Eton, Harrow, Winchester, or Westminster?

[MECC]

So our son is in prep school, and it's around the time that we begin considering which schools he should apply for.
His marks are very good and he enjoys reading. He is apathetic to sport, so we think an unashamedly academic school may be good for him. That's why we initally thought Eton and Harrow were probably not good choices, although we don't want to completely rule them out.
The issue with Westminster is that os only boards during weekends. It is also partially coeducational, and we want our son to have an all-male education.

@howwudufeel
No one has the right to tell me what schools I can send my son to.
One can say my diet is a political issue, yet when I ask for the best recipe for chicken, I don't expect angry rants from vegans.

You probably need Gabbitas and Thring then, OP.

Reading how this has developed has reinforced my impression of the ethics of the anti Eton crew ... I thought English was your second language? Jesus.
You people really do throw the rule book out the window when it comes to your “legitimate targets”, don’t you,

Mary, I think you’re right, it’s not worth trying to engage. I’m sure most Eton parents would at least understand your posts and your position on the Education system, even if they don’t agree with it. What an unpleasant tone this thread has, yes slightly Trump like in its vitriol.. oh dear!

Are you kidding BigBallofOil? Did you read the things that one particular poster said about me?

The problem with this thread is that OP did not engage through the first two or three pages, and ask further targeted questions to some considered and constructive posts, and possibly even an acknowledgement that people read her post and shared experience.

So without refocusing it turns into a bunfight.

I have a soft spot for Pete. He was both helpful and informed when DD was applying for medicine, and I am grateful. It can be worth looking beyond the posting style. There is also no right answer, it is all abou fit. We did not put DS in for Eton as we never thought, in a million years, that we would be posh enough. DS was only at a prep school because we lived in an education black hole (chasm more like) and it was a case of pay or move (and then pay lots on season tickets rather than walk to work). Westminster was our nearest school, but again we assumed that the prep would laugh at us when we said we were considering it.

One thing Pete usefully does is suggest that Eton is achievable. To be honest, boys we know who went there tended towards the arrogant, bar one who had wanted to go to Westminster and who apparently was not that happy. But that is a very small and specific sample. DS was a good fit with Westminster and thrived. As importantly he acquired a passion for learning and the ability to self-start and focus that is paying dividends at post-grad level.

OP has not:

• explained why she is so confident that her child will have a choice of some of the most academic schools in the country.
• followed up on any of the observations
• showed any appreciation.
• suggested why she feels so entitled

If all OPs were like this, this site would soon die.

Blimey. Well, that’s us and the OP told

She was deleted, and I see that you were too. Good.
Keep the borderline racism out of it. If you can.

It wasn’t borderline racism if there is such a thing. Somebody was ranting at me and calling me subordinate to them and they were making a lot of grammatical errors. It was a genuine question.

MNHQ clearly felt differently. And so do I.

Well you would do because it suits your agenda. I know what I meant so it means nothing to me that you feel differently. I couldn’t understand much of what that poster was saying which is why I asked the question. He called me some terrible names, but that doesn’t suit you to acknowledge that does it. Hypocrites.

How an I supposed to respond to all of this?

Well, OP, you take the advice from PPs on page one, and ask your current headmaster! You are paying him (presumably) several thousand pounds a year in school fees, he knows your DS better than a bunch of strangers on MN, and has no axe to grind about a) Eton bring the best school in the universe or b) all private schools are evil.

". . .and they were making a lot of grammatical errors. It was a genuine question."

Right, show me where these "grammatical errors" are please. You should have no problems finding them as I'm sure I easily hold the record here for writing both the greatest volume of texts and with (almost) perfect spelling to boot.

You couldn't understand much of what I was saying because:

1. you need to go back to school
2. you find yourself in a league out of your depth
3. you've got a forest worth of wood bearing you down
4. you've no knowledge of a foreign language or culture and therefore, not heard of any of their proverbs

. . . to say but just a few reasons why you couldn't understand much of what I write which other posters do not suffer from - or at least if they do, they're not letting it out.

grammatical errors? this is a sm thread not flippin creative writing 101.

