Shrewsbury & Bromsgrove

honeyball

兩間都有offer, 大家有咩comments?

麥精豆奶

回覆 bbdenis 的帖子

Apologies for this late response, but here it is:

Disclaimer: I was from School House, so view the following with a pinch of salt. I won't be reviewing girls' houses since, well, I'm not a girl.

Upper Common houses:

School House: Absolutely massive, and old, like a castle; everything is big. Has 6 floors, lots of stairs. The "happy" house, without an emphasis on either sports or music or academics. Quite a melting pot. Undeniably nice view if you have an upper floor room facing the town and the river. Literally next door to the Main School Building (Maths, English, and All Languages except Latin). Only downside is that it is the furthest house from KH - the canteen. I was a Scally though, so this may be biased.


Churchill's: Old, small, mini-castle - that is I would call it. Rivals with Riggs and School House. Been there for debating, looks tucked away. Emphasis on academics, and this is true to some extent. Though this academia does not preclude it from having unacademic boys, like any other house.

Riggs: Is constructed in an "H" shape. Been there for debating, their common hall is tiny. Riggs people don't have a set perception. Sports is decent, but not the best. All rounder house, but not facilities wise.

Ingram's: Not very academic, but strong sports. On the upside, it is literally opposite the sports hall, so swimming, basketball, and indoor sports are at your doorstep. Closest to the Grot shop, so snacks, too, at your doorstep.

Oldham's: Very strict housemasters, have been and still is from what I know. Noted for its academia. Close to Hodgson Hall (Humanities) and the Science Block.

Lower Common houses:
Ridgemount : Decent academics, but stronger sports. Location is close to Hodgson Hall and Science Block, but further to it than Oldhams. Also quite far from other sites, and has a little hill to walk up.

Severnhill: Apparently best at anything that uses a grass pitch for my time there. Academics wise decent, but absolutely miles away from everything.

Porthill: Day boys. Full stop.

Radbrook: Day boys. Full stop.

aidan08

fooky-hk 發表於 20-11-30 20:57
Uppingham 位於小鎮，全人教學，全校90%寄宿，宿生係house一齊食飯加強大家嘅宿生關係，唔係太pushing. Mum ...

其實我想知year 9學生出去的機會有幾多？係咪year 9咁細個係多數唔會出去？定星期日都可以出去？如果唔可以或多數唔會出去的話，咁係咪sixth form 之前是否在small town 都唔係concern呢？
Btw, 因為仔有Uppingham offer, 所以最近都打聽到一D讀緊嘅小朋友的comments. 佢哋話house dining d食物好好食，真係好少聽到人話boarding school 的食物好食。做research 時都見到原來何家有個千金以前都讀Uppingham, 佢ig 有個post係話好掛住Uppingham 的某幾樣食物

你講開Shrewsbury 回覆好快，我都想講我幫個仔報咗七間學校，有D真係報完唔會理你，有D就經常會update你學校情況，好systematic, 回覆又快。Uppingham 係其中一間好responsive 的學校。Sevenoaks, Abingdon 又係，你報咗之後佢會不斷update 吓你學校發生乜事，好似當你一份子，多數亦好快回覆問題，好有交帶。有D係音訊全無，問嘢唔答，相比之下真係覺得無咁喜歡嗰D學校。

AliciaT

想問吓各位Shrewsbury 升中學嘅result，同埋第時想揀返IB 嘅學校會唔會好難?

elbb

回覆 bbdenis 的帖子

I also want to know too as my son is more interested in music.

bbdenis

回覆 麥精豆奶 的帖子

My son got an offer from Shrewsbury and has to pick a boarding house.
Not much info on its website. We know School House is the oldest while Severn Hill new.  Could you share some ideas on different houses? Like which one is more sport oriented and which music ...

Thank you.

