Did you go to a Public (fee paying) school?

[plasticpig]

I went to a fee paying school because I failed the 11+. My parents didn't want to see me on the scrap heap at the age of 11.

[HBLC]

Crikey, you went to Truro School and I went to Pool School.....worlds apart!

[lawrence567]

From personal experiences behavioural wise theres nothing between the local comp & a private school.
In a fee paying school the violence is usually dished out by the Prefects & 6th formers or anyone in the years above you as punishment/justice or just for their general enjoyment.
Under-age sex & drugs is just as rife, private schools just choose to keep it in house as it will damage the reputation of the school, thus meaning they get less business. (Pupils).

[Fittster]

Do fee paying schools cater for special needs (whatever the code word is for thick/dyslexic/troubled kids is today) or does the fact they are likely to bring down the schools position in academic tables mean they are out even if the parents have the cash?

i.e. Can I make a fortune by setting up a school for special needs with rich parents or has the market already been taken?


P.S. I know Prince Harry went to Eton but he's a special case!

[Tyre Smoke]

HBLC said:

Crikey, you went to Truro School and I went to Pool School.....worlds apart!

Too right!

Crikey is not a word I would associate with Pool Comp!

[anonymous-user]

champ54321 said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I left TS in 2006 and went to a differant school for 6th form.

I was in the junior school for two years. Ah yeh of course, or MR 'Scratch It' as he was known amoungst students due to his habbit of having a 'itch' when he thought people weren't looking.

I left there in 1994, I can't believe he was still there in '06

Yeah we knew him as scratcher, can't believe he was still at it thats made my day that has!! Cheers

[Wing Commander]

lawrence567 said:

I changed to a more local private school (Trinity).

Are you still based in the area? I live about 100m from that school if it's the same one (Teignmouth) I'm thinking of.

Despite knowing there are 100s of thousands of PHers, I still find it odd that they aren't all just in Internet-land!

[ukwill]

The original list of 9 (Public Schools):

* Charterhouse School
* Eton College
* Harrow School
* Merchant Taylors' School
* Rugby School
* Shrewsbury School
* St Paul's School
* Westminster School
* Winchester College

My prep school was a feeder for 5 of those. However I went to a far less scholarly establishment thanks to the 80s financial collapse.

Them's the breaks.

Boarding FTW. Guaranteed to instill ruthless independence... (until you get married...)

[anonymous-user]

bouffy said:

So whatever you say about Prince Harry, he did at least pass CE with a sufficient average mark for Eton to accept him.

I thought he'd get in regardless, like teachers helping him with his art exams etc.

[HereBeMonsters]

I went to a Prep school to board when I was 7, as my parents moved to a place which only had one school worth going to and it was French-speaking. Left there when I was 13 to go to a Grammar School, started as a day pupil, then boarded as I realised I couldn't stand my parents, and they couldn't stand me. It was free in terms of education, but the boarding part was fee-paying, of course. Every single other kid from my prep school went to the "parent" Public School, and all turned out to be dheads, tbh.
I'm only in touch with two of them now, and that's only because they've both managed to finally kick their heroin habits (seriously) and settle down slightly.
However I'm still best friends with all my mates from the grammar school, one was my best man last year, I live ten mins walk from another (in a completely different town from where we went to school, btw), visiting another where he lives in Zambia with one who lives in the Cayman Islands etc.

[Fittster]

bouffy said:

Fittster said:

Do fee paying schools cater for special needs (whatever the code word is for thick/dyslexic/troubled kids is today) or does the fact they are likely to bring down the schools position in academic tables mean they are out even if the parents have the cash?

i.e. Can I make a fortune by setting up a school for special needs with rich parents or has the market already been taken?


P.S. I know Prince Harry went to Eton but he's a special case!

I went to Eton, and I'm dogslicksit dyslexic. I had a few extra classes to help me develop er, um, 'strategies for learning'. It helped me loads.

