Perennial debate: Private (KCS) or Grammar(Wilson)?
Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2021 5:34 pm
DS has got offers with scholarship from both Hamptons and Kings College School. It is likely (65%) that he will get Wilson offer on 01 March as well which is our first grammar school choice. We are very conflicted about which school to choose.
Money would be a bit tight but manageable. Travel distance is not an issue for both Kings or Wilsons (both 20 minutes away), but Hamptons is over 50 minutes away so it is out of the picture.
DD is very academic but dabbles with sports (cricket, etc.) and music minimally at the moment. He loves "make" programming, e.g. already programs Arduino boards and Lego EV3 systems (made an automated Rubik's cube solver). He tends sometimes to be shy, undersells himself and needs coaxing for things like public speaking.
So some questions for the parents who have sent their children to Kings College (or similar schools):
*I am aware that Year 13 is far (7 years) away for DS, but we can rely probabilistically on Lindy Effect for this: If Kings has sent 60 students to Oxbridge/Imperial every year since last 10 years, it will continue to do so for the next 10 years.
Money would be a bit tight but manageable. Travel distance is not an issue for both Kings or Wilsons (both 20 minutes away), but Hamptons is over 50 minutes away so it is out of the picture.
DD is very academic but dabbles with sports (cricket, etc.) and music minimally at the moment. He loves "make" programming, e.g. already programs Arduino boards and Lego EV3 systems (made an automated Rubik's cube solver). He tends sometimes to be shy, undersells himself and needs coaxing for things like public speaking.
So some questions for the parents who have sent their children to Kings College (or similar schools):
- Specifically, does the transformation in self-esteem, confidence and motivation provided by private schools through the secondary years justify the fees they charge? And in comparison to top grammar schools?
- One of their key selling point is Oxbridge placements* (Kings sends around 50 out of ~130 students to Oxbridge as compared to Wilson which sends ~25 out of ~130 students to Oxbridge). I attribute this to extra preparation of private exams (both Oxford and Cambridge have their own exams) and interview practice in Kings. For parents who have experienced this preparation (with Kings or others), do you think this preparation is a huge value add? (A hands on parent may easily be able to help their child (if inclined) in this).
- Kings also sends around 8-10 students every year to US universities (MIT, Stanford, Harvard, etc.). Similar to above, parents who have gone through this, do you think Kings helped a lot for this, without excessive parent involvement?
*I am aware that Year 13 is far (7 years) away for DS, but we can rely probabilistically on Lindy Effect for this: If Kings has sent 60 students to Oxbridge/Imperial every year since last 10 years, it will continue to do so for the next 10 years.