Eton College or Harrow School 2019

[Wornthreads]

There are some out of date threads about this subject . Can anyone help identify the current positives in either or both schools? D.S will be going to one of them next September. New Head Masters e.t.c?

For example, Eton - is eat in house or Bekynton the way forward? Or, is that completely irrelevant and should we only consider the House Master?

Harrow, what sort of cohort are we likely to expect?

Thanks in advance for your kind assistance.

My DD was (and still is) friends with boys who went to Harrow and her former boyfriend was there. They are all now in their mid 20s, so not yet Captains of Industry. At the school DD went to, a number of the girls’ brothers were there and they had socials with the boys.

I can honestly say, having talked to the boys and now young men, that I was more than impressed with their school. They had all found clubs and activities to stimulate them, whether it be cricket, music, or drama, and these could be pursued to a high level. Music was very strong and one of DDs friends was a music scholar.

Old Harrovians are very supportive of the school. Many had work experience placements offered by Old Harrovians and they had talks from influential speakers which was a way more inspiring programme than my DD had!

I enjoyed talking to these boys: they were fun and had good manners. They are pursuing a variety of careers from Actor to Insurance Broker to Doctor to Tea buyer so a big variety! DD was more inspired by them to become a barrister than her own school! I wouldn’t hesitate to send a boy there.

However, you have to be aware that there is a hierarchy (of wealth and influence) and you must not get sidetracked by that. That’s the way it is. Also the Rugby team are Gods. The above comments probably apply to many independent schools though!

X-xiong, if I'm asked to pay a quarter million pounds and have a choice of two schools - either one or the other - where my son will spend five years of his most impressionable life as in this case which is what the OP is asking, you bet I'd be going over all the details of the two schools with a very fine comb.

Yes, by all accounts either one of the two schools would do nicely with 99% of the world's population. The OP happens to be in a very fortunate position to have his/her son accepted by these two schools. In fact, reading from another thread elsewhere (Winchester) the lucky young man was also accepted by Winchester which the family has now rejected which is a great shame. That's because Winchester would be a much better school than pretentious Harrow as far as I'm concerned. In fact, WinColl is of a different class to Harrow (in spite of its certain shortcomings).

I am not too sure that Eton and Harrow staff are "much of a muchness" or many of them have worked in both schools. The only Harrow staff that I know of who had worked in these two schools was Barnaby Lenon who started his teaching career at Eton and was there for 12 years and later went on to become Headmaster of Harrow.

So there you go, OP, an ordinary teaching member of staff at Eton is good enough to be Headmaster of Harrow and you are argonising where to send your son, Eton or Harrow?

I can give you more examples of the calibre of Eton teaching staff if you like other than the above. My son's housemaster at Eton, Dr Gary Savage left Eton to become Under Master of probably the UK's most academic school, Westminster. This position is second only to the Headmaster! And of course, he's since left Westminster after four/five years to become Headmaster of another much sought-after academic school, Alleyn's.

We felt like Harrow was as much a club than a school, with Old Harrovians looking out for each other in later life (work experience e.t.c). Is that the case (or not). If so, does Eton have what we've perceived to be this kind of old boys network

You are asking whether Old Etonians have a network? Seriously

peteneras your posts really aren't coming across well. You don't like Harrow we get it.

And not without reasons, Sally.

I guess your objections to Harrow Peteneras stem from personal reasons, for example a poor experiences at initial school visits, your DS or other friend's' DSs not being offered a place or bursary or even your DS having a bad match experience with them It is an easy trap to shift personal objections to more general criticisms of a school.

Harrow is very well known and always will be from its very famous alumni.
You can hardly object to it for its success in setting up international schools; UK universities follow the same path, indeed the ex headmaster of Eton is monetising his Eton experience by a very well paid job in an international schools company.

Bear in mind that Eton is twice the size of Harrow. They take 250 boys a year, with upwards of four applicants for each place (it might even be more than that). They are also working two years in advance, plus all the younger boys who are going through pretesting. That is pushing 4000 sets of prospective parents for them to deal with at any one time!

OP, you say that you have met, and chosen, a HM at Harrow, but not yet at Eton. When you have had the chance to visit some Eton houses, you will have a much clearer picture of what school life is like there. Visiting the school on St Andrews day is fun, but it’s a big fête day, it won’t give a real picture of what it is like to be a pupil there.

No one would surely choose Harrow over Eton. There is nothing worng with Harrow and we know it well but if he can get into Eton that is where he should go.

(Pet, you are being a bit unfair on Harrow in some of those comments)

Peteneras, don't most head teachers start out as classroom teachers?

They most certainly do, of course, BareBum. But I think you're slightly missing the point I was trying to make to impress the OP about the quality of teachers at Eton, many of whom have spent long years there, first, learning their craft and later perfecting their skills all at this same medieval school. Almost all are specialists in their own subjects and quite a few of them have written and published their own books.

Others, for personal development, leave to take up a more senior position at another public/independent school.

"(Pet, you are being a bit unfair on Harrow in some of those comments)"

Could be a bit unfair but certainly not untrue, Xenia.

But there again, Harrow was even more unfair on me when I approached them.

"I guess your objections to Harrow Peteneras stem from personal reasons, for example a poor experiences at initial school visits, your DS or other friend's' DSs not being offered a place or bursary or even your DS having a bad match experience with them It is an easy trap to shift personal objections to more general criticisms of a school."

sendsummer,

1. Yes, my objections to Harrow is highly personal.
2. No, have never visited Harrow though I live in north London neighbouring Harrow.
3. No, DS not offered a place nor bursary - simple fact being no applications were made for either.
4. No, nothing to do with matches nor Harrovians - my gripe is strictly with the damn school.

the quality of teachers at Eton, many of whom have spent long years there, first, learning their craft and later perfecting their skills all at this same medieval school.

As have many teachers up and down the country.

zzzzz, as far as I'm concerned every single post on the millions of threads at MumsNet is a personal take. You either take it or 'chuck it' like an OE is known to have said (Brexit).

Talking of which, why are OEs featuring endlessly everywhere you look? Have you looked at this fact, OP when deciding Eton or Harrow?

Talking of which, why areOEs featuring endlessly everywhere you look?

Yeah but usually not talked about in a good way.

"As have many teachers up and down the country."

And they all go on to become Headmasters of prominent public schools. Amen!

"Yeah but usually not talked about in a good way."

Some are not, but the bulk are. Like I said, take it or leave it.

Talking of which, why areOEs featuring endlessly everywhere you look?

Yeah but usually not talked about in a good way.

That is because of media bias, not because all OEs are terrible people. Whenever Boris is mentioned, so is Eton, being an OE is just one of his many failings.

When an OE wins an Olympic gold, or a Nobel Prize for science, or is a leading environmentalist, like Jonathan Porrit for example, then Eton is miraculously, never mentioned!

No need to apologise. If you are brave enough to comment then be prepared to take all responses.

And I don't see any Old Harrovians making any stands anywhere, do you, TonTon?

I suppose this is Harrow teaching them in school on the hill - just keep hush and follow the leaders.