Is this a typical primary school day / experience?

@ThinkingIsAllowedone advantage of private school is the longer day for working parents as you have highlighted. So parents at my school would book them in for a club and then have them transferred to after school club.
I work p/t & we still do activities after school eg additional music, cricket, brownies etc

As others have said it’s very location dependent & school dependent.

My dc are at a very good London state (consistently on the Times list & very high SAT scores.

Drop off from 8:30 with 2 teachers to greet
Class sizes closer to 30
1 Teacher/ 1 TA
Weekly Forest school but not all yr round
Books & computers
Sports 2/3 x a week
Clubs - big offer both free & paid running morning, lunch & after school
Wraparound care - 7:00 - 6:00
Lots of outdoor space
Termly trips & residentials from yr 4
Food - probably the weakest area

What the school scores highly on in Ofsted visits is the extracurricular offered & the fact they have lots of intervention for dc who struggle and extra classes to push the dc who are capable, the also keeps the SAT scores high.

Most of that (apart from class size) is available at the state primary I know.

Forest school once a week including campfire, singing, learning skills
Outdoor learning such as raft building
Reading with real books
Maths and phonics every day in groups of 15 (reception, year 1 and 2)
Stories read aloud every day
More than 3 trips a year
Special weeks each year, such as arts week, enterprise week or STEM week where specialists come in and everyone comes off normal timetables
Wrap around care
Lots of after school clubs such as football, yoga, maths, coding etc
Reception and year 1 have access to outdoor activities every day
Teachers and TAs on the gate every morning and afternoon including HT, DHT and SENCo

starts 8.20am, senior teacher always waiting by the gate to greet each child by name - teacher waiting by gate each morning, knows some names supports nervous dc

writing, maths, phonics etc in his class of 12 children that has 1 teacher and part time TAcalm class environment, no disruption - hard to say as not there but 30 dc

forest school once per week, including things like making a campfirelearns to read with actual paper books! No tablets. - wild garden and gardening but not campfire, real books not tablets

The teacher or TA reads with him most days - not sure but reading buddies with other dc

3x per week, including swimming, dance and PEclub until 4.30 every day, things like art or sportsafter school care til 5.35 if you want it - PE x 2 swimming much reduced only 1 year of it, after school but you pay, many clubs which you pay for

Colouring etca lot of contact with the teacher. If I ever have a question I can email her and she replies within a day, or can meet with her, or she will proactively email me to check something or make an observation (eg she wrote to suggest he might be ambidextrous)lots of outside space so the children help occasionally in the vegetable garden etcgood quality food, cooked on site3 school trips this year - contact good, food passable, multiple trips maybe more than three with parent volunteers

Ds went to a cathedral school as a choirister. Much above local state he came from.
Dd attends an international private school abroad. Way above her state primary in England.

Behavioir issues were at times quite serious at our childrens' state schools and teachers could do very little with a rising number of SEN children. The number of pupils were high compared to private.

You have to work out if it's worth the money for you or not.

Private can say no to SEN kids.

Probably depends on the state school. Most will have classes twice the size of that or more, 25-30 is the average ime. They do forest school for a few weeks a year at my DC’s school. Afterschool club every day till 5.30, think it’s £5 per child per day and breakfast club opens at 7.45 and is £3 per child. They do extracurricular clubs which change each half term and it’s only one day a week till 4.20, at the min it’s nerf gun club but it’s been art in the past and board games/chess, gardening as well before. You can speak to the teacher at pick up if you want, I never need to. No disruption in primary school, poor behaviour is swiftly dealt with. I’ve never heard of a UK school using screens to read, it’s always books. Generally 2-3 trips a year yes. The school has a concrete playground then huge field for sports.

It depends massively on your area and school.

At out child's private school, we were not greeted on the gate and apart from the small class sizes, 3 trips a year and extensive wrap around care, our school was nothing like yours. The outside space was dire.

They are now at state school

My son's class is 23 pupils and my daughters is 15.

2 senior teachers greet us at the gate

We have everything on your list except the 3 trips a year and a club every day (it's 3 days a week).

We're actually much happier with the state school.

Classroom disruption was worse at the private school due to the high level of ND and the school not wanting to tell parents the school wasn't suitable. At the state school we have a designated SEN unit, so less disruption in every day classrooms.

Primary school
Start 8.45
Class size bigger
Forest school, outdoor learning
PE and swimming weekly
Music lessons,
Senory room,
After school clubs, wrap around care.
School trips/residentials,
Daily reading,
Teachers respond same day.