Thanks @Needmoresleep for the "soft spot". I can do with some more of those.

Hope your DD is having a marvellous time at med school - if any of it is remotely possible. Best wishes to her!

That is a very rude and offensive post pete

Don't know if you're trying to revisit old quarrels or what, which post is "very rude and offensive", GoFiguire?

This one:

You couldn't understand much of what I was saying because:
1) you need to go back to school
2) you find yourself in a league out of your depth
3) you've got a forest worth of wood bearing you down
4) you've no knowledge of a foreign language or culture and therefore, not heard of any of their proverbs

Every single word written is true:

1. someone who openly confesses they couldn't understand much of what I was saying in things that I wrote in plain simple English - my eight and nine-year-old tutees have had no problems.

2. someone who participated in this thread who had absolutely no ideas how the subject matter works and had not contributed a bean to the benefit of the OP.

3. not my words, but freely admitted through the horse's mouth.

4. knowledge of which would certainly help as much I wrote here (and elsewhere) were based on these similes but transformed into simple English.

Pete. If I were asked to explain the difference between educated and intelligent I would hold up your numerous postings as an example of the former and not the latter.

The debate has become ridiculously polarised in no small part due to the tone and content of your posts. Your writing is sneering, patronising and overtly personal.

Would be surprised if your keyboard warrior approach exists in the real world as I think somebody may have politely (or maybe not so politely) taken you down a peg or two.

Believe you me, Mugglingstrum, I'm no keyboard warrior and have never claimed to be either educated or intelligent. Just talking sense and telling the truth that some (like you) may not like it. Tell me, for example, which of the above is incorrect that prompted you to respond here.

And if you'd read my post(s) above I've no time for political correctness either. Yes, I'm no different in real life, could be even worse, and I've had confrontations from anybody from my employers at Head Office (the lower rung management couldn't handle me), the local council and even the police. But none of them could fault me. What you don't realise is, for every opponent that pops up, I've triple or quadruple the supporters that back me.

“the lower rung management couldn’t handle me” and “for every opponent that pops up I’ve triple or quadruple the supporters that back me”

Deep breath, now read those words over. Sounds like a posh Muhammad Ali. It ain’t quite working my friend.

You must be knackered fighting all these barely there battles. Your posts scream of being obsessed by hierarchy and you look for any possible avenue to denigrate others.

You are the worse advocate for what is undoubtedly a fantastic school. Unfortunately, you are lacking the self awareness to see it.

Perhaps you need to tune in to those “lower rung management types”. Listen to the views of the great unwashed. You never know they may even have something to say that you could learn from.

Glad my daughter has a mixed group of friends, boys and girls. The thought that she could end up as dysfunctional at Boris etc. No thanks.

There you go again, choosing to ignore my question but instead picking on something out of context. In other words, you're looking for a fight . . .

If people ask beg to be denigrated, then I'd gladly oblige. The lower management I referred to, tried to chastise me - as it's their job/duty to do so as per company policy - because of complaint(s). In the process, like you, I made them look like fools because:

1. the "charges" against me were unfounded and they were unable to provide any evidence when I called for it;
2. unsatisfied of not getting their way (with a view to expel me) lower management went through the process all the way to Head Office who happened to be fair and sympathetic to all parties but couldn't fault me.

As for my advocacy of Eton, I'm here only to dispel the many fallacies peddled by the socialists and to encourage families from both "lower management" and even "the great unwashed" to apply. I don't get paid either by the school or even successful applicants though I'm aware there are people/agencies who would charge tens of thousands of £s with no guarantee of success.

And I don't know if you're ready to put your money where your mouth is this instant by agreeing to have a bet with me as to which of us is a greater friend of the "great unwashed". All I can say is some of these people instantly light up and never took their gaze off me when they see me coming from a hundred metres away. And not for no reason.

I am sure there is indeed a very good reason why people never take their gaze off you peteneras