Prince George at Eton

[squashyhat]

Can anyone explain why Prince George is boarding at Eton when the family home is just minutes away across the river?

Your “commoners” school took you out to a place where you were gaging down wine without parents permission then?

What are you getting at? That someone must’ve done something unspecific you can criticise them for? Criticise away, I’m sure there is plenty to think up. It’s totally pointless and irrelevant though.

I’m not trying to criticise anything, just trying to contextualise your story.

Your posts are coming across as rather hostile toward me. Am I misunderstanding your tone?

Is this about me not engaging further in the conversation about envy yesterday? I just didn’t see the point of trying explain my opinion any further.

I was just browsing Eton's website - a recent visitor was Rick Astley! He answered 'a plethora of questions', talked about his mental health journey and finally sang along to a Year 13 boy accompanying him on the piano.

I don't know if Rick visits other schools, but that's an example of the calibre and diversity of visitors Eton can attract who I am sure would have even more to offer to pupils in a poorer area. Poorer children are statistically more likely to feel the impacts of mental health issues - I don't mean rich people are immune from MH issues but they can afford to get prompt and expert treatment, rather than sitting on a NHS waiting list for 8 months to speak to someone completely useless reading CBT from a script.

it does feel like you’re posting jiby posts to bait me, yes.

What my parents did or didn’t think provide no context to the post, which demonstrated another way etonians are prepared for corporate life / life in the establishment that can’t be replicated at state school.

Sounds amazing!

Now this is a great idea for a charity. An organisation which funds interesting speakers for state schools- from all walks of life.

I hear H is getting cheaper by the hour for speeches…

I would rather have Rick.

Well obviously damnation ! , with Rick you know he will never give you up or run around and hurt you!
whenever you need somebody he’ll bring his love to you!
the same can’t be said for everyone.

😂😂

I don’t think H can sing!

It’s not my intention to bait you.

I’ll just leave it.

Dammit.

Rick seems to have been state educated and yto have left school at 16 - you'd hope he might be open to visiting state schools, but would they even think of inviting him?

Apologies olive! , couldn’t help it! , please take me to your heart! , together forever!

I bet none of them ask. I think state schools have to justify this kind of enrichment activity very rigorously- it has to be relevant to the curriculum - whereas wealthier schools have a lot more latitude for more frivolous or free-form events.

I’m all in favour of such “off the wall “ speakers. Nice and cross-curricular, or not actually curricular at all (thank goodness!).

Private schools have a lot more staff - places like Eton have staff who live there permanently. Sort of facilitates evening visits and concerts. With the workload in state schools it’s harder. The head at DD’s grammar ask a lot of the PTA to volunteer to facilitate this sort of thing. A lot of the parents work full time but still willing to show up and supervise, serve tea coffee etc - sadly in a lot of more deprived state schools you don’t have that level of commitment in the parent group/PTA.

The head at DD’s grammar ask a lot of the PTA to volunteer to facilitate this sort of thing. A lot of the parents work full time but still willing to show up and supervise, serve tea coffee etc - sadly in a lot of more deprived state schools you don’t have that level of commitment in the parent group/PTA.

Well this is a fundamental difference between fee-paying and (many) state schools isn't it. It's not just about small class sizes and swish facilities. It's about parents who value education and support the school. Not necessarily getting stuck in with the pta, but just seeing that their children behave themselves and do their best. And not much schools can do about the parents who don't or won't do this.

Replicating teaching wouldn't be enough unfortunately, you'd need to replicate students as well. Top 10% intelligence wise, already polite and well mannered, with very engaged parents.

When we were looking at schools for my children what I most wanted wasn’t flash facilities but a school with families who strongly support the school and their children’s education.

It's not just support at school though - it's reading daily, it's checking homework daily and helping if child is stuck, is discussing various cultural, political etc topics over dinner, not the latest east enders. This is working together with teachers, not undermining their authority

But yes, quality of teachers matters a lot as well. I still remember a thread here were Math teacher couldn't do bidmas correctly...

A relative was working after graduation as a House master - they wake these kids up, make sure everything is running as it should be, check on homework, live alongside them, organise extra weekend external activities etc. Young graduates take these jobs. These kids are not deposited and left on their own.

But no one would spend over £60k a year, or alternatively put themselves through the incredibly stressful bursary application process in order for their ‘kids’ to be just housed and schooled!

At one of our local top rated state grammar schools, half the A level class got Ds in one of their subjects because the teacher just failed to complete half the curriculum. He hasn't been fired - hes just been "demoted" to teaching GCSE. I cannot believe that (a) this would be allowed to happen at an Eton/Winch/Harrow or (b) that if it did happen, the teacher would remain in post. And some of the other teachers at the same school just seem so disinterested - and the pupils pick up on this have no enthusiasm for those subjects. So while there are some amazing teachers in the state sector, I think its easier for an Eton type school has the ability to ensure that the teaching is consistently good. I would be interested to know how the pay compares (and also whether the teaching unions have the same impact in both state and private sectors)?

Yes-because everyone knows that only 9% of parents care enough about their children to give up Marlborough lites, fish down the side of the sofa or have holidays by throwing a tent in the back of the beaten up old Volvo and heading for Cornwall so they can pay school fees…..the other 91%? Chair throwing thugs.

Going through the bursary process is worth it for some. At the school I worked at one of the bursary boys was the son of a Wembley bus driver of ethnic minority background. He was a physically tiny boy but an absolute genius in mathematics, music and even art. He just thrived at the school and walked into an Oxford scholarship. If he’d gone to the local comp I think he might well have been seriously bullied and his life would have been very different.

The bursary paid his fees and for music lessons on 4 instruments as well as all school trips, including foreign music tors.

😀

But on a serious note, its hard to reach the group who just don’t give a damn and perpetuate their own disadvantage by obstructing their children’s education.

And then there’s a big demographic of families who care passionately about their children’s education but who find state schools unsatisfactory…largely because dealing with the above minority group swallows up huge resources of time and money. And it sometimes seems that however much you throw at them the impact is negligible.

My view…a harsh one, I admit, but born of bitter experience, is that resources should be switched dramatically to the motivated majority. It would be much better for us as a country.

Sorry - harsh.