11 Plus Exams Forum

If the deciding factor was not financial, where would you send your child if you have both QEB and Habs or MTS?Is QEB out performing the independent schools lately? There are so many league tables, that I find it more confusing. Also are there other advantages apart from academic merits of going to either school.

We have been offered Habs and St Albans as well as Latymer and have decided to go for Habs. I think Latymer is a great school but the great facilites at Habs, the security ( the coach not the bus ), the absence of girls, the traditional academic syllabus just make me feel that he will be happier there. He may not be more streetwise but he will end up, God-willing, a more impressive young man.

At the end of the day it's what you think is right for him - of course money matters but it's not everything.

wHAT'S WRONG WITH GIRLS?
hE WILL HAVE TO ENCOUNTER THEM AT SOME POINT IN HIS LIFE!

Still deciding on Mts vs WBGS. Decided against John Lyon and probably Habs.

Which school is WBGS?

Thank you for your replies. I share the same thoughts as you Alison, but my only reluctance is if QEB is academically better. Can anyone confirm if Habs is actually doing better academically than QEB at GCSE?

I know QEB loose their 180 population to 120 at A/Levels to keep their performance targets.

I knew i would get one of these abbreviations wrong soon!

Watford Boys is what I mean.

The league tables are altered for the governments purposes so although QEB may come higher than Habs it is not accurate. Most independent schools now do the IGCSE which is not recognised by the government so they come lower down the league tables. Also EE at A'level in the league tables is equivalent point-wise to one A at A'level which is ridiculous. The Financial Times league tables are the most honest and rank results in the percentage of A's in core subjects. This is the best table to look at if you want an weigh schools up academically.

Regarding Habs, and I really don't want to offend anyone, but my husband works in the city and often they take on boys from the private schools for work-experience e.g habs,mts,westminster,st paul's,latymer. Anyway in his time he has seen a large number of habs boys and he said that they were all very arrogant compared to the other school boys, and he would not hire one. Funnily enough his business partner is an old habs boy and although he is a great guy now, he said he left habs thinking he was better than everyone else and this hindered him until he decided to change his attitude. I have no view on habs boys, this is only what I've heard.

I have many friends at Latymer and they say it is a London school without all the hot-housing. Very relaxed and caring and yet it still gets good results.

Please don't get cross with me for this email, again not my opinions but the opinions of others!

tipsy

Sorry, I'm talking about the independent school.

zorro wrote:wHAT'S WRONG WITH GIRLS?
hE WILL HAVE TO ENCOUNTER THEM AT SOME POINT IN HIS LIFE!

Girls are fine, I have a daughter and a son but I but them in both single-sex schools (Habs Boys and Habs Girls). Though the two schools meet every so often (also the fact they are right next to each other)

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I know your son Zorro, did not get through - however, Habs is a wonderful school.