Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

onewestguncopse wrote:Not sure about that. I think so, but do not know so. Based on this year's figures the competative entry remained over subscribed by about 4 to 1. The entrance papers (that my son took this year) are very similar to 11+ papers you can get on the internet or in WHSmiths. Tough but manageable if your son is bright (SAT predictions of 4A and above).

but I remember your son being really small! I feel old now :/

ailurophile wrote:

He really needs to get away from our area or else he will be going to the "sports academy" local comp

I've never really understood this business of state schools having 'specialisms'. Perhaps this might work in a big city where parents can choose between a number of available options (although evidence would suggest that genuine choice is often illusory).
!

Precisely - where we live there are 3 comprehensive secondary schools and a selective state boys school. we fall in the catchment for 1 plus the selective and in a secondary catchment for another. we are catchment for the sports school, secondary catchment for an Ok school but entry depends on number of primary catchment pupils choosing it and the selective school is so oversubscribed it makes CH competitive entry look like good odds (it runs at 10:1) especially as it is getting extra applications due to the recession.

So our choice is basically put him in for entrance exams for selective school if he fails hope enough people don't want the ok school and if not put up with the "sport specialist" dump. Even if I were not an old blue i would be looking for CH i just probably wouldn't know it existed

Wurzel wrote

Precisely - where we live there are 3 comprehensive secondary schools and a selective state boys school. we fall in the catchment for 1 plus the selective and in a secondary catchment for another.

At least you have a chance of getting your son into a decent selective state school. Our local options were limited to two, a 'satisfactory' single sex comp (which was actually in special measures at the time DS was looking), or an 'outstanding' and oversubscribed Voluntary Aided faith school which effectively selects better-supported pupils by requiring parents to attend Church for two years before applying. As we happen not to be church goers, our 'choice' was between hypocrisy or mediocrity!

We will always be grateful to CH for offering our sons a co-educational, academically challenging environment which was simply not available to us otherwise. Best of luck Wurzel, I hope things turn out well for your son and that he'll be offered the opportunities he deserves!

Re Weddngs in Chapel ------

I thought that was a privilege for all Old Blues (Or nowadays Current OBs ???).
Our Parish, in Dorset has, in addition to the large, modern Church of ST Nicholas, a delightful, small Norman Church, St Hubert's.
This is a wonderful setting for a Wedding, but I note, from the Rector's Sunday reading of Baans, that Weddings are by reason of "Residence" or "Baptism" of one or both, of the participants. ----- this seems to be a good filter, -- could it apply to the Chapel ?

An (American) Pastor, at a previous Church I attended, remarked "This is the first time I have married two people in Skirts !"


One was in full Highland Dress !!!


(Said Pastor has now returned to Texas --- un-mourned !!!)

but I note, from the Rector's Sunday reading of Baans...

I take it that this must have been a rural parish? Or, perhaps, the Rector was Rev Lamb??

Foureyes wrote:

but I note, from the Rector's Sunday reading of Baans...

I take it that this must have been a rural parish? Or, perhaps, the Rector was Rev Lamb??

I'm told the vicar was a bit sheepish !

I wonder if this is why many years ago our vicar said in a sermon that he was called to be a shepherd, not a clerk, which led to me volunteering to take over the parish administration! I then attended someone else's ordination service, where they repeatedly referred to him being ordained to an office. No wonder some clergy are so mixed up! But what has all this to do with the stated topic of Day Pupils?!

Fjgrogan wrote:I wonder if this is why many years ago our vicar said in a sermon that he was called to be a shepherd, not a clerk, which led to me volunteering to take over the parish administration! I then attended someone else's ordination service, where they repeatedly referred to him being ordained to an office. No wonder some clergy are so mixed up! But what has all this to do with the stated topic of Day Pupils?!

Not a lot !!

I think it all went "Off Topic" after the discussion about Chapel Weddings for Old Blues.

SHHH ! don't wake JR, the Moderator, from his post-prandial snooze !!

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:I think it all went "Off Topic" after the discussion about Chapel Weddings for Old Blues.

SHHH ! don't wake JR, the Moderator, from his post-prandial snooze !!

WATCH OUT, FOLKS !

I've just got back from a nice break in Peacehaven/Brighton/Newhaven.

(I think I need this weekend to recover !)

kerrensimmonds wrote:so you didn't see England v Algeria, then.....?????

I'm not talking about it !!