To think private schools are more about parental ego than children’s education?

Not sure the networking thing is as relevant these day I only know about law firms they are painfully right on with recruitment no way would you get a training contract that way now.

I don't think OP knows much about the many hundreds of unknown but fantastic private schools. No point bragging, no-ones ever heard of them, but they do a good job, and the children are generally happy.

Do you mean "public" schools perhaps??

I don't think you really understand what an ego boost is.

Oh and we also have private healthcare and private security - who I trust to come before the police would ever make it if needed - funnily enough I don’t even consider those things to brag about either - just pay a shit load in tax and then pay again

Would you say that about private health care as well?🙈

As another poster said I think this is a classic case of projection - OP you would like to send your kids to private school so you could brag about it - says more about you than anything else.
private schools vary greatly - my daughters is an inner city private school extremely ethnically diverse (60-70% ish not white) and also economically diverse so that’s also bollocks

Wow, I really missed the boat with all the networking too : yes the parents i see once a term at concerts are nice but I’m sure they would be at the comp too, but 15 years in and I’ve yet to score a job for me or a cushy internship for dc. I’d better tell dh he messed up on the networking too as he went to (the same) private school and his mates are all teachers or similar : no one throwing multi million pound deals his way.

I go out of my way to not mention where dc go to school (dc2 helped someone with a bus timetable and directions the other weekend, was complimented and asked what school they went to - dc2 lied and named the local comp as too embarrassed to name a private school (because of people holding mad misconceptions like the op)).

if I really wanted an ego boost I’d spend the £60k post tax income that we spend on fees on clothes and jewellery and a fancy car lease. Much more straightforward!

I cried after my daughter’s first parents evening at her private school because I was so bloody relieved they could see the child that I see. On her previous state school she was completely lost in a class of 33 and because she is really well behaved she just got totally ignored. She is now thriving and achieving things I didn’t believe was possible and she is confident and so unbelievably comfortable in her own skin. As for the kids being ‘thick as mince’ the average a level grade is an A so I don’t think so - it is an academically selective school though.
I like I assume most parents just does the best they can for their children - bragging rights just wouldn’t even occur to me - so strange

I’m clearly doing something seriously wrong with my children at their school then. I surely can’t be the only one who barely knows a single other parents?. I mean, I’ve had nice chats on the side of the playing friends and made small talk at the odd concert but I can barely name anyone! Everyone seems to just be working professionals, much the same as at my local comp. We don’t socialise - who has time when they work full time? I barely see my close friends as it is.

The network they built through her being at the school and moving in the 'right' circles.

Meh - crap thread

But if it is a family friend- what has that got to do with the school?

Well we fucked that bit up then

But why are you 'questioning the motivation'? Why does it bother you what other parents do?

I don't understand responses like this as you could say the above to virtually every thread on here! I mean why does it bother you that the OP is questioning?

Yes my partner's sister went to quite a well known one, she got average exam results, for her parents it was all about social climbing. And it worked because she now has a great job, despite her lack of qualifications, through a family friend

Envy.

But why are you 'questioning the motivation'? Why does it bother you what other parents do?

I’ve heard this- can someone tell me how to do this? I can count the amount of times I have met other parents at my children’s secondary school on one hand and I have no idea what they do. Where does this networking happen? I’m at work all day- Is there a secret networking society I have been excluded from? Secret handshakes?

as for children networking. I went private. I am in contract closely with 4 people from school. 2 teachers, one in mid level marketing, and one accountant. I’m hoping one day this will lead me to riches…

Networking & making contacts (for children and parents) seems to be a large part of the appeal

LIVE LAUGH LOVE, surely

I imagine I would have got a bigger ego boost from driving either of the Porsches I could have bought instead of sending my DD to a State Secondary so bad teachers who work there advised me against it.

i believe it's for a more enjoyable school experience. after all education is life long.

a gentle atmosphere is much better for long term mental health than the strange super strict approach that appears very popular these days.

Maybe, maybe not. What do you get from a holiday in St Lucia vs Benidorm when you just end up home anyway?

Couldn't you argue though that more or less all spending in some way is about egos? Like why don't you buy only the cheapest brand from the cheapest supermarket of everything?? Why go on holiday? Why own a car? Surely all children can share bedrooms so no-one really needs more than a parents' room and maybe one room per 3 kids? Is everyone with a bigger house than that showing their ego? Some people argue they send their child to private school because SEN isn't properly met in mainstream, but I'm sure there are other kids' who have worse needs, less easily met in mainstream, who simply can't go to private school because their parents can't afford it. There probably is some truth in your statement in some cases, but unless we become a totalitarian state where every job and benefit claimant gets the same set pay, or something, it's pretty much everyone may show off by doing something someone else can't!

LOVE in large letters in the living room.