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 .

[EustaceandHilda]

HG , That's a fair point - we're in London and dropping DS off last Sunday evening at the station , DH did say it was a bit like Hogwarts Express , plenty of W boys on the train. A little bit of taking that for granted on my part , methinks.


OP I know your son has done his interview , a little late to the discussion , but just to say my DS did not go to a feeder prep school , in fact his school does not have much of a history of sending boys to Winchester at all , so please rest assured it can and does happen that boys get in other than from the recognised feeder schools.
Best wishes to him.

[EustaceandHilda]

One quick point HG , and you probably already know this but just in case , as I wasn't aware until it happened , next year your DS will get a certain number of prefect's weekends , i.e. they can , with HM agreement go home for the weekend (Sat after school till Sunday eve). Doesn't help your public transport problem but at least the driving isn't all on one day. It does give them a break especially , as you say , in the terms with fewer exeats.

[ZeroFunDame]

That sounds excitingly positive OP. Perhaps you have found The One.

I do think there may be an element of "hanging around" at the beginning of any new period of boarding, regardless of how many activities are organised. It inevitably takes a while to process for oneself exactly what is going on and how you fit into it all.

But I really just wanted to hug EustaceandHilda. I saw your name and realised, with a slight pang of regret, that I've never met another person who's read it.

[IndridCold]

I loved it too Zero, a sadly neglected writer. They did on TV light years ago...

[ZeroFunDame]

Ah, I might search for that on YouTube. Seem to recall a couple of episodes of The Hireling on R4Extra last year - but it wasn't quite right.

Oddly enough the not quite teen in the family was asking about The Go-Between recently. I love sharing books with him but really couldn't see what he'd get out of it - nostalgia is still entirely foreign to him ...

[EustaceandHilda]

Glad to have reminded you !
Off topic , my DS (teenager) read The Go-Between and really enjoyed it. The bits at the beginning with the spells and "vanquished" he found hugely funny.

[grovel]

One of the boys in the film of The Go Between went on to be Herr Flick in Allo Allo. Not many people know that. Unsurprisingly.

[EustaceandHilda]

Grovel -Top Fact.

[IndridCold]

Gosh, the Go Between is one of my fave films ever and I certainly didn't know that! Of course, another fact is that the opening lines, about the past being another country, were used as the title for Julian Mitchell's play about Guy Burgess's time at Eton. (I think it was Julian Mitchell).

Interestingly enough, I showed DS the film during the summer and he really loved it, and I too was a bit surprised I must admit. I suppose it about adolescent boys trying to make sense of the adult world...

[EustaceandHilda]

Indrid -I have never seen that film , but I will see if I can get hold of it . It is Julie Christie IIRC ? I am sadly old enough to have seen Another Country on stage with Rupert Everett and I think Kenneth Branagh - I think you are right about The GB having an interest to boys making sense of the world. Thank you for reminding me about the film.


Anyway OP hope that my LP Hartley aside you got my post about my DS who went to Winchester from a school with no real history of sending boys there. Certainly not a feeder school. I will keep my fingers crossed for you that if he likes it he will get a place. Do let us know.

[firstboard]

EustanceandHilda - Thanks for your kind words. We loved Winc Coll and have done everything in our hands, now its long wait till June.
I am not doubtful about DS being given a fair chance . If he is suitable, he will be offered a place, regardless of feeder school and other factors.
One hour plus interview would have given them a fair idea of DS's capabilities. My only worry is that DS is too modest and even if he is very good at something, he says "I am OK" . LOL

Happy - Somehow, now I understand why you are so positively forceful about Win Coll. I got that feeling in my first visit :)

Zerofundame and Ingrid - At this time, I would happily welcome boring sundays for DS at Win coll .

This wait till June is too long.

We have Kings Cantebury and Harrow to look forward to

[happygardening]

IME Wykehamists are generally very modest and self effacing the HM's are very used to it so I wouldn't overly worry.

[firstboard]

Hello again,
Hope everyone is doing well. I am waiting for June for Win coll results. The wait is very frustrating.
We had to give miss to Wellington based on feedback from some friends.
Now I have Harrow in Year 7 ( long shot!!) and Whitgift .
I am in two minds about Whitgift. It seems a lovely school but its not full boarding. Does anyone have experience about full board in Whitgift?
Thanks.