In my day, to get into the school you had to pass Common Entrance at the age of 13, a standard entrance test across all subjects - with all schools having differing pass marks. The Eton entrance tests have now changed, and all boys take a test at 11 I believe - filtering out those who Eton aren't prepared to consider after CE.

So whatever you say about Prince Harry, he did at least pass CE with a sufficient average mark for Eton to accept him.

On a wider note, what happens to kids whose parents can afford to pay for private education but can't get past entrance exams? With the trend for middle class parents to have children later in life there are likely to be more slow kids from middle class families. The parents are still going to want to give their offspring the best start in life but clearly a school focused on getting the best exam results it can isn't going to be suitable.

As for Prince Harry, I might be a cynic but I think his connections would have got him in regardless of any test score. I believe he left with the worst A-Levels for his year.

[ukwill]

Fittster said:

bouffy said:

Fittster said:

Do fee paying schools cater for special needs (whatever the code word is for thick/dyslexic/troubled kids is today) or does the fact they are likely to bring down the schools position in academic tables mean they are out even if the parents have the cash?

i.e. Can I make a fortune by setting up a school for special needs with rich parents or has the market already been taken?


P.S. I know Prince Harry went to Eton but he's a special case!

I went to Eton, and I'm dogslicksit dyslexic. I had a few extra classes to help me develop er, um, 'strategies for learning'. It helped me loads.

In my day, to get into the school you had to pass Common Entrance at the age of 13, a standard entrance test across all subjects - with all schools having differing pass marks. The Eton entrance tests have now changed, and all boys take a test at 11 I believe - filtering out those who Eton aren't prepared to consider after CE.

So whatever you say about Prince Harry, he did at least pass CE with a sufficient average mark for Eton to accept him.

On a wider note, what happens to kids whose parents can afford to pay for private education but can't get past entrance exams? With the trend for middle class parents to have children later in life there are likely to be more slow kids from middle class families. The parents are still going to want to give their offspring the best start in life but clearly a school focused on getting the best exam results it can isn't going to be suitable.

As for Prince Harry, I might be a cynic but I think his connections would have got him in regardless of any test score. I believe he left with the worst A-Levels for his year.

There are plenty of not-so-amazingly-great Public Schools willing to accept these children. Many choose not to publish a pass mark, instead determining admission based on a number of factors.

[HereBeMonsters]

bouffy said:

el stovey said:

bouffy said:

So whatever you say about Prince Harry, he did at least pass CE with a sufficient average mark for Eton to accept him.

I thought he'd get in regardless, like teachers helping him with his art exams etc.

CE is pretty easy and if you go to the right sort of Prep School, it's actually pretty uncommon for people to fail it. In practice: the better the prep school, the better prepared you are for the exam, and the higher your grades are likely to be. Needless to say, Harry went to an Eton feeder school.

Actually, a good proportion of those from Ludgrove go on to Wellington College. Although I gather there was a higher than average proportion applying for Eton in the two years the Royals went there...

[ThePainter]

Dupont666 said:

I was given the option of going here:

http://www.hulltrinity.net/ (st website but good school)

you had the fun of wearing a naval looking uniform...

However at the age of 11 I wanted to stay with my friends at Withernsea high school, from which I did ok unlike most of the scum there and I didnt keep in contact with anyone as they were more concerned with having crap ambiitions and pumping out sprogs....

And look what happened to me from it... I turned into an IT geek... Oh the shame.

That is effectively a state school. My little 'un lives in the catchment for that school; it is the secondary school that he will go to if we stay here until he is 11. Not bad going for free education. Saves sending him to Hymers...

[HereBeMonsters]

ukwill said:

Fittster said:

bouffy said:

Fittster said:

Do fee paying schools cater for special needs (whatever the code word is for thick/dyslexic/troubled kids is today) or does the fact they are likely to bring down the schools position in academic tables mean they are out even if the parents have the cash?

i.e. Can I make a fortune by setting up a school for special needs with rich parents or has the market already been taken?


