The Student Room Group

What is it like to attend a top 10 private school?

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I have no idea but grammar schools aren't that bad either :smile:
Original post by Hollywood Hogan
And what would you say were their strengths? What value did the teachers give to pupils to help them improve?


I attend arguably the best state school in the country.

We have interview practice with all the other top schools to prep for oxbridge interviews.

The teachers are also generally cambridge alumni but that would probably make sense.

We have lessons where there are sometimes only 6 students per class.

Also the students are similarly clever and aspirational.

Original post by BullViagra
the girls are wayyyy prettier

this is not a joke

they really are better looking for some reason

Troll is obvious.
Eton, Harrow and Winchester are all boys schools.
Also the females in my class are either non-existent or <6/10.

Original post by Hollywood Hogan
I always wondered why girls at top universities generally are stunning looking. Not sure if there is a correlation between looks and brains for women.

Because their rich daddy plays golf with the dean of admissions.
Original post by Hollywood Hogan
But how do these schools push you to get 10 A*s at GCSE and 4A*s st A level?

See above.
Original post by Hollywood Hogan
Harrow, Westminster, Sevenoaks?

Hills Road Sixth Form College. I win, more or less.
Original post by IbbyMont
Gosh When?!


before 2006, she worked in the boarding house, not a teacher or anything :biggrin: she always used to bring food home though, twas awesome!! :biggrin:
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by fnatic NateDestiel
I attend arguably the best state school in the country.

We have interview practice with all the other top schools to prep for oxbridge interviews.

The teachers are also generally cambridge alumni but that would probably make sense.

We have lessons where there are sometimes only 6 students per class.

Also the students are similarly clever and aspirational.


Troll is obvious.
Eton, Harrow and Winchester are all boys schools.
Also the females in my class are either non-existent or <6/10.


Because their rich daddy plays golf with the dean of admissions.

See above.

Hills Road Sixth Form College. I win, more or less.


That is why UCAS applications should be anonymous.
Original post by Eboracum
Ask Cameron


Yes, because even if going to a private school was at all indicative of flawed character, weak leadership skills or anything else relevant to him in the public interest, it would have been his fault for his parents sending him to Eton when we has 13.
Top 10? It's not like they're ranked :confused:
Original post by Maid Marian
Don't go to private school, go to a grammar instead. :yes:


Same! Although, I feel my school isn't that good although it's grammar? Is your school any good?
I went to a public school that has a strong claim to being the oldest school in the world.

It will almost certainly remain the most miserable period of my life, partly due to external factors, but partly also due to the Bullingdon-variant lad culture I encountered there, where 'banter' was the justification for far too much.

I remember a conversation in which the social pecking order was rejoiced at and every member of my boarding house openly ranked according to social status. Of course they weren't all bad eggs by any means.

Forcing a scrawny, pre-pubescent five-foot-nothing to compete in rugby matches against the lumbering hulks that made up the rest of his cohort surely warrants investigation by a human rights commission.

On charity mufty days I donated but wore my portentous uniform proudly because I would have otherwise looked like a tramp wearing rags in a sea of Superdry and Jack Wills.

It is a conspiracy with the worst of nature to house ten thirteen-year-old boys in the same dorm room for a year.

One of the unpleasant aspects of being in the youngest year group was the assignment of chores in our houses. This included the daily distribution of newspapers and weekly distribution of milk and juices to twenty-odd rooms across three floors. One year 9er on a rota including all 10 in the house would be required for newspapers, two for milk and juices. The milk duty was the short straw and heaving heavy cartons to each floor's kitchen milk dispenser at 7 am while the oldest and strongest snoozed was probably what sowed the seeds for my flirtation with far-left politics.

As far as education goes, it was very good. For my subjects, class sizes for GCSE ranged from around 7/8 to 11/12, while A-Level ranged from around 6 to 9. I don't recall much spoon-feeding going on, contrary to popular perception. The teaching was interesting in that arts subjects seemed to almost universally have noticeably better teachers than maths/sciences. During my GCSEs I went through no fewer than three chemistry teachers, and they were all pretty dreadful by the standards of the school.

