Bancroft vs City of London boys , Which is the ideal school?

[daddytea]

My son was offer in both place. I am sure your son will be successfully in either place. If he is happy, he will achieve.
You may like to find out which subjects your son may prefer. They are strong in computing programming. All boys are very smart.
The following are something for you to consider if you chose city.
Travelling is a big issue. There are many after school clubs and activities. Travelling by central line can be an issue when they strike particularly after Leytonstone. Have you considered any alternative route in such events.

Most city boys travelling from different are of London. Forming a study group can be difficult at later stage thought these days they can use whatsapp.
Don't forget you may need to attend numerous parents evenings, charity events, performance and etc. Is travelling back and forth Chigwell and issue for both parents and child an issue.

My son likes sport very much. The limited space and the small rooftop football field put him off. However they may travel to their property field by bus.

Good luck.

[Sla212]

I know of someone this year who had City as their preferred choice & received a scholarship, their child also had plenty of friends already there (via playing sport)....they were really underwhelmed by the offer holder day at City earlier this week though & ended up turning down their scholarship & choosing HABS which had been their 3rd choice but which they loved & were super-impressed by on the offer holder day.

[AML]

I know of someone this year who had City as their preferred choice & received a scholarship, their child also had plenty of friends already there (via playing sport)....they were really underwhelmed by the offer holder day at City earlier this week though & ended up turning down their scholarship & choosing HABS which had been their 3rd choice but which they loved & were super-impressed by on the offer holder day.

I agree, the offer holding morning put me off. The turn offs were the current parents. One woman was so cold and abrupt didn't feel very welcoming. Then a group of boys were saying how they hated sports, which reaffirmed my belief about it's sport. Our tour guide was amazing though. Very passionate about the school. The tour was in break time, and you definitely got a feeling it was cramped, a school tight for space.

The head speech left mixed feelings, she was talking about a school that she no longer will work out. I couldn't understand why the new acting head did not speak to us.

In essence after that morning we turned down the city scholarship.

[CPM1771]

I have a DS at each of these schools and am happy to answer questions. Both have pros and cons, but are excellent schools and in terms of overall teaching and academics I would not put much between them. City is more selective and should obtain better results. If you looked at the raw talent then I would hazard a bet that Bancroft's is actually better in terms of the level of improvement that it can achieve. You won't regret either choice, both are good schools so go with whichever one heart and finances tell you. My own view is chose the closest, but I do understand the attraction of City. The boys are great. I promise you could decide this on the toss of a coin and it will be okay !!

[wrecktangle]

"What is the ideal school?"
I don't think there is an answer to this.
I think my children are absolutely at the ideal school - for them. I do not necessarily think it would be ideal for absolutely everyone.
I think you need to consider where you think your ds would be happiest for the next 5 years. That will then be the ideal school for him.

Agree with loobylou here. The ideal school is what's ideal for your child. My daughter got offers from City Girls and Bancrofts and for her, we felt, that City was the perfect fit. She's very mature and will travel with her dad on the tube and quite looking forward to it! We knew it was the school for her when we visited the on open day. We felt the girls were intelligent, confident and quirky and our dd felt really comfortable.
My other dd who will sit the 11+ in 2019 is sold on Bancrofts as it's the ideal school for HER. She's very bright but not swayed by name and prestige and league tables like her elder sister. She wants a school with greenery and hallways and clock towers and loves travelling by car and chatting throughout the short journey!

In short, they're both fantastic schools.... you just need to figure out which is the best fit for your son.

[Daogroupie]

Great post about choosing the right fit for the individual. Sounds like they will both do really well in the environment that suits them as a person. DG

[ToadMum]

Indeed .

I'm just slightly boggled at the concept of a 10 / 11 year old being 'swayed by name and prestige and league tables', though .

[wrecktangle]

Toadmum yes she's very mature for her age and different from her siblings.. my son did the 11+ 3yrs ago and was happy to let his mum and dad decide we're he would go.
I think it's a middle child syndrome!