Drugs and ‘party scene’ in indy schools

Our daughter’s school had no issues with drugs at all

That's almost certainly not true. Far more likely It has not problem that's publicly talked about.

Our daughter’s school had no issues with drugs at all, in fact the only people in her wider circle who were known to circulate on that scene, were from two well known grammar schools in the area, and the large local upper. which has a lot more problems besides! One girl joined the school from grammar in year 9, as her parents had hoped to put her back on the straight & narrow, but she was asked to leave very quickly, having boasted about her coke use the night before...

Ds is at an all boys state grammar. There is a real drug issue there. Far worse than the secondary modern his brother attended. Thirteen pupils were permanently excluded in a fortnight last year for having or using drugs on school property. Ds says that some year 11's still go off into the woods at lunch to smoke weed. There is a termly newsletter and every time it's published the head tells parents 'we do not have a drugs problem at this school'.

Senior school is a long journey, adolescence is a strange machine and what goes in is not necessarily what comes out. Drugs are not the only distraction teenagers face, there's computer games, sports, drama, sex, music and just social media on it's own takes up huge chunks of a teenagers time.

If school fees are going to be a big sacrifice and you have high expectations of your DS that will put a lot of pressure on him. It may be kindest to keep him in the state system. Why not post a thread about your local state schools and try and find the best option for him?

This is a problem at ALL schools.

Most private schools realise that a reputation for drugs will damage their brand and have drug testing plus a zero tolerance policy.