To think State education is really poor?

Probably as they didn't pass the exam to stay or move to a selective secondary. I was In private prep school and we all had to do 11plus. Any that failed were not allowed to move to the secondary part of the school. Money doesn't buy intelligence

It’ll be great. We use state and we’re very happy with it.

I'm really glad I've spent my Sunday planning lessons for the week to give the kids in my class the best they can to be told the education isnt good. We are a lowly state primary school but have a lovely meeting with the house of Lords online this week, will be delving into Pompeii, develop our science skills both in class and during breaks with extra activities while children play in our forest school area and that's just Monday.

Agree. Although i will be voting Labour this time around.
I know teachers who under labour said the class sizes went down, anything the school needed they got and standards improved..
Tories on the other hand cut all services the poorer and working classes use because the toff walkers they all are don't need to rely on them

State schools do not have space and time to prioritise play - it would not cost more! And would be a massive improvement to child MH.

Get rid of sats and let kids do a lot more play/ physical activity.

My dc are in private and it’s great. However, be very cautious of the private school telling you how ‘behind’ your child is - they are selling you a product! They are hardly likely to say that your child seems to be doing well in their current school. Never forget that private school is a business and they exist to make money.

It is poor in some places, better in others. You are buying privilege, what's your point?

There are lots of private schools which aren’t charities. The ones I know of are still excellent schools.

Some are businesses - with profits going to shareholders - and some aren’t, being non profit making and all proceeds go back into the school. And education is generally agreed to be a charitable purpose.

I wonder how good private schools would be if they were treated as businesses, which they are, and taxed accordingly, instead of being able to claim charitable status.

State is underfunded. It's awful.

Yes. That's why the curriculum thats covers what could be done in two hours per day should do that, and give the children downtime to do free learning/ reading/ music/ art etc for the rest of the day. Instead you have primary schools who have children there for 30 hours per week telling parents that exhausted kids should do more writing, maths and other ramdom stuff on top of that as homework. Why are they not doing that in the already excessive 30 hours+ each week at school? Then the kids' free time can be to rest, do music, art, clubs, sports, socialising, read, relax. What is covered per day in Primary in terms of learning is probably a hour of actual learning. In secondary maybe 2-2.5 hours per day. Wasting away their childhoods and having the love of learning and creativity crushed out of them for nothing.

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Thank you so much! And good luck to your DD too.

Hope she has a wonderful time and takes full advantage of all those opportunities!

Thank you for that. Most of our schools in my city are academies so they don't have to follow the national curriculum either. My DD is only just starting secondary so I'm not sure of all the lessons yet but it specialises in Science and Art so they get a lot of those subjects and can choose them at GCSE.

They do a modern foreign language plus Latin and then can add a second MFL in Y8.
Music is once a week plus an instrument lesson (if they wish and you pay extra). Choirs and bands/orchestras as clubs.
Drama once a week but again drama/musical theatre etc as clubs.

Currently for P.E they do Dance, Gymnastics and Netball (3 sessions a week) lots of sport/dance clubs.

And all taught by specialist teachers.

I do like the focus at your school on drama and music etc. DD loves art so would love more than once a week of that but she does get to do textiles to which she can be creative in. What hours are they at school for? One of the reasons I chose DD's school was because it has an hour lunchtime when most of the Comps are only half an hour. I wanted time for her to eat as well as taking part in a club to give her enrichment.

Where I live in England we have.a Grammar school system and then also Faith schools. This leads to very poor Comprehensives. And we have an illusion of choice. They tell us to make 5 choices, but what is the point when you know all the schools are oversubscribed so your DC will only get a place in their catchment comp unless they get into a grammar or faith school.

This, they’re trying to sell you a service.

Thank you for that sounds great!

My DD has only just started secondary (actually hasn't started as I got her into her school through appeal which has only just happened!) so I can't comment on that yet. But it specialises in Science and Art. My DD is very creative so is looking forward to all those types of subjects that she will do there Art, Photography, Dance, Textiles etc.

@TooOldForThisNonsense

That's a very big question /subject.
In my experience children wouldn't get as for many people many reasons and surprisingly intellect is not a main factor...

The playing field isn't level because we have many issues in the system.
Mainly around sen and undiagnosed issues and teachers who are not taught anything about sen.

TBF I wouldn't and couldn't choose home education now. The thought of being with DC 24/7 and never being able to work, go to the hairdresser, visit the GP etc is not something I would want to do.

It is all academic now as DD graduated last year, but I just don't have the skills or deep enough pockets to pay for tutors.

The prep kids having access to significantly more sport/PE means there wasn't an overweight one among them.

Funnily enough, we were all skinny in the 70s - most of us had to walk or cycle to school and we didn’t constantly snack and eat UPF crap. No need for lots of cross country runs and lacrosse (although both were available at my very much not leafy comp for kids that were that way inclined).

The increasing levels of poverty in the UK (despite all the various promises of “levelling up” over the years) has resulted in a generation or two being fed on cheap, non nutritious factory food, with all the accompanying health issues.

but I would have absolutely hated having to do PE everyday. Especially in the rain!

So would DD. I don't think you can argue that private education does offer better extra curricular activities, especially at secondary age, however, DD went to an outstanding primary school that offered excellent extra curricular activities, especially in music where the school orchestra played at the Albert Hall, and recently the children sang on CIN on Friday, and a good secondary school. She did extremely well academically at secondary school and in higher education.

@Boswelian you don't say how old your child is or whether you are talking about primary or state education

Tbf I wouldn’t and couldn’t choose anything but home education now