AIBU to question rising private school fees amid declining GCSE results

Actually longitudinal studies shows no significant differences between happiness and life satisfaction between private and state educated pupils once adjusted for socioeconomic status. I don’t doubt on an individual level some children are indeed happier but as a population there’s not much difference. Of course huge differences in academic achievement as you might expect.

A bit off topic sorry!

I used to work in an independent school. It wasnt a super academic high flying massively over subscribed one. But it was good enough. The VAT thing was a huge issue for most the sector and there was loads of research going on in the run uo to that.

Anyway, I attended quite a few marketing seminars for the sector from different organisations and it divided the market into different groups.

One of the big changes was families with tight finances who had several children would previously send thier strongest child to independent, and often kept other children state wheras now they put thier weakest child independent.

If anyone sent their kids to private thinking private = better grades, sure there would be a question mark.

But in my experience literally no one does. We all send our kids because sport / art / music / pastoral care.

If one were solely focussed on grades, the money would far better be spent on comprehensive + round the clock tutoring. Would be a miserable existence though

If I could send mine to private independent I would. I know she would achieve better but I just can’t afford it.

Parents don’t aways send kids to private schools for grades. You know that don’t you? It’s a much more enriching experience. They come out of it much happier and more confident. That probably helps them more in future life than being a few grades higher in a few subjects.

Lol. The gap is huge!
comprehensive to independent.
Many state are just not pushing for the top grades.
perhaps if the progress 8 determined that all kids getting over 110 should get 7-9 in most subjects.

Sadly my kid had over that but school are except perhaps the top 2 maths sets, not pushing towards 7-9 in any subject.

They think my kid (who got 120 on spag) is heading for only a 6 at gcse spanish. No thats poor teaching. They still have 2 years to gcse. I did spanish gcse in 1 year from no knowledge at all and got A*. So..
Clever students are completely able to get 6-9 grades.
Also several students had higher maths sats than dd (who struggled with accuracy at the time) and while at secondary they have dropped down.
Some bright students did get 7-9 but… either they were drs kids, tutored or just extremely bright.
Maybe a survey of the parents of state schools should be done after gcse to show how much extra parents are having to do.

Are they
buying the revision guides
online access to say maths/eng
tutoring
moved house
picked schools other than local
tutored child themself
did all the teaching the kid to read themself
sports clubs to get the pe gcse

as an aside - swimming lessons as they wouldnt have learnt with school

Completely meaningless data. Doesn't control for SEN, prior attainment, selection policy, disadvantage or any of the multiple other factors that influence results. Some private schools closing may also have had an impact.

If your child is at a private school or you are planning to send them to one then the only thing that matters is whether that school is right for them.

Most of the Selective Private Schools around us have had their ‘best GCSE results ever’ according to Instagram etc.