I read in the Telegraph (I know, I know, but bear with me) that there are a couple of websites with warts and all independent discussion of private senior schools...

[MintyDixCharrington]

but I cannot for the life of me remember what they are called, nor can I find the paper I read it in. Anyone have any idea? Not the good schools guide - more informal. I have a feeling one was called Peter something but I may have made that up.

Alternatively, I've been hearing some pretty hairy things about Marlborough College recently - anyone have any info about it?

Ta muchly

idly browsing the Tatler one and found this

"if your name is Peyton and you have a child between the ages of 13 and 18, then don?t hang about. Derek Peyton, who died in 2002, left the school (Brighton College) a six-figure sum to be spent on educating a child who shares his surname. No one has come forward yet."

All impecunious southern MNers named Peyton, take note!

there is this coming up www.schoolsshow.com

schoolsnet.com?

I mean www.schoolsnet.com

I live near Marlborough and my experience of the college students is mixed. The boys we encounter seem mostly aloof and rude but the girls are generally friendly (though I suspect this is because I normally have my lovely 4-y-o ds with me who melts most people's hearts ). Went to visit StF in P last week and the deputy head there was raving about MC but I'm not convinced (like Heifer I've heard bad things about MC most of my life). I am ex-D (1980s) - academically in those days it was very good, pastorally not so good, but I suspect it's changed a lot. StMC, when I was young, was the place Jade Jagger got expelled from, that's the extent of my knowledge about it!! I'm finding schools a big problem around here and sometimes wish we were back in the city.

can your girls not go to south wilts grammar?

My husband and his sister and brother-in-law all went to MC and they're all very decent, straightforward, caring people.

A friend's daughter is there at the moment and she's very down-to-earth and friendly. I got the feeling that the girls there have to be quite self-confident types to flourish, though.

My niece is due to start at Marlborough soon. Sil and bil seem to think she'll do well there but as Eliza says self confidence seems to be important. Niece is very self confident and open.

Agree that C is a dump! even worse than my town..

Would worry me being such a small school especially the bit, its size demands that it concentrates on mainstream rather than more esoteric subjects..

I am not sure how academic D is now, but having met literally hundreds of hockey players from each school I know which I preferred!..

How old is your DD, is this something you need in the next couple of years or are you thinking well ahead?

interesting bearsmum
if you have a girl, look at stmc. I went because it is v close and was expecting not much, and was really impressed
eliza Iknow lots of ex mcs and they are all great. I'm just a bit worried about the girls there. my niece started there last year, I was horrified to find that the second year boys rate the 1st year girls for "shaggability" and post the results, in descending order, on noticeboards around the school . it is pretty devestating for your self confidence to be ranked 48th or 60th out of 60 - and what the hell are the staff doing about it? also at the grand old age of 14 she has had 6 or 7 "boyfriends", which appears to involve having a good old snog for a week or two, and then being dumped unceremoniously, sobbing for a week or so, and starting again...

I don't know. I just don't want my dd to go somewhere she is a 2nd class citizen slash sex object slash "dog" or whatever...

dd is year 5
so just starting to think
actually stmc does loads of subjects at a level, some with quite small take up but they still do it. I was surprised at that

re smallness I just wonder if having a v small year group might get a bit heated and claustrophobic, but maybe not...

I am planning to send my daughter to boarding school in England for a year sometime in the far off future (she won't be three until next month) and I am absolutely clear in my mind now that I will be sending her to an all girls school.

She is in a co-ed school here in Paris (and always will be - the very rare single sex schools here are super-religious establishments, not my cup of tea at all) but I don't like English secondary private schools where lots of children will have been at single sex schools at prep school and haven't grown up in a co-ed environment. I think there are dangers of the sort you mention at Marlborough and I would hate my daughter to encounter that.

I did the reverse - went to all girls in England and then at 13 to co-ed abroad. It was fine and girls were not second class citizens or sex objects.

Yes--I admit that if I had a less-than-VERY-confident daughter I wouldn't be sending her to MC. That rating stuff is disgusting and you'd have to be a toughie (in the best possible way) perhaps to cope.

Another friend went to StMC and sent her daughter there, too, and said it was great.

I just don't see why you should HAVE to cope with it, even if you were the most confident person in the world and lucky enough to be rated second most shaggable in your year group
what messages are being circulated amongst the boys, and amongst the girls?
what does it say about the ethos of the place? shouldn't the staff be able to stop it? it doesn't happen at every mixed school, does it?
or is that awfully naive of me?

god that would incense me

I can't believe that sort of thing still goes on - haven't they stamped it out by now? Just a recipe for eating disorders - or was in the 80s ime

good, glad I'm not the only shocked one

makes me feel MUCH better

I am showing my age. I hate the idea that children as young as that are having sex. Think I must be a prude.

Sorry - that should have read "thinking about having sex"

No, Mintydix, you're not the only one, makes me . I am very surprised it still goes on, I would have thought that schools would take their pastoral responsibilities more seriously these days, if only to cover their backs

send her to L

nunnery on a hill

if I as a parent saw a list like that at my dds school I would take her out

you pay through the nose for your dd to be sexually objectified? no thanks!

Thanks for the link to Schoolsnet. It was very therapeutic giving our rubbish school a rubbish review.

agree, i think that listing stuff is vile i wouldn't want my daughter or my son at a school where that was considered acceptable behaviour/attitude.

at the boys rating the girls and then posting the results on the noticeboards. That's sickening, but it reinforces what I'd thought about the attitude of at least some MC boys having encountered them in town, and doesn't say much for MC's culture if that sort of disrespect is allowed openly and not stamped on immediately by the staff.

I have a ds rather than dd so sadly StMC is out. We're sticking with his lovely village primary until he's 7 and then who knows (but he certainly won't be going to MC at 13 now I've read this thread!).