Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

State v Private? Tiffin v Hampton?

35 replies

1mum2boys · 01/03/2016 21:52

I know, we are lucky to be in this position and wish that lots of you out there are in the same boat. After all the stress and decisions taken along this journey, this one will be the last but the toughest one. What would / will you do? We are very hard working parents who somehow will find a way to keep the outflow of money going only to offer what is best for our DS. But what is it best?

OP posts:
Pani6161 · 06/03/2016 09:47

HPFA You are absolutely right. I don't think any school teach NVR at school and it's not part of the curriculum. Thankfully Tiffin has changed the VR and NVR this year which is great and the children who are really bright can get in.

Itsneverlate · 06/03/2016 10:23

NPFA, I agree with you 100%. My DD who is very able in mathematics and she writes beautifully in different genres ( she is in highly selective independent now), never scored high in NVR. The main reason is she could not rotate shapes in her head and she struggles with the symmetry. I think there is something in her brain relating to shapes which does allow her to do that sort of problems quickly.

TeddTess · 06/03/2016 10:52

it was designed to test intelligence rather than identify kids who had been taught well etc...

however in reality it was tutored to an inch

DD1 got an academic scholarship to a selective independent but was so crap at NVR i didn't even bother to apply to the state grammars which only tested via VR & NVR. i'm sure i could have "taught" her through it but it's hard to compete with the kids who've been drilled in it since age 5.

ohtobeanonymous · 06/03/2016 12:12

Like Tess my DD also got offered academic/music scholarships but struggled (es!) with NVR.

Anecdotally, there is not much correlation between VR/NVR and academic achievement and it seems the testing is also starting to prove this.

TiffinVsHampton · 07/03/2019 15:28

We are exactly in the same position - to choose between Tiffin and Hampton at 11+ in September 2019.

We are based out of Hampton (Ormond Drive) - so Hampton is very tempting - Anybody want to discuss, pls PM - may be we can speak! Its about underwriting at least £175K over next 7 years:)

Mazes · 07/03/2019 16:22

OP, tbh, a quick glance at the GCSE results and this is a no-brainier. Hampton gets about 93% A-A* at GCSE, TS are about 75%. That’s a significant difference. Also the extra-curricular side of things is also likely to vary enormously. If you sat your son for Hampton, I think you have to be prepared to make the sacrifice if he gets in. That’s just my personal view though.

TeddTess · 08/03/2019 11:47

TiffinVsHampton scanning through the thread I don't think the advice has changed.

All comes down to money and how affordable/manageable the fees are for you as a family.

Hampton definitely has a lot of value add.
Tiffin is a fantastic state school.

Notenoughsleepmumof3 · 08/03/2019 12:26

You've probably already made your decision, but I'm a Tiffin parent and it really is a great school. The boys get so many opportunities, the teachers are very supportive and inspiring. The pastoral care is excellent and there are a lot of really nice families there, hence a lot of really nice boys. It's diverse and that is a great/positive thing for their development. Hampton is a great school, but you will have a wider range of kids and ideas flowing in the classroom discussions at Tiffin because it is diverse in a wonderful way. The creative arts and sport are good and considering they aren't really a sporty school (kids don't get in on their athletic abilities) they do really well and it's a supportive environment. I'm very pleased we chose this option over the private offers in the end.

RosieBenenden · 09/03/2019 10:04

If you possibly can I would always go for private over state schools. Our two DD's board at The Cheltenham Ladies' College and the quality and opportunities offered there far outweigh anything the state sector can offer.

Notenoughsleepmumof3 · 09/03/2019 14:40

RosieBenenden I would disagree with you about quality and opportunities offered between state and private. It very much depends on the schools in question. Tiffin is ranked in the top 3%. The teachers there are excellent educators, the opportunities the boys get are pretty spectacular and you can't underestimate the benefits of ethnic and economic diversity in terms of making a well rounded individual in a global world.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page