State boarding vs independent boarding

1g2bmum

State boarding vs independent boarding

How to choose Gordon's school vs Dauntsey school.

1g2bmum

Thanks everyone replies and sharing.

Tommy:  My girl will attend G9 in this Sept.
As we applied late (Feb) to those UK schools, we did not have much choices and took the advice to better go at G9 rather than G10 by agent,we are luckily enough to have both state & private on hands.  But from your experience, you can secure  your places at G10 though.  Please share more about your experience in applying your state schools so that I can have more preparation for my younger boys. As I found that most state boarding school's favor boys rather than girls.

From my research so far, Gordon is a good school in terms of location, boarding facilities and pastoral and subject choices which exceed our expectation.  However, I do worry much on the academic support and result.  As my girl is still easily influence by peers, I stepped back when I learnt from my fan with girl studying there for 6 years that the locals classmates may not aim at studying U finally and the 6th form only started from 2008. For the GCSE level, they are not much choosing hard subjects (for further study).  
I wonder whether we can afford  2-3 years in private with better learning atmosphere and drive school + 2 years higher rankings/ aggressive state day/boarding + 3 years better U??

Financially, I will compare what we pay for HK vs UK in terms of quality of education and student life.  I think We are so luckily enough to have sponsor for UK education + schools fees in HK + tutorial fees for music & sport and EA in HK + traveling time & expenses + food + housing + maids salary + pressure , I find that we are not paying much on top of studying in UK private provide that I am still a working mum.   Of course, if we  can save much from decent public schools, that is bonus to us.

Thus, I do hope that I can take this 1-2 years to find and prepare better for my 2 younger boys for decent state schools.  

Maynard

原帖由 HKdevil 於 12-04-25 發表
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http://www.crgs.co.uk/component/content/article/42-articles/278-oxbridge-succes ...

一間年年有近30人入到劍橋牛津的唔冼學費的學校，就算日日返宿舍講中文都可接受。

CPU1995

原帖由 HKdevil 於 12-04-25 發表
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By the way, what is wrong with 50% of them are from Hong Kong? I do not know wh ...

Every year, Colchester will offer 15 boarding places for external students out of the 30 boarding places.  

As far as I know, more than half of these boarding places are occupied by Hk students as Colchester will admit many elite students from Hk thro Academic Asia every year.

I just want my son not immersed in the Cantonese speaking environment after school in the boarding house as the Hong Kong students would sure form a group in the sixth and seven forms,

In fact, my son' s classmate declined Colchester's offer with the aforesaid reason last year though it is the no. 1 state boarding school.

CPU1995

原帖由 HKdevil 於 12-04-25 發表
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CPU 1995, i just got an email from Reading and it does not seem to be the same  ...

I trust that the application process for Year 12 is somehow different from those lower forms.

Tommy

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1g2bmum,

I actually do not know Gordon’s School very much.  I just learn a little bit of Gordon’s from their website and prospectus.  I applied for a Year 10 place for my son in late October last year.  But, they replied me with a straight NO.  The Registrar told me their usual intake was in Year 7, 9 and 12.  By the way, what Year you applied for your girl?

I don’t have the dilemma that you and CPU1995 got because, as a 2bdad, I’m not able to afford additional $60,000 monthly expenditure in pursuit of a boarding place in an independent school.  As such, we only target on the state boarding schools.

After some search, school visits, skype interview and on-site interview, luckily my son was enrolled by a decent state boarding school.  Everything we saw and experienced in the school exceeded our satisfactory level.  We are very much content with it.  Most importantly, my son likes the school very much.

Tommy

HKdevil

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CPU 1995, i just got an email from Reading and it does not seem to be the same as you stated, it does need interview and exams...see below
------

Thank you for your recent email concerning entry into School for your son. I assume you are enquiring about entry in September 2013, if it is for 2012 then I regret that you have missed the entry tests and all places have now been offered and accepted.

