I am a teacher, and I work at a state school that is 2 form entry, has a "Good" OFSTED rating, and our Early Years provision (where I work) is Outstanding. We are the ONLY Good school in the area (a very deprived area), and we got it mostly because of our provision for children with severe emotional or behavioural difficulties.
I had always planned to have my DS come to my school, of course the main reason is because it's practical and would be easy to have him come with me into school and just have a child-minder for after school hours, but also because the teachers there are on the whole very dedicated and we get good results overall. However, more recently I have noticed the increasing bad behaviour of some of the pupils further up the school, and how disruptive it is to the lives and education of the rest of the class. Teachers and/or TAs are often chasing students around the school, coaxing them back into classrooms and micromanaging such disruptive behaviour that I feel the education and enjoyment of the many are getting overlooked. This is happening daily, all the upper school teachers are so stressed and are spending all their energy on these "difficult" children. I don't want my son to have a half-hearted education because so much of the good work that teachers do is spent on the most challenging pupils.
I have worked out that what we are already paying monthly in day nursery fees is only £100 short of what it would cost to send him to an independent school not far from where I work. Small class sizes (they guarantee less than twenty, average of 12 in a class), great resources, but obviously we would be less well off which means no holidays 'til I get promoted (or my DH does), less trips out, etc.
WWYD? Has anyone made the switch from state to independent, or vice versa? What were your opinions on either?
Join the discussion on our Education forum.
Education
Terrible choice of state schools, considering private - WWYD?
phoenixrose314 · 29/06/2015 10:15
No possibility of moving, we've only just bought this house (which we love, it belonged to my husband's grandmother). The area where we are is quite nice, lots of green space, but half a mile from not so nice area.
I will only be paying for private school up until the age of eleven as we are in a grammar school area, he will be going to a really good grammar school that his older brother is currently attending (DH's son from previous marriage).
On the website of the independent school, the school seems to have smaller classes further up the school (Year 4 up), but the most recent classes are 15-18 children (Yr R-3). So maybe the school is gaining in popularity? Can only be a good thing?
I will definitely not be having any more children - DS is the baby doctors told me I would never have, and can't think of putting myself through multiple miscarriages and heartache all over again. So at least I'm aware that there will be no unexpected financial burdens in the near future! Also, DH's next pay raise will be going from apprentice to actual full pay status, so it's about an extra 8K at least... me not so much, but that's the price you pay for being a teacher! 
But still, think of the holidays... wistful thoughts
Maybe he won't, but there are good state schools in the area, it's primaries where there seem to be the most problems.
I hope he will, considering his brother and sister went to grammar schools, DH and I both did too - but equally if he doesn't it won't be the end of the world. Every child is different. Sort of getting off topic here too... 
Don’t want to miss threads like this?
Weekly
Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!
Log in to update your newsletter preferences.
You've subscribed!
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.