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[stroudydad]

I shall consider my wrists slapped

[tiffinboys]

[solimum]

All but one of the 30 choral scholarships in Merton choir are held by students from private schools.

Only one of the Merton classics students is from state school.

These are both areas in which private schools have an advantage:

The choral scholarship system is an additional early complication on top of "normal" applications, which I would suggest is largely unknown to teachers and parents at most state schools unless they have been mixing in high-level musical circles (and how many state schools do you know with a chapel choir as our local private school does??). However all is not lost by any means - my DS2 was awarded choral scholarships for his 2nd-4th years at Wadham (which came with the princely sum of about £30 a year and - best of all - use of the choir room which was a great place to store belongings in college when he was living out in the sticks!)

Classics is now as a school subject largely confined to private schools and grammar areas: it is hard to develop a deep enthusiasm for a subject which has never been encountered.

[stroudydad]

All but one of the 30 choral scholarships in Merton choir are held by students from private schools.

Only one of the Merton classics students is from state school.

These are both areas in which private schools have an advantage:

The choral scholarship system is an additional early complication on top of "normal" applications, which I would suggest is largely unknown to teachers and parents at most state schools unless they have been mixing in high-level musical circles (and how many state schools do you know with a chapel choir as our local private school does??). However all is not lost by any means - my DS2 was awarded choral scholarships for his 2nd-4th years at Wadham (which came with the princely sum of about £30 a year and - best of all - use of the choir room which was a great place to store belongings in college when he was living out in the sticks!)

Classics is now as a school subject largely confined to private schools and grammar areas: it is hard to develop a deep enthusiasm for a subject which has never been encountered.

Had been too busy to post, but exactly this