麥精豆奶

回覆 kct18 的帖子

It gets boring sometimes and you don't know what to do; that is the only downside I can think of. This, though, happens very rarely when you ascend into Sixth Form life. Besides, there are options you can do on site, if you can be bothered to leave your house.
Some minor ones include bad food, but not even Eton's kitchen can make "good" food. So, that you will have to put up with.

fooky-hk

應該要聽日

kct18

fooky-hk 發表於 20-11-30 20:57
Uppingham 位於小鎮，全人教學，全校90%寄宿，宿生係house一齊食飯加強大家嘅宿生關係，唔係太pushing. Mum ...

唔知今晚會唔會有通知？

fooky-hk

Uppingham 位於小鎮，全人教學，全校90%寄宿，宿生係house一齊食飯加強大家嘅宿生關係，唔係太pushing. Mumsnet 啲家長comments 好好. 但我仔唔鍾意small town 太悶。

Shrewsbury 靠近市中心，有快餐有中超，學校好caring 回覆查詢好快，但睇個comment有個舍監太惡，嚇走啲學生。

聽日就知結果喇。

kct18

麥精豆奶：
To be honest, Do u enjoy the school life in Shrewsbury?
Any area you would like to draw our attention and think it is not satisfactory and weakness in Shrewsbury?

kct18

May u advise any strength in Shrewsbury?
Such as Sports?

kct18

麥精豆奶 發表於 20-11-30 11:42
回覆 luckyangel 的帖子

What about Shrewsbury and Uppingham? Both schools are town schools?I encount ...

Thank you 麥精豆奶！
Your reply is really helpful to me in all round. I also have puzzle about the different between Shrewsbury and Uppingham.

麥精豆奶

回覆 luckyangel 的帖子

What about Shrewsbury and Uppingham? Both schools are town schools?I encountered a choice between Shrewsbury, Uppingham, and Whitgift when I put my applications forward for a Third Form entrance. I excluded Whitgift for it has a scarce population of borders, and a majority of those who do board are international, meaning that the environment I would be placed in may not aid my deveopment in the English language. As for Uppingham, I turned it down as well after a school visit; its campus is scattered around the town as compared to Shrewsbury's centralised campus. I made school visits to all three and the main reasons I went with Shrewsbury was for its full boarding experience, centralised campus, and, at the time, a lower proportion of Asian/international students compared to other schools on my list of offers.


My son will be in Year 12. Doesn't want a school that is too 'chur' but with academic support. My son likes music. Would be better if he can continue to join the orchestra if possible.
Obviously, I do not know about the music departments of Uppingham. But at Shrewsbury there is a dedicated music building with a recently refurbished auditorium, around a dozen practice rooms each with a piano, and brilliant music technology support.

If this is anything that impresses you, the resources allocated to the music department may be shown by its ownership of 2 Steinway Grand pianos. The brand's grands, recognised as one of the top pianos, each cost between 70,000 to 150,000 USD.

luckyangel

What about Shrewsbury and Uppingham? Both schools are town schools? My son will be in Year 12. Doesn't want a school that is too 'chur' but with academic support. My son likes music. Would be better if he can continue to join the orchestra if possible.

麥精豆奶

回覆 elbb 的帖子

Shrewsbury school is strong in art or science subjects?Its strength in Arts lie with the British, and in Sciences lie with the Asians.


There is a certain guaranteed standard which I find very high in Arts subjects for Shrewsbury. Remember that it is one of the original public schools, that is, on the same list of schools as Eton, Harrow, Westminster, and such, and therefore, as a tradition, Arts is a focal point in its education; science only really came about during the Enlightenment of the 18th century.


How about the pastoral care of the school?
I haven't really tested their capabilities in pastoral care for I had little problems during my time there. From what I know, they do have counselling service and student mentors, and they emphasise psychological wellbeing through lectures and events.


You mentioned for Third from entrants it is compulsory to study a foreign language.  Which language you think is easier to learn - Spanish?
I did German and I found it close to English, but this really varies. I would say avoid French for the masculine and feminine tenses are too complicated, but the other languages are largely indifferent. It is a new language afterall so interest is the predominant factor when considering subject choices which you will make in Fourth Form for GCSEs.

麥精豆奶

回覆 kct18 的帖子

Do they all the full boarding? Not weekly?Around 80-90% of the school is full boarding. I can assure you that weekends at school are as populated as weekdays.


