11 Plus Exams Forum

I’d be grateful for views on a choice between Trinity and Wilson’s. My son has passed both Trinity and Wilson’s entrance exams with a 25% scholarship to Trinity. He loves Trinity, but of course there is the issue of fees etc. My friends look at it this way; why should I opt to pay for something that he can get for free in Wilson’s. My question is how comparable is the education he would get in Trinity to what he will get in Wilson’s.

Some would say, it depends on my son. Well, he is a strong-minded(!) child who has managed to pass these exams including Whitgift’s with no tuition at all, also coming from a normal community school. I wouldn’t call him a high flier but he loves learning and has an inquisitive mind (too inquisitive). He was extremely bored in his primary school and started getting into loads of escapades with his previous headmaster. So one needs to keep him busy least an idle mind finds other things for him to do. Having said that I feel he will thrive at a more collaborative and understanding environment rather than the ‘do as I say’ environment. I know Trinity is collaborative and has a good pastoral care.

Please comment. Thanks in advance.

Wilson's is excellent academically and I was speaking to a friend who now has a son in year 11 who has done really well-going to Oxford in October and is very happy with the level of pastoral care there. Unlike most of the other grammars it has quite an impressive array of extra-curriculars eg CCF which I was impressed with. However it does seem a little rough and tumble.

Trinity is a lovely school and the headmaster is fantastic with the boys. Everyone comments about the pastoral care etc.
Perhaps the only thing to consider here is more co-curriclar activiites and a broader curriculum all round which if your son is as bright as he seems , might be benenficial.

I thought trinity's results didn't come out until the 19th?!

I'm confused too, nissi.

How do you know about the scholarship figure already, PrincessPumpkin? The letters aren't posted until 18 February.

Hi LazyD- long time no hear (or is that read)
Do you think the scholarship candidates have already been told then?

Hi nissi! "Real Life" keeps getting in the way - annoying, isn't it?

Ds is not in line for any sort of scholarship so I don't personally know if they find out first - I'll ask around at school, though!

Just 11 days to go..............

Didn't know until results day when we sat it

Don't keep us in suspense PumpkinPrincess ........ how did you get your results so quick????

Well done to you and your DS!!!!!

I asked a few people at school (including some "almost definite for a scholarship" types) and no-one had heard anything yet.

that's very odd ... one of my friend's ds got a 50% scholarship to T and didn't find out until results day ....

there's also the journey to consider - which would be easiest to get to?

plus if you look at the end results, considering the universally high standard of the intake at Wilsons they should really be doing a LOT better than T and W so it may be that Wilsons isn't adding as much value as T

Hi, I also asked my friends including those most likely to get a scholarship.....noone has heard anything at all.