Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

How is it some state schools can offer so much more than others?

57 replies

Ffffffftttttttt · 19/04/2016 14:35

Was just reading a thread where posters were comparing facilities at Westminster (private selective) with Tiffin (state selective) and some saying why pay. Made me go on Tiffin website to look at what they offer. I know it is a grammar and I live in an all comp borough but was shocked at the gulf in what is on offer. The drama and music on offer is incomparable, with proper productions and facilities at Tiffin, crumbling facilities and hardly anything beyond the basic curriculum at my local comp. And yet the comp by nature of its non selective intake will be receiving a high pupil premium. So presume comp income higher, or perhaps there are differences between what monies local authorities put into schools?

So where are schools like Tiffin getting their money from? Or are some schools just utilising it better than others? Please explain to me as I'm baffled.

OP posts:
notagiraffe · 19/04/2016 14:52

I heard this from a couple of parents who had DSs at the school.

Original poster
Ffffffftttttttt · 19/04/2016 14:48

Wow, that's incredible. I had no idea parents were approached to part fund to that extent.

OP posts:
notagiraffe · 19/04/2016 14:48

It's also why some leafy comps have better facilities. Our state primary was in an affluent area and the PTA raised about £30-50k every year really easily which got spent on instruments and sports and playground equipment.

Original poster
Ffffffftttttttt · 19/04/2016 14:46

Ah, that's interesting, I didn't think about alumni.

OP posts:
notagiraffe · 19/04/2016 14:46

Don't know if they still do, but they used to 'fund raise' about £500-1k per year from each parent for each pupil and it was very much expected that parents would cough up. Most parents are able and willing to as they see Tiffin saving them £15k or more in private school fees per year. That's £500k per year extra income at least that most comps won't have.

TheRollingCrone · 19/04/2016 14:43

Some grammar schools are attached to a foundation ( like the King Edwards in Birmingham) and are really wealthy. I,m not sure how or if it funds the state schools though.
I do know a lot of wealthy people send their kids to Birmingham grammars and are very active and generous fundraisers.
I suppose they might have generous alumni?

redskytonight · 19/04/2016 14:43

They will do fund raising from alumni.
School PTA (or similar) will also raise money from parents of current pupils (maybe even as blatantly as asking for regular donations).
A school like Tiffin is likely to have wealthier alumni/pupil parents than Joe Bloggs comp.

I would imagine a lot of pupil premium money gets spent on extra staff / support for their pupils rather than facilities.