MTS or St. Albans?

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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whattodo?
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Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2014 2:14 pm

MTS or St. Albans?

Post by whattodo? »

Hi everyone,

We are really struggling with the issue of "having a choice"...

We are lucky in that ds got an offer from Aldenham, Belmont, MTS & St. Albans. Our first choice Habs we got through to interview but sadly no offer. We've straightaway eliminated the others to have MTS or St.A to make up our mind..

We were really looking at gtting the package as in Habs and so MTS is the next best fit - except for location. There is a 1.15hr journey involved and coach from Arkley...
DH is happy to move to Mill Hill/Stanmore but I'm not so keen as 2 other kids are in school in Potters Bar.Can't imagine the logistics ever working out on a long term basis....

any advice would be gratefully received!

Thank you.
Daogroupie
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Location: Herts

Re: MTS or St. Albans?

Post by Daogroupie »

What will be your plan for your other two?

Are they close in age so you could move eventually? DG
whattodo?
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2014 2:14 pm

Re: MTS or St. Albans?

Post by whattodo? »

Daogroupie wrote:What will be your plan for your other two?

Are they close in age so you could move eventually? DG

yes, they are quite close in age - year 4 & 2 and happy in their current school.

I guess we would eventually have to consider moving...

Thanks.
Daogroupie
Posts: 11099
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: MTS or St. Albans?

Post by Daogroupie »

So if you don't want to move the other two siblings from their current school the daily commute will have to last for at least five years. DG
whattodo?
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2014 2:14 pm

Re: MTS or St. Albans?

Post by whattodo? »

yes, I realise that its a long road ahead and we need to decide carefully.

DH & ds are both very confident it will work - i have my concerns!

I'm being told to look at the positives that mts has to offer over sas and to shake off this teary emotional side and snap out of it...!
Daogroupie
Posts: 11099
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: MTS or St. Albans?

Post by Daogroupie »

..... [edited by moderator] MTS in the past five years but Habs and St Albans are the closer schools and so the places are turned down.

St Albans has a lot to offer and is a local school with more than one way of getting there.

Hopefully you will do some dummy runs over the next few weeks and determine the impact the much longer commute will have on your family.

No student I know of was able to come up with a compelling enough reason to do this long commute and the students are all happily settled in St Albans or Habs. DG
whattodo?
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2014 2:14 pm

Re: MTS or St. Albans?

Post by whattodo? »

Daogroupie wrote:..... [edited by moderator] MTS in the past five years but Habs and St Albans are the closer schools and so the places are turned down.

St Albans has a lot to offer and is a local school with more than one way of getting there.

Hopefully you will do some dummy runs over the next few weeks and determine the impact the much longer commute will have on your family.

No student I know of was able to come up with a compelling enough reason to do this long commute and the students are all happily settled in St Albans or Habs. DG

Thanks for your reply DG. I'm planning on dummy runs next week once schools are back on. Hopefully that'll help to make up our mind :?
Daogroupie
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Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: MTS or St. Albans?

Post by Daogroupie »

I think that will really help. Do it there and back every day for a week and see how everyone feels after that. DG
Guest55
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Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: MTS or St. Albans?

Post by Guest55 »

Whattodo - it'll be you that has to make the commute work so they need to listen to you! How can you practise the journey and get the others to school at the same time?

The journey is too long imho, just think it's nearly 3 hours on a good day; that's 15 hours in a week almost a whole day for a child that age! Just multiply that up ... it's horrendous.
mad?
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Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 6:27 pm
Location: london

Re: MTS or St. Albans?

Post by mad? »

Guest55 wrote:Whattodo - it'll be you that has to make the commute work so they need to listen to you! How can you practise the journey and get the others to school at the same time?

The journey is too long imho, just think it's nearly 3 hours on a good day; that's 15 hours in a week almost a whole day for a child that age! Just multiply that up ... it's horrendous.
I agree. Added to that MTS is a back up school for much of West London, bear in mind this is where many of DS's friends will live and therefore you will be too far away for him to have both a social and a family life. If you go for it (why? really?) move, but move nearer where his friends will live and somewhere with good public transport links, not Stanmore. Good luck
Last edited by mad? on Wed Feb 14, 2018 8:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
mad?
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