Winchester, St. Paul's, or Eton?

[PGWo]

I hope you all are staying safe.

My son is learning remotely from his prep school. He is about to finish year six, and our headmaster said he would be a good candidate to sit a scholarship examination for a public school.

Our son is very academic and dislikes sport. The headmaster recommends Winchester and St. Paul's, but has mentioned that Eton may be a good choice.

We want to give him an all-boy's, boarding school education. Any insight would help, especially about bullying and academic quality.

"The soldier who defeated Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo"

Yes, HandfulofDust, his name was Arthur Wellesley. Better known as The Duke of Wellington.

Well, if your son don't like to be a French-defeating soldier or an economist or Olympic sportsman, how about a Nobel Prize winning doctor?

"...it makes me so angry when I read comments like the above, it's got fuck all to do with what school you went too."

Hey HG, just let me say I've absolutely no problems whatsoever with you or anybody disagreeing with things that I write but it's another matter if you try to put words in my mouth when in fact you are illiterate and blind because you cannot comprehend and see in its context what I actually wrote. At no time did I say "Eton is the only school capable of producing humanitarians."

Is this what WinColl teaches? To resort to lies, untruths and foul play when the argument is lost.

You seem to reveal yourself in most postings to be feeling very insecure and nervous?

I gave a few examples of outstanding OE alumni who left school to achieve great things other than politics which include an economist, a soldier, a sportsman and a humanitarian in response to people who think Eton only produces politicians and prime ministers and nothing else. I added my DS is another humanitarian - not a politician - because of the unfounded perception that I'm very invested in Eton and praise BoJo for an ulterior motive.

And I don't need any lessons in the NHS either. The number of immediate family members i have that have worked or is still working in the NHS must have a combined total number of at least a few hundred years experiences.

If you really must know, I was in a NHS hospital (like BoJo) earlier this month having treatment for confirmed Covid-19! Like BoJo, I had an angel of a nurse, also from Portugal, who took excellent care of me which was actually what that had kept me going in spite of the fact there were at least a couple of times when I wondered to myself if I was going to see the next daylight or not due to my difficulty in breathing. To all intents and purposes, I'm supposed to be resting and recuperating in bed instead of fucking around in these boards putting people the likes of you in your proper places.

The soldier who defeated Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo

I know these threads always turn into a bun fight (between the usual suspects) but at least this one is quite funny.

peteneras

I suspect the point is while that might be historically interesting to current students it's hardly likely to convince any prospective parents in this century.

“Putting people the likes you back in their proper place”
Its going to take more than people “the likes of you” to do this.
Secondly I’m far from “insecure and nervous”.
My posting may have been “illiterate” but as I said yesterday was a sad day, I’m angry at the way NHS staff have been treated in particular the lack of preparedness for Covid19 resulting in insufficient PPE, I don’t know how many of those 100 NHS workers died due to contracting Covid19 at work but even if it’s only 1 it’s too many.
OP my DS spent 5 happy years at Win Coll he good excellent grades and is now at a top RG uni, he received an outstanding all round education and despite have a particular talent for one particular area he is I believe a true Renaissance man which is what I hoped he would be. He is a thoughtful considerate empathetic young man I believe he hears “a different drummer” as he has always been more of a lone wolf than an “alpha male” Win Coll has always liked lone wolves so it suited him very well. I agree with a previous poster we felt SPS was a very competitive environment, I personally am not interested in the slightest bit interested in building be they listed or grey grim and shabby it’s finding a good match for your DC and you, you also have to be happy with your choice and like the way things are done. That is easier said than done. Every school will have excellent teachers and rubbish ones, most boarding schools will have high standards of pastoral care but there will always be the odd pupils who don’t for some reason get it and parents who feel more could or should have been done. No where is perfect. As I’ve said on numerous times on these sort of threads visit the schools you’re interested in go with an open mind, don’t be influenced by Mediaeval manuscripts or alumni let’s be realistic here only a small % become famous, look at the environment talk to the staff meet the pupils ask lots of questions as I always say if it matters to you and your DS ask. Do you like? Can you see your DS there? Sometimes it’s hard to work out what the ethos of a school is, try and go more than once if possible not on an open day, watch the pupils and staff when they’re together do you like what you see? Meet older boys there often more honest about their school what do they think? Do you like what you hear and see does it sit comfortably with you?
I always think cars and schools have a lot in common so many different choices. Someone hit my cat last month I’m driving a hire car I’ve never driven this make and model before I always like the look of them but having driven it for four weeks I wouldnt have one if you paid me to buy one let alone spend 30k+ on one but someone I work with has one and loves it. Neither of us are wrong it’s just what suits us as individuals. My own car when I went to test drive it I didn’t like it when I sat in it disappointed (it was my dream car) I nearly walked away without driving it the saleswomen said “you’re here now just try it what have you got to loose?” Within a mile of driving it I changed my mind I absolutely love it, apparently it very common for people not to like this make of car when you first sit In it (primarily because it’s very low on the ground) but most people when they drive them and fall in love with them. So basically spend time and effort looking for the school is the right fit for your DS. You and will spend considerable time and your money there over the five years he’s there and it important that you can see and believe you’ve made the right choice.