The personal tutor system was one of the finest aspects of the school, but then I was blessed with a very fine tutor. They acted as pastoral guardians and liasons, as well as teaching and once a week monitoring the house during prep time and seeing everyone to bed. They were charged with monitoring our progress and well-being with weekly meetings, were assigned in houses and had roughly 7 students. I don't know how common this is elsewhere. Houses were made up of around fifty boys or girls. Except for the small number of day pupil houses, the housemaster and a matron lived in-house with the boys.

Fortnightly, teachers would rate our effort and attainment in a 'traffic light system' made up of red, yellow, green, light blue and dark blue in ascending order. I remember once, in a difficult time during A-Level, getting two reds and three or four yellows and crying in front of my disappointed tutor in shame.

Boarders who were 17+ could, after paying a small membership fee, drink with dinner in an enclosed bar section of the pupils' social centre.

Missing a lesson, among other offences, bought you three hours Headmaster's detention on Saturday night. Being late for three lessons in a term bought you weekday detention. Detentions were split into 30 mins, 1h and 1hr30mins. One essay was to be written in response to set questions per 30 minute slot. I remember in my final year being at this almost every week, mostly for missing games. My superiors never caught on to the fact that I was much happier writing essays in comfort and stillness than I was wondering during cross-country whether my autopsy would reveal suffocation in sinking mud or cardiac arrest to have been my cause of death.

We had a highly legalistic rulebook written by my tutor. Smoking and alcohol were highly prohibited and if I recall correctly parents were to be informed for a first offence by formal letter and suspension followed for a second. Kissing was prohibited in plain sight, but frequently engaged in throughout the grounds at night. An open door policy was eventually taken on members of the opposite sex visiting each other's rooms, in addition to having to sign in and out of the house they were visiting in a visitor book.

Though I was miserable, I am glad I went there. I doubt I would have been much happier anywhere else and I did well enough academically.

I apologise for exploiting this opportunity to relate my school experiences.

Before anyone lambasts me for having had more than others, I was there on a hefty bursary and a music scholarship which I worked bloody hard for.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Juichiro
That is why UCAS applications should be anonymous.


y?

Original post by Birkenhead
I went to a public school that has a strong claim to being the oldest school in the world.

It will almost certainly remain the most miserable period of my life, partly due to external factors, but partly also due to the Bullingdon-variant lad culture I encountered there, where 'banter' was the justification for far too much.

I remember a conversation in which the social pecking order was rejoiced at and every member of my boarding house openly ranked according to social status.

Forcing a scrawny, pre-pubescent five-foot-nothing to compete in rugby matches against the lumbering hulks that made up the rest of his cohort surely warrants investigation by a human rights commission.

On charity mufty days I donated but wore my portentous uniform proudly because I looked like a tramp wearing rags in a sea of Superdry and Jack Wills.

It is a conspiracy with the worst of nature to house ten thirteen-year-old boys in the same dorm room for a year.

As far as education goes, it was very good. For my subjects, class sizes for GCSE ranged from around 7/8 to 11/12, while A-Level ranged from around 6 to 9. I don't recall much spoon-feeding going on, contrary to popular perception. The teaching was interesting in that arts subjects seemed to almost universally have noticeably better teachers than maths/sciences. During my GCSEs I went through no fewer than three chemistry teachers, and they were all pretty dreadful.

Though I was miserable, I am glad I went there. I doubt I would have been much happier anywhere else and I did well enough academically.

Before anyone lambasts me for having had more than others I was there on a hefty bursary and a music scholarship which I worked bloody hard for.


Eton?

Sounds like a great experience, and that is so similar to mine my a levels classes are split in sets of 6.

But I didn't go to a boarding school..
Original post by fnatic NateDestiel
Eton?

Sounds like a great experience, and that is so similar to mine my a levels classes are split in sets of 6.

But I didn't go to a boarding school..