Answers to each point

• starts 8.20am, senior teacher always waiting by the gate to greet each child by name, and expects to be greeted back by the child. - starts later, kids walk in but head is never around. No one officially greets the kids but a TA is usually near the gate

• writing, maths, phonics etc in his class of 12 children that has 1 teacher and part time TA - class of 31 with a TA

• calm class environment, no disruption - no, definitely not

• forest school once per week, including things like making a campfire - no nothing like that at all

• learns to read with actual paper books! No tablets. The teacher or TA reads with him most days - yes to books but only got listened to max once a week by a volunteer parent. My sons weren’t listened to though, it tended to just be for those who’se parents didn’t listen to them. . I know this because I went in one afternoon a fortnight to volunteer

• sports 3x per week, including swimming, dance and PE - no swimming, no dance, PE or sports once a week but I think for about one hour

• club until 4.30 every day, things like art or sports - there are some clubs, art but not sports. We had to pay they finished at 3:45 latest

• after school care til 5.35 if you want it. Colouring etc - no not available

• a lot of contact with the teacher. If I ever have a question I can email her and she replies within a day, or can meet with her, or she will proactively email me to check something or make an observation (eg she wrote to suggest he might be ambidextrous) - limited responce from teachers

• lots of outside space so the children help occasionally in the vegetable garden etc - no veg garden. There was a field but rarely used except for sports day. Generally play time is on the tarmac playground. No climbing frame but games painted on the ground

• good quality food, cooked on site - food brought in. We are vegetarian and it was terrible. More a case of just vegetables than actually vegetarian. We switched to packed lunches

• 3 school trips this year - one trip. Usually a local museum or the seaside if they could get enough parents to help

I’d say OP you are getting a good deal
but I would do I suppose. We started our kids in state and moved them to private
Obviously all schools can be quite different of course

Average pre prep fees are £10-£22000 now
Having done both we think it’s well worth it

State primary,
Class of 31
Senior management team member in the playground at morning drop off.
Forest school once a week on a rotating 1/2 termly basis.
School field, trim trails and MUGA
1 TA
After school club/breakfast club if required paid for by parents that use it.
School food cooked on site.
Some disruption in classes, class TA also working 1:1 with children due to budget constraints.
PE twice a week.

State has to include all children, yes behaviour is an issue around schools.
Public school can choose to include pupils (and parents). State can't. Biggest difference

We do clubs after school because I only work 33 hours per week, so I finish early a few days, and DH has a flexible enough job to leave at 4.30 one day a week. But even if I was full time we wouldn't be able to afford private - so it's a financial decision, do you drop the earnings and go to state school or keep earning more money and spend it on school fees.

The school absolutely has behaviour expectations but there are kids who simply can't manage that. Those kids are not in private schools, for a wide variety of reasons, state schools have to cope with a much more diverse intake of ability, parental influence etc.

This will depend on where you live in the country. My little one will be starting reception this year at the same school shes been at for nursery. We have been impressed with it.

She will be greeted at her classroom door. In nursery they have always called her by name from the start even though she only goes 2 days a week. If they have something to discuss it can either be a quick conversation at pickup, or through the app or email although I havent had to test how long a reply would take. 8.45 -9.00 start although from September 8.30 free breakfast club, and an earlier paid one if needed. They also have wraparound care until 6.

Forest school is once a fortnight, but they do learning outside the classroom too as well as pe/swimming lessons. Lots of outdoor space and gardening.

No tablets, priority on reading especially in the early years this is the only homework they have. Huge library for her to borrow books from, shes loved the ones shes borrowed from nursery.

Meals cooked on site daily, we get to view the menu but they get to chose what they eat. Shes enjoyed the variety in nursery and eaten food she wouldnt at home.

Trips im not sure how many but I know they have day trips in the younger years and work up to residential trips as they go up the school. They also have trips to the local church for events.

The only major difference seems to be class size. I went to a very small village school, and found it extremely hard when I went to secondary school as it was so much bigger. One school close to us hasnt got enough children per year to have their own class so years are grouped together which I see being a problem if you have such a difference in ability.

I think you will usually get more from a private School generally .You are paying for this kind of wide education.State less so .although some are very good

Our state school offers all of this but there are 30 kids in the class.

I can't comment on reception but have worked in year 1 and 2.
starts 8.20am, senior teacher always waiting by the gate to greet each child by name, and expects to be greeted back by the child
greeted on the gate by the head or deputy head. Class teacher at door to greet. When available class TA helping children with a settling activity
writing, maths, phonics etc in his class of 12 children that has 1 teacher and part time TA
30 children in a class. The day starts with English, then phonics which is grouped based on ability. Break. Then maths. They always try to have a TA in all year groups to support the morning. Phonics groups can be lead by a teacher or TA. In lower years TAs also take some groups for English and maths so there is a smaller group worker with an adult.
calm class environment, no disruption
depends on class and teacher
forest school once per week, including things like making a campfire
we don't have a forest school but other local state schools do. We try to do outdoor learning but this could be improved on
learns to read with actual paper books! No tablets. The teacher or TA reads with him most days
no tablets here either (can't afford that!). Paper books. Phonics is in a group. I try where I can to listen in to children.
sports 3x per week, including swimming, dance and PE
twice a week, once indoors once outdoors. More focused on movement and coordination in KS1
club until 4.30 every day, things like art or sports
after school care til 5.35 if you want it. Colouring etc paid for after school club for those who need childcare. Each term there is a club list, there is usually 2 activities for each year group to be able to choose from
a lot of contact with the teacher. If I ever have a question I can email her and she replies within a day, or can meet with her, or she will proactively email me to check something or make an observation (eg she wrote to suggest he might be ambidextrous)
equally responsive teachers
lots of outside space so the children help occasionally in the vegetable garden etc
large field and playground
good quality food, cooked on site
same
3 school trips this year same

