State school success stories to inspire academically average DS and his friends

Why would people pay thousands and thousands of pounds for the same outcome they could have got for free?

Violinboymum

You don't think there's a general perception that people who go to private schools will be more successful than those who don't? You can certainly argue about whether it's correct or not but I don't think anyone would say it doesn't exist.

You are not doing very well with your original list op - Jude Law left his comprehensive school at age 14 because he was bullied - he joined Alleyn's, a co-ed independent school in Dulwich, before dropping out of A levels to join the cast of a tv soap.

Sorry, didn't mean to include previous reply with that - not sure how that happened.

My Welsh colleague looking over my shoulder says Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal College of GPs, went to Penyrheol Comprehensive School.

Also Jude Kelly, theatre director who is currently director of the Southbank Centre, went to Quarry Bank Comprehensive, Liverpool.

Five - time Olympian and 2014 European ten thousand metre champion Jo Pavey. Went to the Kings School, Ottery St Mary. Comprehensive School not Grammar.

Stella McCartney is not a good example. She is well known for being a little pissed off that her dad sent her to an ordinary comprehensive school - certainly I've read many interviews she's given to that effect. She did have a fashion/couture internship with Christian Lacroix in Paris at age 15/16 - regular work experience from a comprehensive school.

My Welsh colleague looking over my shoulder says Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal College of GPs, went to Penyrheol Comprehensive School.

I went to a top private school and have done really well in my career but I am in the minority from my year.

So I've sent my DC state as I don't think it's worth the money. I am lucky as we have excellent state schools locally - I would go private if we didn't.

I see why social climbers might want to do it regardless, though.

I never seen any mention of “private school success”. Usually success is attributed to the wealth/connections of the family rather than the school. My DS attends a private school but because we do t have any serious connections/very rich it won’t make any difference to his future.

@Mominatrix

Of course Stella McCartney had a huge leg-up - no-one would deny that. But I bet if she's been to a top girls public school people would have assumed that that had something to do with her success as well as her name. And her husband when explaining why their kids were going private gave it the old "oh, we feel bad about it but the state schools round here aren't good enough". Like, they live in Notting Hill, they can afford to move wherever they like and they can't find a primary that's good enough?? The reason they haven't gone state is because they've fallen for the line that private "must" be better.

Many of the "famous names" that we associate with private schools actually went to top public schools, the ones we tend to have heard of. I doubt that the sort of "normal indie" like the one at the bottom of my road gives its pupils the same sort of advantages as Eton or Harrow. But that doesn't stop it benefiting from the general idea that "private schools" must be better. Yet with state schools we always have this "oh, well it's not a normal comp is it" or "oh, well, look at who Daddy was."

When any mention of Eddie Raymond as a "private school success" is accompanied with "Well, that's hardly a bog-standard private school is it" then I'll stop banging on about this.

What subjects or fields is your son interested in so people could give more relevant examples? Lots of succesful people attended comprehensives even in professions where private school and grammar school students are very over-represented, such as High Court judges, newspaper editors or CEOs...

Famous but not actors:
Sadiq Kahn (Ernest Bevin College)
Sir Jonny Ive (Ipod, iphone designer)
Piers Linney, Theo Paphitis (Businessmen and Dragons Den judges)

www.speakers4schools.org/ organise free talks in state schools by successful (including some famous) people from different fields, may of whom attended state schools themselves - it might be worth suggesting to the school. www.inspiringthefuture.org/ is another similar organisation.

Surely loads of people are very successful but wouldn't be known of as celebrities. My daughter, for example, has proceeded down a very academic pathway (finishing Phd currently at a very prestigious uni) )after attending a pretty dodgy inner city community college. This sort of tale should serve to show that hard work and not falling in with the wrong crowd can really pay off.

Milliband also had a daddy who pulled a few strings to get him into Oxbridge and politics on the back of very average A levels.

Ed Miliband got 2 As and 2 Bs, although he's old enough to have sat the entrance exam (which if you passed you then got a 2 Es offer) so his results were probably irrelevant anyway. Ralph Miliband was not an Oxbridge academic and I can't find any references to him "pulling strings" for either son.

I think you're confusing him with Toby Young here, whose father notoriously pulled strings for him to get into Oxford.

Guy Martin.

He's not a celeb, but my DH went to an ordinary state school, went to a university that is ranked 8th in the world and 1st in the world for innovation. He now designs F1 cars for a living

Pete Waterman. Might not like his music but he's done alright. I'm going to keep naming them 😂😂

Surely most famous people went to state schools because most people go to state schools. Also, not all successful people are famous.

I'm not convinced that it's sensible to focus on celebrities to be honest. Would be far better if the school had an outreach to ex alumni that are successful in their chosen careers - whether that's business, the arts, whatever. Success rather than fame or celebrity is surely more important?

Not sure Oratory and John Fisher were exactly regular comps when those people attended...

Happy to stand corrected

Jodie Whitaker seems to have done alright for herself. Quite enjoying thinking about successful 'poor' comp kids while in car driving back from seeing DD.

Jakes Caan (another Dragon) also a comp kid. Peter Jones is fab and does so much for state schools in the area

HPFA, it’s hardly a secret that despite only 7% attending private schools in UK most doctors come from private schools? It’s not just the school but also background that can help a child advance in life. Miliband comes from a very affluent background, he is a politician with agenda. What do you want him to say? He only says what you want to hear.

@HPFA, If you look at what made Stella successful, she had a huge leg up from being the daughter of Sir Paul. How many "normal" graduates of Central St Martin have Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell modelling at their show? She thought that was normal because they were her mates! Not even Alexander McQueen had that. Also, if she really thought that the comp made her who she was, why are all her children at private school, including some of the most selective private schools/public schools.

Oh and Jonny Ive. Not heard of him ? He's the man who designed all things apple. Essex boy.