Seems Prince George will be attending Eton after all, same as his father and Uncle Harry.

I agree , Prince George wouldn’t fit into a comprehensive. He’s probably much safer and well served in private schools. Same for his sister and brothers.
But - I’m not an Eton fan. It’s turned out too many thoroughly unpleasant arrogant barstewards. My impression of George (tho what do I know) is he’s unlikely to join the narcissistic Eton graduates

varian

"bog-standard comprehensive" is a meme promoted by right wing media.

93% of children in the UK attend state schools. Obviously some are better than others, but there is no way a child cocooned in the 7% who attend private schools could ever claim to have been educated alongside a cross-section of UK society.

It was coined by Alistair Campbell.

I don't really care where Prince George goes to school but the thought of him being bullied at a state comprehensive (and you can be sure he would be) is not a happy one.
Sink or swim and the bullying can be dreadful.

"bog-standard comprehensive" is a meme promoted by right wing media.

93% of children in the UK attend state schools. Obviously some are better than others, but there is no way a child cocooned in the 7% who attend private schools could ever claim to have been educated alongside a cross-section of UK society.

varian

Callistemon21

Well, as there are many boys attending Eton who have help with fees or pay none at all, from different backgrounds, he probably will meet a cross-section of society.

He has a sister so girls will not be alien to him either.

So you think that meeting some scholarship boys at Eton and having one sister is just as good a representation of a cross-section of society as going to a local comprehensive school????

Sisters have friends

So you think George should be sent to a bog-standard comprehensive? Is he going to meet a cross-section of society there?

I've had a good idea - he should be sent to a Welsh comprehensive where language teaching, apart from Welsh, is abysmal. That will stand him in good stead if he ever meets European Heads of State when he's King.

Joseann my abiding memory of school is when a rumour broke that a boy was in the woods and the whole school raced down to find him. Not sure what would have happened if he had been found.

Such good memories from many on here about their boarding schools, nice to read. Like others DHs, mine (at CH) enjoyed his time. While not particularly academic, my DH was a chorister, which he continues in cathedrals to this day. Also an obsession with the theatre - the school has its own - which kickstarted an early career in Lighting Design.
Me at a London comprehensive got used to the "selling" of stolen stuff, and worse, in the loos, and fights after school on the way home, but came out with top academic qualifications.
I think you just make the most of what is available to you, but like Jaberwok, I wouldn't advise the local Comp for Prince George. Not that it will ever happen.

Sounds a bit like my school, particularly the beds!! We were fortunate that our school had extensive grounds having once been a country house in a former life, so lots of fresh air and nature walks which could be a bit bracing in winter. Chapel, well it was a C of E Convent, was a prominent feature of our lives, particularly for the boarders. The heating system was pretty inefficient so getting a desk or bed near a radiator was fairly important but not always successful. Music was high on the agenda which suited me, academia? ok but at a much slower pace than the Grammar School I failed to get into. Nonetheless, most of us, including me, left with fairly respectable O'levels, including for me one A'level!! I think Prince George would stick out like a sore thumb at the local Comp and have a horrible time, especially having been to Lambrook! Bearing in mind that children can be very cruel, why on earth would his parents do that to him?

About 30 years ago there was a writing competition in for school children and the 15 winners (my DS being one of them) were offered a 2 week residential course at Eton.

We took him on the allotted day and were allowed to take him to his dormitory to settle him in.

To say I was astonished at the state of the dormitories is an underestimation 😳 The beds were wooden with a thin mattress, the so called wardrobe was a bit of ragged hessian as a door. A prison cell would have been better. We were so upset at leaving him in such a miserable looking place.

We collected him 2 weeks later and he said he had had the time of his life, as well as lessons, they had picnics on a small island, lots of fun and sport.

Perhaps the accommodation will have improved for Prince George. I hope so.

My DS has gone on to be a children’s author, so perhaps he will write about his experiences at Eton one day.

Why should wealthy people send their children to the local comprehensive? If they can afford to pay for private education, why not?

May as well say why should they go on exotic holidays, just have a week at Skegness or Blackpool.

And wait years for an operation, instead of going private, or having their teeth seen to privately.

If they have the money, it’s up to them how they spend it, and if the rest of us cannot afford to do so, well, that’s life.

Should he be expected to meet cross section of society age 13,
He can do so if and when he goes to university

Pray he doesn’t get the treatment his grandfather had to cope with

MOnica, I wasn’t an army child, I was a police officer’s child. Dad joined in 1949, the tear I was born. These days he’d have been a university entrant but then he was an ex royal marine. He was ambitious and retired from cid as chief super.
Police officers weren’t allowed to buy a house though by 1980 that had changed and my parents bought the police owned house they’d lived in for some years. The practice was to move officers on promotion, or after two years. We moved within a large County, each time I changed school. 5 primaries, 3 high schools. I learned to appear to be sailing easily whilst paddling so hard to keep afloat. I loved just before O levels, just before Diploma - married at 18 just so I could have stability in where I lived. Divorced.
I wouldn’t want to send my children to boarding school but I never moved them. Male friends all had negative boarding experiences. Female friends positive but - bits sent at 7, girls at 13.
My education would have benefitted if I’d gone to weekly boarding school, home at weekends

Some public schools run a swap week with pupils from State schools. I don’t know if this scheme is still available and I don’t know if it’s a good idea or not. My friend’s daughter wasn’t blown away by the academic side of the public school swap but then she was at a high attainment secondary school!

Callistemon21

Well, as there are many boys attending Eton who have help with fees or pay none at all, from different backgrounds, he probably will meet a cross-section of society.

He has a sister so girls will not be alien to him either.

