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mts vs wbgs

Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2016 12:32 pm
by zhp
hi all would appreciate some advice

we have offers from MTS and HABS- we think we may take MTS

however we will find out on allocation day if we have Watford BGS ( QEB unlikely as score just borderline for waiting list)

my dilemna is WBGS vs MTS/HABS

it is 200k but does the private offer an overall advantage over part selective comprehensives

thanks

Re: mts vs wbgs

Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2016 12:50 pm
by Mumworried
what would your DC be comfortable with ?

Re: mts vs wbgs

Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2016 1:16 pm
by Daogroupie
Is your score at WB high enough for a place to be likely? DG

Re: mts vs wbgs

Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2016 8:38 pm
by zhp
hi daogroupie i am assuming it will be we find out tuesday corrected score is 265

my son would be ok with either he says although he does say mts has better facilities for sports

Re: mts vs wbgs

Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2016 8:56 pm
by Daogroupie
Is it 200k worth of better though? If sport is a big factor then you could afford to join a swanky club for that money!

Re: mts vs wbgs

Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2016 10:27 pm
by Stressing123
We had exactly the same dilemma 2 years ago. My DS had an offer from MTS, HABS and WBGS, but always had a strong preference for MTS even though most of his friends were going to WBGS. In the end we decided MTS. Financially it did mean making sacrifices.

He loves MTS and actually looks forward going to school in the morning, loves the sports and facilities, and is doing well academically. It is an excellent school, with friendly staff who are always willing to listen. Students and parents are friendly as well; no snobbery. He also has friends at HABS, and they do seem to push you more academically there.

Having said that all his friends at WBGS all seem happy enough and are doing well.

It's a tough call - I personally would say MTS may have the edge, but whether it is worth £150-200k premium is debatable.

Re: mts vs wbgs

Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2016 11:46 pm
by AML
We chose MT over haBs and not regretted it for one moment.

I may be biased but have yet to see a bad review of MT on this forum of recent.

Re: mts vs wbgs

Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 7:53 am
by zhp
thank you all for this valuable feedback -
I have one child at QEB and so felt i would like to give DS2 as good an experience of school life with good academia and my worry was whether WBGS would meet that expectation after having DS1 go to QEB

Re: mts vs wbgs

Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 10:31 am
by coolmum123
My DS is coming to the end of his school career (just a few more months to go!) at MTS and I have to say whilst it has taken a lot of financial planning it really has been worth it. He has thrived there and is a very well rounded down to earth young man. The school is brilliant and very nurturing, and if we had to make the choice over again I would have no hesitation in picking it again over the state options - (he also had a place at QE.).
We havnt had to worry at GCSE or A levels about trying to find a tutor, with uni applications ( they have a UCAS advisor),interview practice, UKCAT guidance and advice, they have covered it all, it really has taken the stress off in the latter years.

edit: I should add that my friend has a DS at WGBS and is doing GCSEand she is constantly complaining that the school isn't doing enough, she is looking for tutors to cover the gaps in his knowledge.

Re: mts vs wbgs

Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 11:05 am
by Daogroupie
That is really interesting feedback but I would expect your experience to also be the case at good state grammars. Here is a quote from a parent who has a dd just finished at HBS. "The school has taken my dd from a shy girl to a confident and responsible girl and I had no involvement in her GCSEs AS or A Levels at home. She and her friends all got fantastic A level results and she is currently reading Medicine at a Russell group university. All of them are now at their first choice university."

It is a shame to hear about this feedback at Watford boys but is the need for tutors because he has not been taught properly in the classroom or because he has not been keeping up with the work? As dd1 said to me only yesterday, for students who have been keeping up with the work GCSEs should be a case of revisiting areas that you already know because the topic has been taught to you in the classroom.

I don't see anyone on here complaining that any part of the IGCSE syllabus has not been taught at QE. DG