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.

Educated the expensive way
Knows his Claret from his Beaujolais
Think he’d like to be Ronnie Katy
But nature didn’t make him that way

Hi Pete you made me think of the above. Was humming it earlier but can quite place the song title. I wonder if you could use your huge intellect to find out the title?

Also many thanks for the embarrassing diatribe you have just posted.

“ never took their gaze off me when they saw me coming from a hundred yards”.

Stomach turning on a myriad of levels.

Oh Pete you don't work at HO? Actually you are two levels down and below the middling middle management? Oh my goodness me! My kingdom for having a peek away from your Mumsnet alter ego.

Yes, Rockylady, you forgot - uneducated and unintelligent too. Champion of the great unwashed, some might say. Sorry to disappoint you.

"“never took their gaze off me when they saw me coming from a hundred yards”."

It's a hundred metres, Mugglingstrum. This is a little bit further. If you want to quote me at least quote me correctly.

Pete I thought you had learnt enough through your Etonian connections...in that being away from the center of power is never a good thing. ( insert sarcastic emoticon HERE). For all that knowledge that I am sure you hold!

Pete. Have you found that song title for me yet?

But then Rockylady, I'm not an Etonian nor an OE. Just that I know a trick or two to help the wannabes fulfil their dreams.

No, Mugglingstrum, but I thought a Beatles fan had already provided you with the answer above. But what I was listening to all week long was this . Tremendous guitar lick at the end!

Hey Pete. I would not trust an answer from anyone else. Imagine, they may be “lower management”. God forbid. Non Etonians. Totally untrustworthy types. Horrible underlings.

Now what was that title Pete?

What’s your job peteneras?

Hey Howwudufeel, are you looking for a husband or what? First, you ask about a faceless MN poster about how they made their money; then you ask about their job? What next? You may be talking to a chat bot, y'know?

But seriously, if you really want to know the answers to all the above, then I may have to take you out for a visit to Eton first so that you can reboot your prejudiced anti-Eton mindset and start talking to me in a kind way?

And don't be silly, Mugglingstrum, you don't know whether I'm a man or woman so that song title may not even apply. Even if it did, that's subjective.

What song title Pete?

I’ve googled the song title

ROFL 🤣

I don’t need a husband thank you

I am starting to like you a little more Pete. I can see a bit of sense of humour.

But thank you for your kind offer

I will admit to a quick pang of jealousy, but then felt overcome by the romance.

It would probably by a MN first.

I’m afraid I am not clever or sophisticated for a person such as peteneras.

Personally i would stay well clear of Eton, if you follow all the negative news it has been creating of late, the exam cheating by teachers etc etc, it is best to avoid.

Their current HM arrived from Bradfield, and has brought about some changes including pullovers not tails for many occasions as well as the latest Woke mindset.

Pete on here will come straight back arguing how great Eton is, but ask yourself, why would you put your DS through a private education when the school is turning into a Secondary Modern as we speak?

Best avoid..

I'm an Old Westminster and boarded. I'd say one thing to consider is how much you'd like your son to have the full boarding experience. If that's important, I'd probably only consider schools which are all (or almost all) boarding- Westminster has much more of a day school vibe and fewer facilities for boarders to use after school. And of course the fact it's weekly boarding adds to this.

For me, girls in the sixth form (like me!) are a big positive. Can't keep your son away from girls forever and better he learns to cope with them and avoids being too distracted at school, where he will have teachers keeping track of him, rather than at uni where noone will care.

Re Eton- some well-known OEs are currently getting a bad press. By the time your son is an adult, this will have passed and, who knows, maybe alumni of another school will be in this position. It's not guessable and not worth worrying about. Etonians are a mixed bag- some are lovely, some are total @rseholes- same as kids everywhere.