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Secondary education

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Original poster

If you have a Tiffin Boy (preferably couple years in) what is it like?

26 replies

Strix · 01/04/2016 19:29

I'm hearing stories of lots of homework... is this true? How much is a lot?

What do they need in terms of a computer?

Is there anything you'd do differently looking back?

To be honest, my biggest worries are:
1- the commute (absent minded he is!)
2- being separated from all his friends who are headed to the local comp.

OP posts:
BrexitentialCrisis · 01/04/2016 19:32

Sorry I am no help at all but was so puzzled about what a Tiffin boy is! I thought it was some kind of new snack!
Hope you get some good advice soon. IME kids tend to come up trumps at crunch times like these, so I hope he has a great start and does you proud Smile

Original poster
Strix · 01/04/2016 19:35

Tiffin is a Grammar School in Kingston Upon Thames. I said Tiffin Boy so it wouldn't be confused with the Tiffin Girls school.

I know, he'll be fine. But I just like to put my own mind at rest by getting some other views from parents of boys who are a couple of years in.

OP posts:
PettsWoodParadise · 02/04/2016 03:18

The Elevenplusexams site for your region may help: www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/11plus/viewforum.php?f=30&sid=3c38b81e4fdde10599bb1436a036e718

Zhabr · 02/04/2016 09:59

Hope that those with Tiffin boys will come up soon. I have a Tiffin girl. Some of her former primary schoolmates are now in their fourth year at Tiffin boys and doing well. Parents are quite happy as well.

Savagebeauty · 02/04/2016 12:15

How long is the commute? Has he done the journey?

SAHDthatsall · 02/04/2016 17:05

A Tiffin Boy is a bit like a Choco Boy snack you can buy in Morrisons

That is so funny. At little racist some would say but essentially so true.

IdaJones · 02/04/2016 17:10

Racist?

IdaJones · 02/04/2016 17:21

Brexit said she though Tiffin Boy was some sort of snack and I cracked a (rubbish) joke relating it to an actual snack with the word "boy" in it. If you want to relate that to race that's your choice, but nothing racist about it from my side.

Clavinova · 02/04/2016 17:43

I thought the joke was a little racist as well - both the image on the snack and the link to the school.

Drinkstoomuchcoffee · 02/04/2016 18:02

Struggling to see how a cartoon boy of indeterminate colour wearing a chocolate hat can be construed as rascist. Confused

Savagebeauty · 02/04/2016 18:05

Oh for gods sake.
Only on MN...

IdaJones · 02/04/2016 18:06

Ok. I hadn't made that link at all. I bought some in our local Morrisons about a year or so ago. They are Korean. Perhaps they shouldn't stock them if the image is considered racist.

IdaJones · 02/04/2016 18:10

And definitely not a reference to the race of people at the school which never crossed my mind. If other people want to make that mental connection go ahead

Floggingmolly · 02/04/2016 18:18

Racist? Confused. Tiffin is also a Cadburys chocolate bar made in Cadburys Ireland but also available in... Morrisons.

Clavinova · 02/04/2016 18:34

Well if I have to spell it out - 'Choco Boy' and at least 70% of the pupils are not 'White British'. I cringed because I know the school well - even if no offence was intended. Fantastic school by the way.

Floggingmolly · 02/04/2016 18:41

Does your son actually have a place at Tiffin, op? Didn't you think about the commute before you applied? I don't think anyone on the thread can advise you on this; we don't know where you live, for a start...

Original poster
Strix · 02/04/2016 22:15

Ok... Moving on from chocolate treats....

Yes, I knew about the conmute. Other factors outweighed this one, but still a bit of a worry -- for me not him.

Most children who get into Tiffin:
Have considerable commute
Are separated from most of their friends.

Just looking for stories/experience from those who have been there. Hoping they will tell me it's all fine.

I am absolutely delighted with his place. I couldn't be prouder or happier.

I hope he doesn't eat too much chocolate. Smile

OP posts:
Savagebeauty · 02/04/2016 22:42

Op...how long is his commute???

notagiraffe · 02/04/2016 22:46

DS1's close friend is there. He loves it. He's doing well, has really nice friends (who happen to live near him too) and certainly doesn't get loads of homework. At one point they cancelled all homework to try and get boys who lived far away to join in more after school extra curricular stuff. They seem to have back tracked on that a bit, but no more than any school with high academic expectations. He does lots of sport and extra curricular, and is thriving.

errorofjudgement · 03/04/2016 08:00

My Godson went to Tiffin, he enjoyed it very much, and his parents were delighted with the school. I got the impression that the school was very proud of its academic success and this is v highly prized. And referred to at all school events.
We don't live in the South East so I have no strong views re the school. But as an aside, my DSs went to our local comp and got as good (DS1), of better (DS2) A-levels without all the pressure that our Godson seemed to be have.

Savagebeauty · 03/04/2016 10:36

error yes I agree with that...my friend's ds went there. My ds is the same age but at local school....got better GCSEs and is so far predicted better As levels.
Ds turned down going to sixth form there which was the right decision.

Original poster
Strix · 04/04/2016 19:45

Travelling from Twickenham. So one train. And that's fin assuming:

  • they aren't on strike
  • there is no trespasser on the tracks
  • there's no rugby match
  • etc.

I'm sure hell be fine with the travel, but I still worry a bit.

And of course his friends are all headed to the local comp (which is a great school), so he's a but sad not to be going with them. But, overall, I truly believe Tiffin is the right school for him.

I'd just like some company I guess. And, yes, it's probably me and not him who needs company.

Glad to hear homework is not overwhelming and there is focus on the the extracurricular.

OP posts:
Savagebeauty · 04/04/2016 20:39

Oh that's nothing! Thought you were going to say the other side of Hounslow.
Make sure he does the train journey alone in the summer and also has a back up bus route.

Pani6161 · 07/04/2016 10:18

IdaJones I strongly advice you to think before you say something non-sense. I feel disgusted by some people who are trying to be SO FUNNY and make joke from every thing without thinking about the consequences and being offensive to some other people. If anyone in this century still thinking about different races and try to use it to hurt the others feeling, I must say that person is not belong to this century and must have lived in Victorian time when being white was the merit.