To think State education is really poor?

We chose to keep ours in the state system as we felt the local private school didn’t offer what we felt our particular child needed. I had a bit of a wobble around the top of primary school when friends kids at various private
primary schools did seem well ahead academically and being taught by specialist subject teachers. Now they are all into exam years the gap has narrowed dramatically and in fact ours and his state school peers have done at least as well as privately educated friends so far.

With hindsight I think mine would probably have enjoyed his upper primary years at a private school more (especially as sport really wasn’t a huge thing at his primary) but has totally flourished in a (good but very mixed catchmet) state high school

My 4 siblings and I, all brought up in poverty, obtained 5 degrees between us, 4 of us have had professional careers, all own our own houses, all have had children who also have degrees and professional careers, 3 of our children earn 6 figure incomes. None of us had private education. The ‘class’ one is born into does not need to determine the outcomes in one’s lives.

That’s like saying should one child not get to have horse riding lessons or tennis lessons or private tuition because they have more money?

I can't speak for @Youcannotbeseriousreally but in my DDs school, they extended the school day til 4.30pm a couple if times a week to fit in extra classes. On the other days they finished at 3.15pm.

My daughter did better at gcse at a state school than any of my friends' children at private school. So it depends on your priorities I guess.

And a more personal individual environment where the attitude is more client than otherwise @twistyizzy

Let’s judge private schools on a level playing field as the state sector who are dealing with all the additional social work and the behavioural responses of traumatised and poorly parented children.

I think they’d come up short quite frankly.

But let’s be honest, it’s not about the schooling or the resources. Ultimately they are elite enclaves for sharp elbowed parents who want to buy privilege for their children and a guarantee that their precious offspring never have to rub along with the chavs.

Your precious Blair ... the first thing he did was introduce university tuition fees. How short a memory you have.

And get rid of the assisted places scheme.

Your view on one state school Vs one private, doesn't give an overall balance. Of course there's more to offer at private schools, the extortionate fees make that to be expected. Most state schools are grossly underfunded, and rely on donations and fundraisers, a heavily involved pta, and well managed budgets to do well. Obviously not all are going to get it spot on, and many are struggling to keep their heads above water, but alot of schools try extremely hard to do whatever they can, and create as many gr at opportunities as possible. My children's primary school is brilliant, really can't fault how much effort they put in, and how much they organise. The PTA are very active, and do alot in the way of fundraising to be able to offer extra curricular activities and organise educational trips and events for the children. And above all, it's the community feeling that I don't think can be replicated in the same way in private settings. Our school is heavily linked with the local church, and the children get involved with lots of community projects and events through that connection. If I had the money, sure private school may have been a route we'd looked down, but it wasn't an option, and in a way, I'm slightly glad, as the state school (we were very lucky to get a place at) has excelled our expectations, and I love how much it's widened our involvement with our local community, and the children are both thriving there.

The problem is thar so many people assume parents send DC to private schools to get better outcomes ie GCSE grades when that's actually far from the truth for many. We send DD private for the broader curriculum and learning environment. She will get what she gets, we aren't expecting all grades 7-9 in return.

They’re not. Labour backtracked on that one.

That's not true at all.

Haha sport every day would be my dc worst nightmare. But there are some great private schools. They’re not without problems though. Parents who expect their dc to get straight 9s because that’s what they’re paying for and dc whose parents are very wealthy so they have no reason to actually work and mess around a lot. Drugs. These things happen at private schools.

My state educated kids are just thick as shit. They're not even at a grammar school.

They aren't losing charitable status though. Stamer has u-turned because when he actually did some research he realised that it would be too costly and complicated to do that.
Also some children will always have more opportunities if they are born to wealthy parents eg parents can afford to buy houses in catchment areas of good state schools, more access to extra curricular activities etc etc

There is quite a variety of state and private education around.

I'd say in the main state education is adequete to get you on to the next stage for most people.

If there wasn't a substantial difference, nobody would pay £15000 a year for the private school.

It’s not acceptable but will carry on as long as this lot stay in power !

I'm afraid that even a good state comp is unlikely to be able to compete with a really good private school, whoever is in charge of the country (unless it's a government that actually bans private schools). I've worked in (among others) a couple of genuinely outstanding state schools and a very good private day school. Absolutely no comparison.

I don't believe in private education. Simply one should one child have more opportunities over another because of money?! I'm pleased private schools are losing their charitable status

Anyone whining about state schools not being good enough, I'm assuming you didn't vote Tory? Cause if you did you'd be a massive hypocrite.

My friends dd in last cohort got 8 9s and 2 8s in her GCSEs and she went to the local state schools throughout so if the talent is there, the child will do well anywhere.

Private schools offer more in the way of extracurricular activities and tend to have better PE teachers but the academic teaching isn't always better, sometimes it's worse!

Well with poor comprehensive and the lack of grammars to plug the gap run old style ie with proper help for all children not what it's become today.... Yes it's harder isn't it for social mobility..
Grammar used to bridge that gap between private school and comps... And gave working class a chance to compete in that old boy system.

Imagine instead of trying to force all children into comps they had actually encouraged more types of specialist school?

Imagine where we would be now with children thriving in places suited to the rather than forced into these huge ugly 70s style blobs

I went to a private school and it’s true - they have more of everything so pupils get more access to those resources.

In my private school we had TWO paedophiles (no joke) - on average state schools have fewer (the joke)