Not Eton, no. I'm living with someone who went to your school. His father went to mine, funnily enough!
Reply 31
Original post by fnatic NateDestiel


Troll is obvious.
Eton, Harrow and Winchester are all boys schools.
Also the females in my class are either non-existent or <6/10.


Because their rich daddy plays golf with the dean of admissions.

See above.

Hills Road Sixth Form College. I win, more or less.


I'm sorry but that is one of the most inaccurate things I have seen on this thread! If you're aspiring to go to either Oxford or Cambridge you are going to be surrounded by people you have just deemed less intelligent than yourself!
Original post by fnatic NateDestiel


The teachers are also generally cambridge alumni but that would probably make sense.

We have lessons where there are sometimes only 6 students per class.


Hills Road Sixth Form College. I win, more or less.


I've just finished my A levels at Hills and most of my classes were 25 students plus and only one of my tutors were Cambridge alumni. What subjects do you take ? As my subjects (Maths, Biology and Chemistry) were taught in very large classes. There is no doubt the teaching is top quality but I personally don't think it's amazing as everyone makes out!
Original post by BullViagra
the girls are wayyyy prettier

this is not a joke

they really are better looking for some reason


Rich dads = hot mums.

Sorry for the gross and sexist generalisation, but that is the reason.
Original post by TurboCretin
Rich dads = hot mums.

Sorry for the gross and sexist generalisation, but that is the reason.


yep i came to that conclusion today

motivation enough for me

money = sexy wife = daughter who is not ugly = win
Reply 35
Private schools will generally have a higher standard of education.
Original post by Birkenhead
Yes, because even if going to a private school was at all indicative of flawed character, weak leadership skills or anything else relevant to him in the public interest, it would have been his fault for his parents sending him to Eton when we has 13.


You are one of the few posters on tsr who actually posts sensible posts.

Original post by Birkenhead
Not Eton, no. I'm living with someone who went to your school. His father went to mine, funnily enough!


Lol haha!

Original post by IbbyMont
I'm sorry but that is one of the most inaccurate things I have seen on this thread! If you're aspiring to go to either Oxford or Cambridge you are going to be surrounded by people you have just deemed less intelligent than yourself!

What do you mean?

Original post by Kaleyelizabeth96
I've just finished my A levels at Hills and most of my classes were 25 students plus and only one of my tutors were Cambridge alumni. What subjects do you take ? As my subjects (Maths, Biology and Chemistry) were taught in very large classes. There is no doubt the teaching is top quality but I personally don't think it's amazing as everyone makes out!

Maths, FM, AFM, Physics and Chemistry. Critical Thinking not counted I don't think.

Amazing school isn't it :smile:

Did you take SATs as well?

Teaching second to none - great schools in Cam all around, Perse, Long Road etc.

Were you in Kartik's class :biggrin:
Original post by Birkenhead
Yes, because even if going to a private school was at all indicative of flawed character, weak leadership skills or anything else relevant to him in the public interest, it would have been his fault for his parents sending him to Eton when we has 13.


Private schools, and private schooled educated politicians, are bad for British society. So spare me your elitist nonsense.
Original post by Eboracum
Private schools, and private schooled educated politicians, are bad for British society. So spare me your elitist nonsense.


I am not the snob between us.
Original post by fnatic NateDestiel
You are one of the few posters on tsr who actually posts sensible posts.



Lol haha!


What do you mean?


Maths, FM, AFM, Physics and Chemistry. Critical Thinking not counted I don't think.

Amazing school isn't it :smile:

Did you take SATs as well?

Teaching second to none - great schools in Cam all around, Perse, Long Road etc.

Were you in Kartik's class :biggrin:


I'm guessing your in your first year? I totally agree that the teaching was great but I never got much one on one with my teachers which would have helped more than surgeries! And no I didnt as my course doesn't require them but a lot of my friends did BMATs ect. No I didnt, my chemistry teachers were Dr Dartnell and Dr Mike (lovely guy but not great at teaching God knows how I got an A!) and Maths were Mrs Rowley and the new guy that looks like Einstein haha

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