[firstboard]

Hello everyone, I don't know how to react. Reserve Listed at Win Coll .

[happygardening]

I think those who've been offered firm places have about two weeks to confirm they definitely want it, others will confirm and then drop out along the way, a good candidates for Winchester is usually a strong candidate for an academic scholarship at a slight less academic school so freeing up more places in the future. Finally most who are successful in the Election will also have places in house which they will obviously give up. I would also Talk to the admissions dept in a few weeks about chances of getting offered a definite place IME they're very helpful about all things to do with admissions.

[peteneras]

I am so sorry to hear this, firstboard. And to think they’ve strung you and DS along for half a year, what, also with that 3-hour interview (or was it 30-hour?) in January just to tell you this now is simply and utterly inexcusable.

Never mind, you still have the Harrow card in hand and I’ve a good feeling that he might just fit into Harrow nicely with his cricketing skills. Please do keep us updated and the very best wishes to the both of you.

[ZeroFunDame]

Your DS is to be congratulated OP.

It's confirmation, at least, that you're not attempting the impossible.

But it is such a long process. I hope in the midst of this you've been able to make progress with your moving plans and that he is enjoying MGS?

[happygardening]

peteneras I'm curious to know which school does a 3 hour interview in January I dont know of any that do this .

[Leeds2]

Well Done to your DS, firstboard. I hope the reserve list moves quickly!

[summerends]

firstboard I posted this on a previous thread - I heard from another mother that the previous Winchester registrar said that the boys who are on the waiting list for Winchester are "bona fida" candidates for the school and that they did n't usually get much movement until October of year 8 (assume parents at that stage are starting to fix on their CE/scholarship choice). I think perhaps deciding who is a firm candidate compared to a waiting list sometimes comes to a housemaster making a choice of a balance of boys with different talents / personalities. Somebody who has a very strong talent may be put on the general list rather than the waiting list if the housemaster already has the right balance and there is no gap in another house. However if a boy is on the waiting list, from that phrase they must think they are academically up to it and potentially good candidates.

So basically your DS has done very well. You will get more idea if your DS is really keen on Winchester and it's worth hanging on for because of that by this autumn. He may well have several choices to decide between. Did you to apply to Kings ?

[firstboard]

Thanks everyone. We are very keen on Win coll, so its a relief that there is still some hope. It could have been worse.

HG- I will get in touch with admissions tomorrow to understand our chances realistically.

Peteneras - I knew the process, it could have been worse. DS is keen on Winchester.

Zero - You're right about confirmation part. If we drew a blank here, I would have gone in introspection mode . He is enjoying MGS and still sulking about having to leave . We have a moving date, in fact in 19 days, we'll be packing.

Thanks Leeds2

Summer - Have registered for Kings, but its a Co-ed, so DS is not so keen. He may change his mind after going to a co-ed school in Switzerland !!

[pusspusslet]

Just had to post to say EustaceandHilda my favourite book of all time! Have never met anyone who's even heard of it before!

[firstboard]

HG and Summer -From your posts, it looks like there will not be much movement in the list till year 8.

I had a chat with DS and he is keen on preparing for exam, irrespective of outcome. Where should we begin? I will ask school about syllabus and past papers for overseas candidates. Do CEM books help? I would buy them here rather than paying for extortionist delivery charges in Ch.

Are there any tutors who will take lessons on Skype? Please PM me if anyone has used Skype tutors.

[summerends]

firstboard I don't know very much about the entrance syllabus and how it changes for non CE schools nor anything about tutors. As you say the school will inform you for what he is expected to have covered for sciences and humanities etc.
However as general advice over the next year - ensure that his maths progresses at the level he is capable of, make sure that his French / MFLs are sound grammatically (not just learnt parrot fashion) and finally decide how much extra effort to put into Latin depending on if it is a subject he is likely to enjoy at senior school. The publishers that every one mentions for CE type material is Galore Park.

[ZeroFunDame]

pusspuss That makes four of us on this thread!

I wonder if there's another living person on Earth who has read and loved it.