P.S. I know Prince Harry went to Eton but he's a special case!

I went to Eton, and I'm dogslicksit dyslexic. I had a few extra classes to help me develop er, um, 'strategies for learning'. It helped me loads.

In my day, to get into the school you had to pass Common Entrance at the age of 13, a standard entrance test across all subjects - with all schools having differing pass marks. The Eton entrance tests have now changed, and all boys take a test at 11 I believe - filtering out those who Eton aren't prepared to consider after CE.

So whatever you say about Prince Harry, he did at least pass CE with a sufficient average mark for Eton to accept him.

On a wider note, what happens to kids whose parents can afford to pay for private education but can't get past entrance exams? With the trend for middle class parents to have children later in life there are likely to be more slow kids from middle class families. The parents are still going to want to give their offspring the best start in life but clearly a school focused on getting the best exam results it can isn't going to be suitable.

As for Prince Harry, I might be a cynic but I think his connections would have got him in regardless of any test score. I believe he left with the worst A-Levels for his year.

There are plenty of not-so-amazingly-great Public Schools willing to accept these children. Many choose not to publish a pass mark, instead determining admission based on a number of factors.

Plenty have weird rules about religion, family, that sort of thing. I could have got a 25% scholarship to Leighton Park School if I was willing to become a Quaker.

[koolchris99]

Tyre Smoke said:

champ54321 said:

Yes.


I actually live about 5 miles from Wellington School too.

Did you not consider Blundells, Taunton School, Queens etc??

So do we!

Yes, I considered Blundells, but too snooty. Taunton and Queens are that much further away from us and certainly (IMHO) no better than Wellington.

I live in halse,

went to kings taunton, epic school.

[lawrence567]

Wing Commander said:

lawrence567 said:

I changed to a more local private school (Trinity).

Are you still based in the area? I live about 100m from that school if it's the same one (Teignmouth) I'm thinking of.

Despite knowing there are 100s of thousands of PHers, I still find it odd that they aren't all just in Internet-land!

Yep i live about a 10min drive away from there, more towards Torquay though than Teignmouth.
Well actually it's more between Shaldon & Torquay.

[Dave200]

Trashy, rough-as-dogs, Welsh valley Comprehensive school for me. Wouldn't have had it any other way.

Looking at a lot of the people who are churned out by private schools (who have gone on into great careers), there seem to be a significant number who have quite serious deficits in the areas of social skills - probably a symptom of a lack of diversity.

[rich1231]

Dave200 said:

Trashy, rough-as-dogs, Welsh valley Comprehensive school for me. Wouldn't have had it any other way.

Looking at a lot of the people who are churned out by private schools (who have gone on into great careers), there seem to be a significant number who have quite serious deficits in the areas of social skills - probably a symptom of a lack of diversity.

As opposed to the very large number who have prison records and social skill deficiencies that when to comprehensives.

See generalisations are cock arent they.

[pugwash4x4]

koolchris99 said:

Tyre Smoke said:

champ54321 said:

Yes.


I actually live about 5 miles from Wellington School too.

Did you not consider Blundells, Taunton School, Queens etc??

So do we!

Yes, I considered Blundells, but too snooty. Taunton and Queens are that much further away from us and certainly (IMHO) no better than Wellington.

I live in halse,

went to kings taunton, epic school.

yep also went to Kings- know a couple of senior staff still. new HM is very very very good and has transformed the school- strongly suggest you have a look. The school currently has some great facilities, good staff and a very good ethos to pupil up bringing- so much so that i am considering sending my children there. would also consider Sherborne.

ref boarding v day pupil- you need to think which one your child may prefer- if they need guidance and help (ie they can be a bit wayward) then i would suggest day pupil- if they are quite confident and self assured then boarding will be hugely beneficial. Both my brother and I boarded- it worked very badly for him, but very badly for me!