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Original poster

Have you taught at a private school?

36 replies

WiseLemonFox · 16/09/2024 13:56

I’m deciding whether to send my child private at yr 7 but I’ve heard from two ex private school teachers that the local schools aren’t worth it. They said the teaching standards aren’t any better and they only get better results because they’re selective in their intake and lots of parents provide tutors. This is in Greater London. Is this true? I don’t want to pay £25k a year for hot air!!!

OP posts:
arethereanyleftatall · 16/09/2024 14:19

Yup. And I wouldn't send my kids there even if it was free. Suffice it to say -the 'show' we put on for parents about what the school was like bore little reflection on the reality. I'm a swimming teacher - and 70% of the teachers I worked with wouldn't even be allowed to teach swimming in state because a) they had no qualifications and b) knew absolutely nothing about swimming. And no, they weren't there on the open day.

Stirmish · 16/09/2024 14:11

@Boohoo76

I do know people who send their DC to the private schools they work at but they're not my friends

Stirmish · 16/09/2024 14:09

The girls can be a bitchy bunch and being so small they're stuck with each other and unable to make better friends because the classes are smaller

The girls in my form group were constantly falling out with each other

At the more expensive schools there's worse bullying and lots of drugs

At the selective schools they are pushed hard and then thrown out if not good enough to do their A levels so then have to go to the local state 6th Forms which some find really hard to adapt to and act very rude and entitled thinking they're better than everyone else

theeyeofdoe · 16/09/2024 14:08

O the whole state schools in London are much better than elsewhere. I would put her in the local school and see how she goes.

Flashcardsagain · 16/09/2024 14:06

In my local area there are 4 private schools. One is worth it because your child may network with people who could eventually do them favors if they want to enter a profession but charges double the others.

We know teachers in one of the others who don't send their DC to the school they teach in despite getting a good discount because they feel the classes are largely international students who tend to stay together in groups and speak their own language or SEN studeints who require a lot of teacher time.

Boohoo76 · 16/09/2024 14:06

Stirmish · 16/09/2024 13:59

I have and friends still do teach at various private school

None of us chose to send our DC to the private schools we work at

The one I worked at was non selective so mainly full of SEN, DC who had been bullied elsewhere and DC who were the bullies elsewhere

Whereas my DC attends a private school where lots of the teachers send their kids there.

Stirmish · 16/09/2024 14:04

The classes are easy to teach because they're well behaved

They have an hour of Prep after school everyday to complete set homework

I don't think your average local independent school is worth it unless the local state schools are absolutely dire

MerryMarys · 16/09/2024 14:02

Why don't you do your own research and visit the schools?

MerryMarys · 16/09/2024 14:01

Surely it depends on the individual school?!

There are great and less good schools, regardless of whether they're state or private Hmm

Stirmish · 16/09/2024 13:59

I have and friends still do teach at various private school

None of us chose to send our DC to the private schools we work at

The one I worked at was non selective so mainly full of SEN, DC who had been bullied elsewhere and DC who were the bullies elsewhere

pinkfleece · 16/09/2024 13:57

There are private schools and private schools - unless you can give the name of the school, it's very hard to say.