Westminster School

[TheOtherPhoneIsHere]

Hi,

Any Westminster school parents around willing to engage with a few practical questions?

I posted this on the Private Schools forum the other day and had no replies.
is Westminster School not popular around here?

Probably better if you ask your questions in your opening post, then people can respond. Very vague threads never get much engagement.

I understand, sure.
I am trying to get a clearer picture of what everyday life at Westminster looks like for an 11-year-old, beyond the prospectus and open day impressions. I would really appreciate hearing from current parents.

A few things I am curious about:

• How often do pupils go on trips during term time, and what do these usually look like (day trips vs overnight trips)?
• What does the extracurricular offer look like in practice, and what sort of costs are involved? Are most activities during the school day or after school?
• How does the six-day week work day to day? Is Saturday mainly sports and lighter academically? I seem to remember hearing that Thursdays are shorter days — is that right?
• What sort of events run across the year (concerts, plays, talks, fairs, fundraisers etc)?
• What is the parent community like? Are parents generally quite involved, or is it more hands-off once children join?
• Any hidden costs you were not aware of when you joined?

Any insight would be very welcome — thank you.

Hi, although I’m not a parent here I have a nephew here (in lower sixth) so I can answer as much as I know from what my sister has told me.

They go on lots of school trips so I’m sure your son would enjoy that! They regularly go skiing which my nephew seems to love in Austria, Italy and France. They might be there for a week or so.

Majority of extra curricular are always after school I believe.

6 days of school are tough on nephew especially when the trains are on strike - they have lessons on Saturday until about 1pm and then have sports till about 3pm but if you board it’s not so bad as it’s just part of your day. Thursday finish time is the same as usual it’s just that they have sports for two hours from 2pm so I guess one less lesson a day?

They have one school production a year - it will often be multiple years mixed in one but less focus on that to focus on exams later down the line.

Definitely hands off i would say at year 7 and beyond which my sister enjoyed due to stress of work so less to worry about.

Moneys always a sensitive topic but my sister and Brother in law have managed but have also sacrificed a lot. I know they struggled quite a bit from year 9 onwards as the fees hiked up and has gone up every year since. One year to go so it’s almost done!

sorry I couldn’t be of more help!

Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to respond.
It is heartening to hear that there are other working parents. We do not know anyone personally attending Westminster and can only go by hear-say and other posts on this forum, one in particular where someone mentions a private plane.
Love the school, just slightly anxious about a social misfit. We work for a living.

Surely Saturday school doesn’t apply until year 9, at Great School? And your child will be spending two years at WUS which doesn’t have Saturday school, unless very recently introduced.

WUS has games on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Great school has I think two games afternoons and normal lessons until 1 on Saturdays.

At great school there are twice a year expeditions in term which are inexpensive and everyone one does them. The ski trips a pp poster mentions are holiday events that relatively few attend.

in year 7/8 of WUS there are summer expeditions, as I recall - sort of PGL-like. Plus a geography field trip.

lots of extra curriculars at WUS after school, inexpensive.

It is not a flash school. Whilst naturally there are some people with money, the culture is very much against flaunting wealth among the boys. The typical parents are working professionals. The fees are expensive and are far from a rounding error for the majority.

There is one expedition in 5th form they do in house groups and then they choose an end of term expedition twice a year I believe. Some cost a lot (skiing or trip to Greece) but you can choose a free one based at the School. No problem with that.
Yes, Thursday is a half day. That’s all on the website.
Extracurricular activities like sports are not extra if you don’t count bringing your own cricket gear and football boots.
There are loads of plays, dinners, tours, casual meet ups, a fair, music events etc for parents and a super active parents society. Probably too much for most people to contemplate attending.
As Slender said, Saturday school is a bit taxing on a boy. However by later years they often continue after fixtures onto parties Saturday night so mine can’t mind that feature too much now.

Hi OP

I am a Westminster parent of a fifth form (year 9) boy. He is a day pupil.

So far the only residential trip during term time has been a trip to Cumbria with boys from his house and year. The other term time trips have been day trips - we’ll often get an email to say that they are going to a gallery etc that morning.

The fifth form boys have to do at least two LSAs (lower school activities). Quite often these are after school on Monday, Wednesday or Friday but there are also societies during lunchtimes. I think my son has one morning activity before school a week.

Tuesday and Thursday afternoons are for Station (games). No early finishes for my son.

Saturday is a proper school day (although it finishes at 1:10pm unless there is a fixture). My son often seems to have a test on a Saturday - it definitely isn’t a “light” day.

Lots of events run through the year. I’ve been on a history tour of the school, a quiz, there’s been a fair (usually in September but it got moved because of some demonstrations scheduled). I’ve been on guided tours of art galleries given by the old head of Art History.

The parent community is more hands off than at my last prep school but I think that is more because it is a senior school rather than because it is Westminster. The boys are expected to manage their own stuff.

Hidden / unexpected costs - there are school trips during the holidays. If your son wants to go on them, they get added to the bill for the term.

Thanks all for your helpful replies! My daughter is very excited to be joining this September.