How about the international student ratio in school?
A majority of them are British, but the ratio of international students increase when it hits Sixth Form. It is, though, in comparison to the international students ratio at Bromsgrove from hearsay, much lower.


Is there many Asian ? Or mainly local British ?
As above.


Do u think it is easy to make friends with local students?
As above


Do the students all come to Shrewsbury at year 9?
A majority, but not all. The school accepts entrances at Years 9 (Third Form), 10 (Fourth Form), and 12 (Lower Sixth Form)


Any preparatory school they come from or from same school?

Yes there are certain feed prep-schools to Shrewsbury; I think Terra Nova is one of them. But it is, all in all, a melting pot.

麥精豆奶

回覆 kct18 的帖子

Did u complete form 1 or 2 in HK?I did, in fact. I attended St. Paul's College before going to Shrewsbury.

Personally, do u find difficult or easy to migrate the school life in Shrewsbury start at year 9?
I would say it has some difficulties in terms of integration, for the language spoken is wholly different from that learnt in Hong Kong. But this takes time and it will improve over your time at the school, that is, if you engage in learning the language. Most entrants are on the same starting line in terms of relationships with others, including the British students, when they enter the school. So as long as you stay conventional to their culture you should fit in fine; those able to observe the British boarding school traditions and culture quickly would be those who will fit in quicker; but that is not suggesting that those who observe slower cannot.

There is casual and banter-like racism, but it is applicable to all such that the English will tease the Welsh for having more sheep than people; it is not exclusively racism-against-Asians.

To my understanding there seems to be a trend for Hong Kong/Asian parents preferring their sons and daughters to refrain from staying within the Asian bubble so that their English may improve. This is true to some extent, but  what matters more, I would say, is the will to engage not the circle you are in.


Except the Oxbridge support, do u think the destination of the schoolmates are satisfactory?
I profess that I do not hold the complete data for all gradaute destinations, but to my knowledge a majority of the graduates land at a Russell Group. Within the Group, I would surmise that most probably land at a tier 1.5 Russell Group, that is, world top 50-100. Although, some popular detinations include, inter alia, Durham, Exeter, Bristol, Nottingham, Manchester, UCL, LSE, and King's; in my personal opinion these range from tier 1 to tier 2.

How do u comment the academic standard of Shrewsbury, pushing, relaxing, encouraging?I would say it isn't a school that induces a transformation of the pupil, rather it magnifies the characteristics of the pupil. So that if one is academically pushing, the school will aid his or her development in said pushing direction. But to do so one needs to actively seek help from the school, such as going to teachers out of lessons. It is, basically, a school that has vast amounts of resources for you to utilise if you wish so, but for those who do not, the school does not force you.

麥精豆奶

回覆 kct18 的帖子

Town is close to the school, and depending on the house's location a walk to town is around 10-15 mins. The school forbids pupils from using public transport (e.g. bus, uber) during term time to travel ; I believe this may be for their inability to exercise their duty of care should the pupils take said public transport. This is however not the case when coach weekend or half-term approaches when it will be unrealistic to walk from Shrewsbury to Heathrow on foot. The school also provides coaches for pupils to take to major cities and airports in the country. They are at a very fair price, often cheaper than train tickets, such that going down to Heathrow would cost <80 pounds; that is, when I left.
The town contains numerous common brands such as M&S, Tesco, Waitrose...et cetera, and to my best knowledge there is, inter alia, a hk-style takeaway and a couple of japanese diners, all within foot range.

Sat and Sun arrangements vary between Lower School (Third to Fifth) and Upper School (Lower and Upper Sixth).

Saturday requires all students to attend lessons up until lunch time, and for Lower School Sundays may include house activities such as karting or movies from time to time, but Sundays are mostly reserved for our own purposes. For Upper School, Sundays are a wholly different matter for the workload doubles or even triples that of Lower School. There are far less house arranged outings for Upper School as most of them often work for the whole day.

麥精豆奶

回覆 kct18 的帖子

<5 years; I would rather not give the exact year of class to retain anonymity...