyone for your support .

[summerends]

firstboard it is often reported that the school don't always offer to good performers in the test so you can't assume he did n't do well in it. He may just not have come across as a good boarding school candidate.
As an aside I think the Eton pretest (and similar computer tests) sound an excellent way of differentiating IQ rather than those who have had thorough preparation but I do wonder whether it favours computer-savvy boys.

[happygardening]

Winchesters interview/pre test is much more personal, lasting about 1 1/2 hours it gives boys a real chance to shine and show their individual qualities. Rather than being impersonal (like some) the HM's can go on their gut feelings about a boy. When my DS did it (a frighteningly long time ago now at least it seems that way) the individual HM's organised their own tests, two of DS's friends were interviewed by different HM's in the same year and all three did completely different written/oral tests.
My DS did little if any preparation for it, on the advise of the Win Coll, your child's personality is being assessed to see if he's 1. suitable for the school and 2. suitable for the house he's registered for so basically it's going to be much better if your DS is just himself not an over prepared version.

[ZeroSomeGameThingy]

How lovely of you to update. I won't say "bad luck" because it really isn't if it's not the right school.

However, based on what you said before about how much he loves MGS, I'm wondering whether, in addition to entrance tests, you might consider finding a way for him to stay there when you move. Would it be impossible to find a truly lovely family with whom he could live in Manchester? (It seems a shame to take him from a school he's thriving at ...) But I can understand if you have your heart and mind set on more conventional boarding.

I'm sorry he's taken it to heart - I'm sure he did nothing wrong (and the boy who has "his" place might not have got in to MGS!)

But summer I can't imagine a boy bright enough to be taking this particular pre-test who is not "computer-savvy". Wherever in the world they might come from. It may well be that your first point, about boarding readiness, played a part - but who knows.

Onwards and upwards OP.

[summerends]

Zero I don't know how fast-reacting the boys have to be to the computer screen so I might be overestimating the level of computer-competence but surely boys who have n't had much or no ICT or spent little time playing computer games by that age would be responding less rapidly to the questions asked? I am mildly curious since I have a DS who would have been in that category despite being (without false modesty) pretty bright and therefore I wonder how he would have fared with that sort of test.

[ZeroSomeGameThingy]

I don't know either (obvs) so I went in search of a boy ... Boy says that you would need to know how to use a mouse, but no actual difficulty beyond that regarding the mechanics of the thing. (Do you know how much Marvel info I had to listen to in exchange? )

[summerends]

Zero probably best not to tell said boy that the ignorance of this particular poster is such that I had to look up what Marvel was so that I could understand the extent of your self sacrifice .

[happygardening]

Isn't Marvel some kind of soap powder?

[summerends]

HG I did wonder whether Marvel might be a new legal high or be particularly interesting from a chemistry point of view (which Zero's DS as a bright boy could appreciate).

[firstboard]

Thanks Zero, Happy and Summer. I wouldn't analyse the result vis a vis DS's computer ability. He is on daily diet of xbox and computer/consoles and smartphone games . LOL
But after visiting Eton, I trust and respect their judgement. If they have not offered DS, it means that DS would not have thrived well there.

There were seemingly bright boys from US, Hong Kong and so many other London Prep schools - so his not getting a place may be put down to purely level of competition and the fact that there may be other 120 boys who have shown greater promise.

Zero - There is no way we can leave him behind with any family. Trust me, I have explored all options to stay at MGS. Sadly only way to stay at MGS is to split our family and I stay back. Something that we have ruled out.

Happy - Now we have to look forward to Winchester. Thanks for pointers. This sounds bit more promising to me now.

Thanks everyone for your support !! It means a lot !!

[IndridCold]

I hope your DS does not take it too much to heart, it is no disgrace at all not to pass the assessment. It sounds unlikely that the reason they turned him down was because he is not clever enough, there must have been something in your DS that made them think that he wouldn't thrive there. It is a great school, but will not suit everyone.

I wish you luck in the rest of your search.

[longtallsally2]

Hi First

Sorry if I have missed it but have you looked at St Edwards Oxford? Full boarding, fabulous cricket facilities. A friend's son started last year who is very very academic - lots of encouragement for him and opportunity to excel - he's heading for 12 A*s. He also came out of the state sector and got a place with minimal prepping for the entrance exams (which are based on CE, but flexible for non prep school kids).

He's v. happy there - doing 10 hours/week winter nets at cricket at the moment! They play Eaton, Harrow and Winchester at cricket every year - and have a good track record against them.

[Xpatmama88]

Best of luck in Winchester interview. I agreed with HG, Winchester interview/pre test are much more personal, the housemaster can really get to know the boy through the interview and consider whether he is the right candidate for the school.
Be himself and honest with his answers. I'm sure, (unlike my DC), your DC is not going to tell the housemaster that cricket is the most boring sports. (The HM interviewed my DC happened to be coaching the cricket team)

[ResponsibleAdult]

OP, all the schools you are considering will be offering a similar type of schooling. Excellent academic results, excellent facilities, excellent variety of opportunity. At all these schools it is in their interest to bring out the best in your child, be it cricket, flute, or a love of languages.

As you are geographically footloose, the biggest factors you need to consider are:

1. Proximity to an airport (you don't want to spend hours travelling)
   
2. Proximity to guardian ( you don't want guardian endlessly travelling)
   
3. Proportion of termly boarders ( you don't want lonely weekends)
   

Exeats occur twice a term, Fri 6pm until Monday 8am. There will be alternative assessment for overseas applicants so the CE thing can be discounted.

Shortlist

For Heathrow: Rugby, Harrow, Millfield (too far perhaps), Wellington
For Gatwick: Epsom, Brighton, Hurstpierpoint, Cranleigh, Marlborough, Sevenoaks

My DS plays against all these schools. Good luck, keep us posted.