DS just received an offer from WinCol and he got in purely on merit from a state school with no connections. We are still waiting for the other schools we applied to to revert (Eton, Wellington) but I feel a debt of gratitude to mumsnet, as I spent long nights on hundreds of threads to get all the info together.
Our view of the top schools within 1.5 hours of London:
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WinCol has very strong academics across the board, both in humanities and STEM. For us the thing that set it apart is that the interview is truly about potential: 90 mins covering practically all subject areas. The results speak for themselves: leavers are 32% Oxbridge, 15-20% LSE+US unis including Harvard, Stanford, MIT and Georgetown. 9% medics, several recent Nobel laureate alumni too. The reputation is that it is less sporty, but if you dig deeper, you will find it offers lots of sports, and has some of the best squads in squash, fencing, sailing and even martial arts. We loved the boarding arrangements (dorms of 6 in the first two years, then doubles in Y3 and singles in Y5) and that there is a special almost family-like connection between the boys. The boys we met were intelligent, polite and relaxed, with a good sense of humour. Housemasters are truly amazing, motivating and simply excellent role models. Girls in 6th form from 2024 onwards. Probably the best choice for an academically gifted boy.
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Eton College is the most famous school in the league but not as academic as WinCol, 24% Oxbridge, 12% LSE+US unis, only 2% medics. Very strong in sports across the board, with some of the best facilities. The Achilles of Eton is its STEM offering (109th place nationwide) and single rooms for all years, which may or may not result in isolation for the less active, less connected. No shared study halls either. Boys are decidedly ‘colder’ than those at WinCol, the HMs we met were a bit in the extremes: either military like, or very soft. Boys only. Probably best for the academically able, sporty and robust boys, who can handle the single rooms, which limit the possibility of making friends to the sports fields, or the societies.
Wellington College, in our view this is probably the best managed school of the lot, but also the least academic somehow. Coed and offers nearly everything that the top schools do, without the baggage. Strong sports pedigree, some fancy ones too like equestrian and polo. If you dig deeper, however, you will find that WinCol actually dominates Wellington in most of the sports we were interested in (fencing, sailing, squash, martial arts) in spite of Welly having the most amazing coaches and facilities. Choice between IB and A-level. Excellent US uni admission results, including Princeton, Stanford and Yale. By far the most “fun” of all the schools, in my view. Shared dorms of 3-4 in Y1, singles in Y2-5. The Achilles of Wellington is in its academics: weaker in STEM, slightly lower A/A-levels and 11% Oxbridge rate, yet somehow they manage to churn out 5% medics and 12-28% LSE+US unis like the big boys. Very pragmatic: beautiful yet nonsense subjects like Latin are cut out, replaced by two compulsory modern languages. Winner of this year’s national debating contest. Less academic pressure than any other school on our list. An amazing school overall, but may be a bit too easy for teenagers to get distracted. Compared with WinCol, we felt that the kids seem to be a bit more wired and somehow trying too hard. Probably best for those who believe that teenage years must be enjoyed to their fullest, but don’t necessarily want to give up on their ambitions. A really cool, modern take on education.
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Day schools: St Paul’s, Westminster and KCS are the only ones that approach WinCol in terms of academics, also well balanced between humanities and STEM. 31% / 31% / 25% Oxbridge, 22% /15% / 20% LSE+US unis, 5% / 4% / 8% medics for SPS, WM and KCS respectively. Add Merchant’s Taylor to the mix if you already know at the age of 10 that your DC will be aiming for medics (6% of leavers) or economics (LSE 7%). Location for day schools will anyways matter more than anything else in my view, apart from ethos and personal impressions. DS was very keen to board, so we didn't apply to any of them in the end.
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Harrow School was quickly discounted in our books due to what we considered to be mediocre academics, a lack of contemporary alumni and a certain attitude which wasn’t for us.
Advice for parents looking at senior schools for the first time: there is not simple answer to the ‘best school’ and there are no shortcuts to doing your own research. A school which works for one child might not work for another.
For ref, in our case DS is a classic all-rounder, top of his class, loves all subjects but especially STEM, wants to be a doctor, grade 3 piano and guitar, very social, lots of energy, loves sports, competitive in tennis and judo, on the national hockey team. This list is thereby from his perspective, and might look completely different for others.