Westminster Under/St. Paul's/KCS/City of London

[charlottemont]

Hi all,

This may be a bit of a strange question, but would anyone be willing to share what they think of as the stereotypical student at each of these schools? It's just so hard to tell from visiting/the websites and I would just be curious what people generally think of them. I.e., do you think the boys of school X are generally outgoing and sporty, quiet and academic, etc.

Obviously each school will have a large range of boys who excel in different areas and that is why they are so successful, but it would be nice to have some guidance on what the overall environment of each school is like and what type of student each school generally attracts.

Thank you!!

You have answered your own question. In reality school have a range of many types of students. The schools you're looking at are large enough and have so many facets to them that almost any student can find a friendship group and develop a passion for something, whether academic or extra-curricular.

It is also difficult to answer from a general perspective as, I, like many others, will only be able to give an authentic answer about one of these schools and for our own children. Even then, your child's experience with the same school and same staff could be very different.

Specifically, I would be reluctant to stereotype SPS as a type, outgoing/introvert, sporty, arty, nerdy, etc, etc, as I have met all of these "types". I have found the staff to be, for the most part, young, enthusiastic and well liked by our child. I am aware that they have been very supportive to students that are struggling. I am not aware of any parents/students with serious issues with the school, but no school is perfect for all students that attend.

The only thing I would say about SPS is that, with Hammersmith Bridge closed for potentially years, transport might be an issue (unless you live south of the river).

I think admissions staff try their best to balance a year group across these parameters as best they can. The schools you listed will have a glaring similarity in that they suit boys who work at a rapid clip, independently and enjoy that.

I agree with both responses in that all these schools attract boys who work at a rapid pace and are intellectually curious. I have 2 DS who went to WUS and they couldn’t be more different in personality. They both really enjoyed it for different reasons.