For entry at 13+ into Year 9 in September 2013 your son will be required to sit an entrance test here in School on 11th January 2013, we will ask him to take papers in Mathematics, English and Science. I am attaching an application form, copy of our Admissions Policy, details of our fees and information about entry requirements for overseas students, which I hope will answer most of your queries.

There are several points concerning your enquiry that I need to draw your attention to.

·
We do not send papers abroad, it is School policy that all tests must take place here at Reading School.

·
We only offer weekly boarding. The boarding houses close every Saturday at 10.00am until Sunday evening. All students are required to go home or to a guardian every weekend. It is the responsibility of parents to organise a suitable guardian for their sons.

·
We are a state school, all students must be entitled to receive free education. I draw your attention to the attached document concerning entry requirements for overseas students.

If I can be of any further assistance to you please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs N Douglas

Registrar

Reading School

E: [email protected]

T: 0118 935 3261 / 0118 901 5600 ext261

HKdevil

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By the way, what is wrong with 50% of them are from Hong Kong? I do not know why you discriminated against Hong Kong students!

HKdevil

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This is the oxbridge rate for Reading School which amounts to about 16%

http://www.reading-school.co.uk/uploads/document/R80106_RS_Sixth_Form_Booklet.pdf

By the way, which year has your son applied for can you tell us pls? So that I can do the same for my son.

Maynard

原帖由 HKdevil 於 12-04-25 發表
Colchester Royal Grammar school, check this out
http://www.crgs.co.uk/

真是很好。

HKdevil

another one of high successful state boarding schools
Royal Grammar School
http://www.rgshw.com/default.aspx?id=86

HKdevil

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http://www.crgs.co.uk/component/ ... 78-oxbridge-success

Check this out and you would agree that all are top universities they are going.

HKdevil

CPU1995, I think if you have only got one son and money is not your concern, then it does not really matter whether you send your son to ind or state boarding, but if you have more than one like me (i have three), then it really matter a lot. one year ind boarding for one child would equal to three state boarding a year. Besides, for those high ranking state boardings schools, they are just like those government band one schools in HK, e.g. marymount, maryknoll, La Salle or QC ...would you consider those schools bad?

Some state boarding schools even have bigger campus than ind ones, for example, Wymondham is 82 acres in size and offers large variety of activities including horse riding etc. No school in hk has that kind of size or offer that kind of activities. Boarding school generally is a eye opening and life long experience for the kids. I highly recommend it.

CPU1995

I don't like Cochester as over 50% boarding places are HK students.

HKdevil

but the only problem about CRGS is that , they only provide boarding for 6th form boys only!

HKdevil

Colchester Royal Grammar school, check this out
http://www.crgs.co.uk/

HKdevil

CPU1995, how old is your son by the way? My son is only 8 years old and I want to wait until he is 13 before sending him there. My other two girls are now 16 and 13 and they are going to Wymondham College- another good state boarding school, but this one is co-ed.

Not many people are qualified for state boarding schools, but if you are, then why not take the advantages?

HKdevil

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CPU1995 are you serious? I can not believe it, for Reading School and it is just that simple? My two girls applied for another state boarding school Wymondham college last August , they were required to attend the interview with the principal and written test for both maths and english and we did not find the result until last Dec...and a lot of people were turned down too. I mean Wymondham is not even as high ranking as Reading...wah...that is great .. I can relieved now.

Thanks mate,  I will do that for my son in due course. By the way, there is another state boarding school which rank number 1 of all schools: Colchester Royal Grammar school, oxbridge rate 25%, Royal Grammar school and Lancaster royal grammar school, all excellent state boarding schools.

If I were you, I would definitely choose Reading. Is your son coming from a good local school?

Maynard

有那個綱可看到官校的Oxbridge 位

CPU1995

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Unlike independent school which requires written test and interview for over a hour by the Headmaster in UK, just fill in the application form from the website, then the Registrar would request the Headmaster of your present school to fill in a confidential school report. After considering the present school report, give you an offer and request you to pay 500 pounds deposit.

No written test and no interivew - just based on the confidential school reports and on individual merits. The whole process just takes 5 days via email.