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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

Harrow and Ampleforth

16 replies

Trendsetter2000 · 25/04/2015 20:12

I am deciding what school to send my DS to. We are thinking Harrow or Ampleforth, and I've heard they are very different. What are the pros and cons of each? And what do you think?

OP posts:

ZeroFunDame · 25/04/2015 20:19

What stage are you at in your research?

"Deciding" suggests that you might already have offers from both - but if that were the case you would have gone further than simply having "heard" that they are very different.

How old is your son and what do you know of each school already?

TinkerBellThree · 25/04/2015 22:59

They are very different schools indeed, so I emplore you to elaborate a little more as to what your DS is like, what you are looking for etc. and indeed as Zero is saying, where in the process are you, how old is your DS etc.
Two wonderful schools, but very different (in my limited experience)

Original poster

Trendsetter2000 · 26/04/2015 12:00

DS is in year 5. He likes sport and art. Academically he is average. We are just looking at potential schools for now, and thinking about tutoring. From what I've gathered Harrow can be pretentious and competitive, and Ampleforth is much more down to earth and liberal.

OP posts:

happygardening · 26/04/2015 12:39

Harrow is pretentious IMO all the hideous social climbing pretentious parents at DS's prep school were desperate to send their DS's to Harrow. I also think if you DS is "average" he'll struggle to get in, it's very over subscribed.
Harrow is groaning under the weight on meaningless ritual and out dated uniform and who wants to drive to North London (shudder).
Ampleforth is RC are you? If your not do you mind? I would? It's also rural, Harrow obviously is not, where do you currently live and what does your DS want?
We have a friend whose sent 5 to Ampleforth she's liberal and not pretentious, one is bright, one dyslexic one normal one bloody weird. All are very happy the school is tolerant and very caring and all are exceeding her expectations academically.
I do half a 1 1/2 hour one way driving rule for boarding schools most other parents of boarders agree, I curious to know how you can be in a location where this applies to both of these.

homebythesea · 26/04/2015 13:59

Happy gardening- have you never heard of expats or HM services? Not everyone can or wants to live near their children's school!

Back on track- FWIW the people I know who went to Ampleforth are much nicer rounded and grounded than the Harrow lot. But all are religious.

morethanpotatoprints · 26/04/2015 14:05

Ampleforth has a lovely mix of students and they aren't all the same type from a few exclusive families.
I have only visited but agree that there is no pretension there.
i must admit though my visit was not as a potential parent of the school, my dh taught there a couple of days a week.
I think its a lovely school and had it been suitable for our dc and we were rich enough they would have gone.
i like the fact there aren't too many opportunities for them to go off the rails.
Because its surrounded by beautiful countryside all activities for the dc are provided at the school.
The 6th formers are allowed to the pub and of course they behave themselves or word gets back
I have no idea about Harrow, except of course that it exists.

happygardening · 26/04/2015 14:09

Your right home not thinking very straight.

morethanpotatoprints · 26/04/2015 14:11

oh, meant to add that Ampleforth looks after the teachers so they manage good retention and in the case of my dh who teaches a none mainstream specialist subject they obviously see fit to look outside the usual academic and extracurricular activities.
I got the impression if you were prepared to pay a teacher could be found for everything.

grovel · 26/04/2015 14:33

It seems rather a strange choice to me.

Harrow is in a city, only has boys and does God in a bog-standard way.

Ampleforth is in the middle of nowhere, is co-ed and does God seriously.

Maybe it's a good idea to have such contrasting schools on your shotlistlist.

ZeroFunDame · 26/04/2015 15:01

I'm still bitter about the fact no-one bothered to send me to Ampleforth.

Though I'm not sure it was co-ed then. And we're not Catholic or even slightly religious. Still. I think they could have tried.

grovel · 26/04/2015 15:17

Girls were first introduced at Ampleforth in 2002.

ZeroFunDame · 26/04/2015 15:23

Far too late for me ...

TinkerBellThree · 26/04/2015 15:40

Zero- I so wish it was possible to like posts - yours made me grin!

Pepperpot69 · 26/04/2015 20:47

Trendsetter your posts seem a bit bazaare as you are on another education thread not knowing the difference between public and private schools but suddenly you are choosing between Harrow & Ampleforth, are you really a potential parent???? Strange! Posters beware!!!

TalkinPeace · 26/04/2015 22:04

Ampleforth = oop north, rural, god
Harrow = london, trendy, non god

I'd love to know what brought the final choice down to those two (have very good friends who have both loved and hated both)

Stealthsquiggle · 29/04/2015 23:37

I have to admit I clicked on this thread wondering what the two could possibly be doing on the same thread.

I am none the wiser.

We went to a wedding at Ampleforth, and for non-RCs it was eye-opening and bloody scary

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