If you dc is at a private school, do you genuinely think…

Yes. I honestly do not send them for results in any way other than the fact they are happy.

I never ever thought I would go private but my child was bullied so badly I was so scared for her in every way.
The local school were appalling in managing the situation and we ended up at private school as a very desperate measure.

My daughter now says daily in a surprised voice ‘I’m happy’. Very worth it for us.

My DD7 is a private school. She is generally very anxious and struggles academically. I think she would be much more stressed in the state sector with the large classes and distractions. She is currently in a class of 15 but in groups of 10 for phonics and maths.

Happiness is multi faceted surely. Maybe children at private schools are happier because they are not living in poverty.

I have been to, and taught in both state and private schools. And have children in state education. Not all children in any one of those places are happy, not all are sad. Different places suit different children and only knowledge of your child and any given institution should influence your decision.

Are you asking whether money can buy happiness?

No. My children are at private school. They are happy. The two things are completely unrelated. They could be miserable in a different private school, happy in a state school. This is a ridiculous question.

I was talking more with regards to attention from teachers and personalised learning - smaller classes mean that teaching can be easily individualised for specific children, nobody falls behind unnoticed and pastoral care issues are picked up on and dealt with faster.

DD’s year group had 2 classes of 14 - 7 girls, 7 boys in each. We found it to be perfect. Not too big yet not too small and isolating.

Yes, definitely. She is at a small nurturing prep. She loves school and misses it during the holidays. I think it's the extra attention from small class sizes, excellent behaviour, opportunity for trips and fun learning activities, and the extracurriculars that make a difference.

DT’s were at private from 4-18. Not our original plan but English is their third language and we wanted them in an international school where they could continue with their two primary languages

Yes, I do.

Smaller, quieter classes, lots of extra curriculars and music (over 20 different ensembles for voice and instrument), huge choice of subjects and languages, lots of space for a slightly more quirky teen to flourish alongside a queen bee. More chilled teachers who actually have the time and space to breathe.

My SEN DC has just started at pre-prep and seems very happy and I have better communication with teachers, so safe to say I want him to stay on there rather than state. This is after DC being at a different setting and him reacting very differently now for the better so I can only go off that.

It's not necessarily about small class sizes etc - in fact that can be a problem if your pool of potential friends is too small. It's about your peers - are they nice? Are they kind? My child is at state - great bunch of supportive kind friends. My niece is at private - toxic gang of queen bees with very few other girls to make friends with.

Yes definitely. We moved two from state to private (for their all round happiness rather than academics etc). They are both changed children in all aspects. The staff have the time and resources to really know them and their needs. I think it does depend on the school though. We picked schools that had nurturing holistic approaches. Others might have better facilities/results etc. We started our youngest in private from reception (given our experience with her older siblings) and she has absolutely loved school from day 1. Its really financially painful so you have to weigh up your circumstances, but 100% worth it for us.

Yes, she’s quite quirky and young for her age, her prep school is very supportive and accepting of each individual child. She loves school ❤️

I taught a boy who came to a state secondary after a private prep school. He was miserable. Hated the large classes, hated the kids who just didn't want to learn and disrupted lessons, he got picked on because he had hobbies.

He finished Y11 with good GCSEs but never really fitted in.

His mum worked at the prep school so they got a huge discount but it was only upto Y8.

For mine yes I would say he's happier in private school. He's sensitive, kind and calm and our state secondary school would have broken him. That being said it depends on your child. My friend's DS big for his age, plays football and is very confident. He's happy in state secondary and would probably not be as happy in my DS's private school.

Absolutely no doubt or there is no way I would be paying for it

DD went to a private prep school, and yes, I do think that she was happier because of it. She was an incredibly shy child so small class sizes, a tight knit community and plenty of one to one attention from teachers was very beneficial. She absolutely thrived there and really came out of her shell.

She had extra curricular opportunities that she definitely wouldn’t have had in the state sector along with the most amazing school grounds - acres of fields + forest to run, explore, play and just be free in each day. It was idyllic and we still look back on those days with very fond memories.

I've no comparison, he's been there since nursery. But he's happy, well rounded, and LOVES school.