My kids attend our village primary school. DD is in a Y3/4 mix of 16 children. They are greeted by the headteacher at the gates every morning, they have a huge field, outdoor swimming pool and forest school, a dance teacher comes in once a week. They get some laptops out once a week but everything is done with books and pen/paper. With it being such a small school the extra curriculars are limited, there's generally only one option a day but they have drama, gardening, football, netball etc. DS is at preschool and will be in a reception class of 12 children next year. It will be mixed in Y1/2 though so he'll be in a slightly bigger class. It's pretty rare to get all those things from a state school, but I'm really exceptionally happy with ours.

Our school:

• starts 8.40am head at gate
• writing, maths, phonics etc in his class of 30 children that has 1 teacher and part time TA
• Calmness depends on other children
• No forest school
• Mixture of online and books. Might read once a half term
• sports 2x per week, swimming 1 term only year 5
• clubs are oversubscribed
• after school care till 6.30pm £16.50
• Little contact with the teacher.
• No veg patch
• good quality food, cooked on site
• 1 school trip

'starts 8.20am, senior teacher always waiting by the gate to greet each child by name, and expects to be greeted back by the child'
Ours starts at 8.55, head greets each child the same as yours, and also says goodbye to them at the end of the day, knows every kid by name. There is a breakfast club but we've never used it

writing, maths, phonics etc in his class of 12 children that has 1 teacher and part time TA
There's about 25 in a class but that's mixed years, so a similar number per year, teacher, full time TA and often a second TA

calm class environment, no disruption
no idea, mines adhd so is the one not sitting down!

forest school once per week, including things like making a campfire
forest school is one year group per term, with the other year groups doing dance or swimming

learns to read with actual paper books! No tablets. The teacher or TA reads with him most days
they do have access tablets but have paper books and read to a teacher 2-3 times a week

sports 3x per week, including swimming, dance and PE
Daily exercise here, swimming/dance/forest school once a week, lots of general outdoor time

club until 4.30 every day, things like art or sports
paid club once a week, free club once a week both until 4.15

after school care til 5.35 if you want it. Colouring etc
no after school care other than the 2 clubs mentioned above, there are childminders/wrap around care in the village if needed

a lot of contact with the teacher. If I ever have a question I can email her and she replies within a day, or can meet with her, or she will proactively email me to check something or make an observation (eg she wrote to suggest he might be ambidextrous)
Ours will come talk to us at the end of the day, I can email any time if needed and have a meeting with a couple of days notice, kiddos teacher is going to stay after school to help me with some ND assessment forms soon

lots of outside space so the children help occasionally in the vegetable garden etc
good quality food, cooked on site
Decent food but is cooked off site due to tiny kitchen, we have chickens and I think there's a veg garden but I'm not 100% sure, lots of outdoor space, about as much as the indoor space! The kitchen is used for cookery lessons (I think that's one of the term rotations along with forest school/swim/dance)

3 school trips this year
We are up to 2 trips in 2026 so far for my kids year group with another 1 booked for next week. They do residential trips from year 4-6, and pantos every year

Sounds really nice. I was fortunate to apply to a state primary school out of catchment and they are quite similar but dialled down a bit, so smaller than average class size but 20 not 12, forest school, gardening and good PE yes as we have a great coach team who manages both, 2 - 3 trips a year, same afterschool club system with regular clubs til 4ish then a very good value childcare club available til 6 if needed, food not cooked on site but good lunch, fruit and milk provision, class pet and nice extras like hatching chicks, fayres and lots of events we are invited to. Love their primary school

Most of if yes apart from the very small class but just as all independent schools are different so are all state schools .
In my opinion what they will get from state school that they won't get from a private school is experience of mixing with a wider variety of children.

If you could get for free in state everything you get in private, private schools wouldnt exist

No you dont get 12 in a class in state. But i wouldnt actually want that, its not a lot of choice socially.

We have gone the other way. We done the first year at state school and moved to private for year one.

We only had 20 in the state class and 40 in the whole year.
Due to small classes they have now mixed year 1 and 2 together which we were not keen on.

The expected behavior has been higher at the private school then state. Our child was one of the good ones in state always getting awards and points. Private school was a different level of behaviour required and my daughter had to learn that quickly.

Not all parents at state school are interested in education and just see school as childcare. We had many children never do a full week as they stayed home to play video games. We haven't had that at private school.

Lot's of hands on learning in private school as smaller class size. Class of 12 will be 11 in year 2.

We wouldn't change school again unless we really couldn't afford it. It's been a wonderful year with lots of great children.

A friend said our daughter seemed less anxious since moving schools. She had some children with high needs in her state class with very loud, unpredictable actions so I can see why you would be a little on edge all the time.