To think my child is likely to have more opportunities throughout life if I send them to probs to school?

It depends on the school and on the aptitude of your child. There are always going to be the really smart, driven kids who will rise to the top. But equally, there will be the middle who do well and are the average. A lot depends on where you go to university, how you get there is for another thread.

I worked at the London HQ of a large US company, 15 years ago you would see new hires from the second tier US/U.K. universities. Five years later, it was all US Ivies and Oxbridge.

In terms of opportunities, it probably opens more doors. But there’s a lot that private schools can’t teach and a lot depends on the parents, how much they value education, how much they push their kids, what they model at home etc… not sure it’s a simple as private schools are the solution.

I don’t think private school kids have a broader experience of life, quite the opposite. And it’s foolish to think that just because you get them into private school they get all the benefits that those from elite schools get. There’s a whole range of private education out there and you don’t get the same “leg up” work wise from a local private Christian school that you’d get going to Eaton.

There are advantages though if you’re focused on a good education leading to university and a professional job as the norms of the school and the other students and parents are going to align with yours. Private schools can also more easily avoid accepting kids who take up significant teacher time, so your own kid - if they don’t have behavioural/SEN issues - is more likely to get more attention even from the same average teacher:student ratios. But there are plenty of pretty poor private schools out there so you have to find one that’s good. There’s a lot of shoddy teaching and while schools can avoid difficult kids, some are desperate for students and will take kids they don’t have the resources to support well.

10 years ago I would have said if you are savvy and the state schools near you are good, you can probably serve your kids much better by investing school fees in extra curricula and a savings account. It can cost £250,000+ to put a kid through private school in London. That’s significant capital they could start their life with instead. But the way schools are going at the moment, I’m not sure about that. The lack of qualified subject matter teachers in secondary is a particular concern and the amount of unmet SEN needs in primary is really worrying.

You’re asking on Mumsnet about sending your child to private school?! You must be new here 😂. Hope you have a tin hat OP.

I'm not in the UK but the threads I read here about the state of the school system there and the shocking education my English relatives have recieved I would 100% send my kids private if I could afford it. They only get their school years once, as a parent it's your responsibility to make sure they are as fulfilling as they can be.

I would never employ a person purely because they went to a private school, more on whether they are capable of doing the job role.

This will go the way of all private school thread with nasty vitriol aimed at privately educated children being arrogant, small minded, snobs who "buy" better grades than they deserve. I work in the sector and my two attend due to the fact they were bullied and had unmet SEN needs in state. One will likely leave with few qualifications but that's not why I sent him there. I'm quite happy to admit I am glad he's not at school with the awful thugs who made his life a misery.

There's a huge variety of private and state schools and different ones will suit different types of kids. That's really about it. Good and bad on both sides.

I know plenty of people who've been to private school and come out with little/no qualifications and consequently ended up with not a great job. Private school doesn't guarantee 'great things'. But if you don't expect results and have the money to burn, see how your child gets on.

Yes, if you are looking to leverage your money to spin into a better chance at money and privilege, then a private school education is a good shout.

But given the recent Telegraph poll, which suggests that 71% of private schools are at risk of closure over the next five years should the intended Labour policy to scrap charitable status for vat purposes go ahead, then you should be careful where to lay your bet.

If your sole criterion is for your child to ‘do well’, knock yourself out. Of course, if your child is an academic underachiever for any reason, some private schools will not want to know.