Car not cat (the cat rarely gets out of his bed).

always always worth coming on these thread just to read a good Peteneras rant! makes me laugh every time

OP best of luck to your son! He was 11 nearly 12 last year and this year he started in year 6 and is now in year 5......

Just to say, like most of us, I've been hugely distracted by other goings on recently - reassuring to come on here and see the same old nutters posters who've been here since MN was a field have not a care in the world except whether Eton beats Winchester, that is even when OP is highly dubious.

@foreverbyjudyblume

What a fruit loop! Posters like you are so going to miss lockdown and you comply won’t be able to be in a constant state of negative judgment. Must be shit to live a life like that!

What a fantastic thread - it’s all here, from Napoleon through the pitfalls of new car purchasing to the cat who stays in bed. Love it!

Not entirely sure what the last post by Bring meant though?

Lityle known fact; it is possible to have more than one child.

OP clearly it is possible to have dozens of the little blighters -but you are asking the same questions now you were a year ago - surely the range of views you canvased then (for a son who must be in Y8 now?) still hold true?

What choice did you make for DS1 - is that choice not good enough for DS2?

@ChnandlerBong

Surely if OP does have two kids she wouldn't necessarily choose the same school for both? What if they're very different kids or the second one isn't accepted to the first one's school. I definitely wouldn't assume my youngest will go to the same school (after primary anyway) as the eldest.

fair point - but she was literally asking for the same comparison this time last year. So she already made this choice for a son who was 12 and then 11 in the same thread.

Just seems odd to ask exactly the same question a year later for a son who is in Y6 then Y5?

Surely if this decision was made for ds1 a year ago then OP is very familiar with all the schools and has been to see them all.

There's a very good service called St Peter's Tutors, they've recently rebranded to that name but I know the individuals running it. Rachel Huntley and Heather Cardy (schools placement consultant) have decades of experience in private education and boarding. They will help you match your DS to a good school, the ones you've listed and appropriate back ups. They can also help with the entrance exams.

Gawd, Peternas really believes that her son’s school and achievements reflect on her somehow. Imagine how mortified he must’ve been when she rolled up on the 4th June braying like this. This thread is enough to recommend Harrow 😂

@ChnandlerBong True I suppose if you're looking at the same schools you'd do your research the first time round. I'm new to this......I didn't realise children's schools were such a source of bitter rivalry. I just thought you selected the school best suited to the child and circumstance and pretty much get on with your life. How naive I was before reading this thread!

peternas will brook no argument. makes me laugh every time that any parent can be so engrossed in their own child's academic career even now that child is a grown man. v entertaining

@Handfulofdust there is no bitter rivalry between schools. there may be bitter rivalry between select groups of parents with kids at (or formerly at) those schoolds but that is not the same.

@ChnandlerBong wow I missed the fact that the children have grown up and left the school already! Gosh that must have been awkward for the poor son at parent's events with his mum decked out in 'I LOVE ETON' paraphanalia.

Well, that escalated quickly...!

OP - St Paul's won't feel like a full boarding school, but it is amazing and full of great, bright kids. They think they have a grammar school vibe (from an insider on staff) but i think there is much more to it. Namely the fees!

Winchester and Eton both amazing boarding schools. You will get "types" in noth, doesn't mean your DS has to become one. I know some gorgeous kids in each.

Which sport does your DS like? take that into consideration. Both have great music depts. If that's your thing.

Westminster is only co-ed at sixth form. That is central london and wont have the grounds (obv) but you get the abbey and London. Decide if your DS would prefer space or cultural lively vibe.

Why not go for all 3 and see which one you get a feel for. If you have been advised he has a shot at scholarship go for it, someone has to get it. Of course they are competetive, but you can try.

Good luck.

Boris Johnson didn't exactly get to where he is today just because he's "privileged"
That is exactly where he got where he is today. Anyone less well-connected would have been out on their ear years ago.

And I agree with PO. Can't you apply for all of them or am I missing something?

Pp

Leaving aside all the stuff about Prime Ministers etc, Eton has been the most fantastic experience for my (scholarship-holding) son. I know boys at the other schools you mention, OP, and all I can say is that you and your son need to visit and try to work out which would be the best 'fit', rather than which is the best school. They are all spectacularly good. However, Eton is the school I would have invented for my DS, if I'd been creating a school especially for him.

As if any head would recommend a student in Year 6 to go for Eton, Winchester... OR St Paul’s fgs. Anybody with even the most basic knowledge of SP would know that hardly anyone boards there these days. It’s a great school for Londoners if they can get in, but you wouldn’t exactly go there otherwise. Or is he suggesting your family up sticks and move? And if you’ve had another son go through this process with the same schools, you would surely know the ins-and-outs by now anyway.

You can’t compare London Day Schools such as SP with country boarding schools. It’s like comparing apples and pears. Totally different experience; totally different focus and different target audience - not to mention the fees.

MyDucksArentInARow, while I'm sure the consultants you suggest can be of use to people unfamiliar with the U.K. independent school system, any parent who found it necessary to use them while their child was already attending a prep school would have to acknowledge that something had gone seriously wrong somewhere.