So you think that meeting some scholarship boys at Eton and having one sister is just as good a representation of a cross-section of society as going to a local comprehensive school????

Indeed. I doubt he has to attend the local comp to meet people from different backgrounds, or girls.

Well, as there are many boys attending Eton who have help with fees or pay none at all, from different backgrounds, he probably will meet a cross-section of society.

He has a sister so girls will not be alien to him either.

I'm guessing that Prince George is quite a bright lad. Both of his parents graduated from St Andrews University, so are likely to be above average intelligence, and he has had every advantage in his pre-school and primary school education.

Would it not be just great for him to attend his local comprehensive school near Windsor?

Obviously the school would have to make some adaptations regarding security, etc, but he could do very well.

Clever children with parents who are interested in their education and give the child and his school every support, do very well academically.

Prince George would then also have the tremendous advantage, which none of his father's family have ever had, of learning alongside a cross section of children from ordinary local families.

Would that not give him much greater understanding of the nation he is one day destined to rule?

Many children, and I and my sisters were among them, go to boarding school because their parents have peripatetic jobs and the alternative is children growing up with an inadequate education

My father was in the army. I went to 8 primary schools, and lost nearly a year of my primary education to illness and the shifting from place to place.. I then went to 2 secondary schools, one of them a boarding school. Had I not gone to boarding school, which I did at rising 12, I would have changed schools again at 14, and more crucially in my second year in the VI form. Moving at Easter and due to take the exams in May/June.

Most of the boarders at the school I went to were the children of service people, diplomats and other parents whose jobs meant they were constantly on the move.

Going to boarding school for me meant having friends, friends I have had for life, rather than friends I had for the length of a posting, which could be six months, or once, three whole years.

I know that my parents, especially my mother, hated having to send us away to school, but could see no alternative. To take up a point Jaberwok made. When in the UK my parents came to school events, and when they were overseas, I had various aunts and uncles who would turn up in their place,

I know many people who have been ot boarding school, who have been unaffected by 'boarding school syndrome' whatever that it is. We have had successful careers, successful relationships and happy lives, other than the tragedies that can affect anyone.

At 18 my experience of travelling the world unaccompanied by and adult, just a younger sister, and of being at boarding school, meant I settled down at university far faster than many. I was much more self-confident and capable of sorting out problems for myself.

I can never remember being homesick. My parents, especially my mother always talked thrings through with us, so I always knew and understood why everything that happened was happening and my father was one of a very large cohesive family, so wherever I was, there always seemed to a relative ready and willing to visit, take us out, sort out problems. Some one said about a child raised by a village, well my father's family, and my mother's much smaller family were my village

I think perhaps having parents who were reasonably on hand, as in, coming to Sports Day, theatricals, carol concerts. Anything and everything really, even if I wasn't participating, my parents always came which I know made a difference particularly in the early years. Those whose parents, for whatever reason didn't come to various parental.functions didnt fare quite so well. Some lived abroad so obviously couldn't. I was always glad I wasn't one of those.

Callistemon21

icanhandthemback

I am only commenting ronib because it is one of the downsides to boarding which is noted in research about Boarding School Syndrome. I have met so many damaged people from Boarding School that I am amazed they are still acceptable.

My DH is perfectly acceptable, thank you!!

As is my sibling who boarded a few years and one of our daughters who insisted on going abroad for a year. Everyone reacts differently.

Well I went to boarding school aged 11 - 17 1/2 after failing my 11+ fairly spectacularly! After early home sickness I actually enjoyed it, made lots of friends, and was generally pretty happy. Mind you it was a small Convent school in the countryside, only 20 miles from my home, where the Nuns and Lay staff were by and large kind people. Those who lived close enough were allowed home for one weekend a month plus half term, so it wasn't complete lockdown! I've never resented being sent away for a moment, in fact as an only child, living with other children suited me well. I can see it wouldn't be for everyone though as we're all different.

Icanhandthemback I can assure you that I have met many damaged people. Some might have been less damaged if they had been given a supportive, all round education. There are a number of State run boarding schools which exist and are thought to be very satisfactory. It’s not always the case that a chaotic home life equips children for adulthood.

As is mine Callistemon.

Sadly there are plenty of parents who appear to have a distorted view of parenting who didn't go to boarding school.

icanhandthemback

But they can do that at home, Casdon. Schools run sporting events and there are clubs for such things. It's a lot cheaper than paying Boarding Fees and they grow up with their family as they are transitioning from child to adult even at that age. Boarding School gives a totally unrealistic role model on how to parent teenager which is such an important thing to know once they are parents.

Yes of course, the point I’m making though is that it’s not necessarily as disadvantageous to the young person to go away to school as has been implied. I don’t agree that it necessarily distorts their view of parenting either, as by 13 they have experienced most of their childhood, and boarding schools have very generous holidays, so they are only actually away from home for less than eight months a year - excluding weekends, if they are weekly boarders.

icanhandthemback

I am only commenting ronib because it is one of the downsides to boarding which is noted in research about Boarding School Syndrome. I have met so many damaged people from Boarding School that I am amazed they are still acceptable.

My DH is perfectly acceptable, thank you!!

Casdon

Boarding at 13-18 is not the same as sending your young child away to school, because teenagers are much less likely to feel abandoned than younger children, and to relish the experience. By that age they are already pulling away from family and want to spend time with friends and do activities with them. My husband was a boarder, he was very sporty, and he loved it. It depends on the child, but for many it is a positive experience.

One of DD's friends chose to board at 13 because he felt he was missing out on a lot of after school activities.
Unless a parent can pick them up later after school, then they have to catch the bus. Pupils attend from quite a large area and some live a distance away.

(I know that wouldn't happen to George, of course)