Blood Sport. Hell yeah!
Oddly enough for once I actually agree with almost everything fliion said!!!
I have two children at one of the schools mentioned but one thing you need to be very wary of. All that glitters is not IB.
One of the reasons that many schools have gone that route here is that it is in vogue. It is however a rubbish qualification for anyone who has a UK professional degree in mind.
I.e if your plan is to be a barrister or a surgeon you would have to be exceptionally bright to secure a pace at Oxbridge or a Russell Group university. If you want to just get a place at a university and your not really fussed about the rat race that is Russell Group Uni places (or perhaps if your're not planning on working in UK for your first 3-5 postgrad years then it doesn't really matter.
The IB is very broad compared to A Levels and as such it is harder to acheive a grade that makes you instantly interview materiel on what are some of the most competitive courses in the world.
Look at it this way. Is the IB a better more rounded qualification? Without doubt yes. Will it prepare your offspring better for uni and then life? Errm again yes. Is it held in high regard internationationally and will it get you a place in a good European or Western University? Again all the above yes!
Now Eton, Harrow, Charterhouse, Shrewsbury, Rugby, Westminster, Winchester (i.e. The original Clarendon/UK public schools) i.e the best education money can buy. Do they do do IB errmm not a hope and wont for some time. Do thy achieve a disproportionate amount of Oxbridge and Russell Group uni places and moe CEOs of FTSE100 firms than any other institutions in UK. Well yes! So ask yourself why that is and then decided what you thnk best.
The choices made for a UK privately educated child aged 7 up basicaly determine what they will be doing when they are 40yrs old. Ignore the facts and hope they will be ok at your peril. It's rather like rugby. It isn't life or death it is far more important than that.
Last edited by Vortex Thing; 18th Oct 2014 at 03:57.