AMA...I've taught in both state and private schools

[brightpre]

I've worked for 16 years in the profession in 3 state schools and 2 independent schools. State schools have been a small village school, a large city school and a school in a deprived area. Independent schools have been a small, lower budget independent school and a larger, competitive and more expensive independent school. Currently working in the latter.

Which one did you prefer working in?

What's been your favourite place to work out of all of those?

What are the main differences? Do you think they are enough for someone to make the sacrifices ?

what do you think of Super Heads like Omar Deria who have made a huge difference in deprived areas? https://www.communityschoolstrust.org/79/meet-the-team/member/19/omar-deria

Village school without a doubt. It was a longer day with more to do as less staff, but there was something wonderful about knowing the families and being a close knit team. I felt we had more freedom in our choices too as we had no executive heads overseeing budgets etc. We really did teach for the children!

Did the parents in private schools just crack on and obey school rules or did they kick up a fuss over uniform policy etc?

That’s really lovely to hear 😊

By this I guess I’m asking if you think the parents backed the school and expected their children to respect the schools rules and if so do you think it improved the atmosphere etc of the school?

My private school parents have been the most demanding, but I've always been aware they are paying. Most have been supportive and accepting though

What year do you teach?

Were the private school children being prepped for 11+ entry to academically competitive independent secondary schools? If yes, did this make them more stressed/anxious than pupils of the same age who were not looking to leave the state system?

Do you think some of that is timing related vs the actual school- ie things have changed in the state system so if you worked there now you might have less freedom of choice?

I teach primary. My favourite years are Year 1 and Year 2 but I've taught everything apart from Year 6!

Yes probably - my school was not an academy at the time. It was taken over when I left and it has now become part of a group with 3 small schools, all with 1 headteacher who bounces around each site

Also, one of the things that comes up a lot os SEN support and there not being enough in state schools. Given the increase in how many children need support, is mainstreaming realistic or should there be more special schools? For context, my Dc's prep school has a few children with ASD or ADHD and a lot of them have 1:1 TA's paid for by their parents, which is never going to be realistic given public education budgets. What do you think is the solution?

Hmm...the main differences would be that state schools are more diverse and have children from all sorts of backgrounds. Independent schools are business minded and attract children from affluent backgrounds. Parents expect more from teachers.

Teaching was no worse in either school...I have encountered wonderful colleagues and not so good ones in all the schools! Resources have also varied in each school - none have been better or worse for equipment, they have just been different.

The sacrifices of leaving state education would be that feeling of helping children in need. But I have still formed great relationships with my independent pupils and been proud of their achievements.

I think Super Heads who can make a difference to deprived areas are great. It takes very strong leadership to overcome those social barriers so hats off to him!

If a child needs 1-2-1 TA and the parents can afford either option, would you recommend private or state? Thanks!

Why did you leave the village school?

Did you find the behaviour of the children any different?

Where would you send your children?

In my experience private because they have smaller class sizes generally so would be in a quieter environment and resources are less stretched. My current independent school has a very good SEN department too which provides extra support and spaces for children to go when they need time alone or a less distracting place to learn.

I couldn't progress in my career there and I felt it was time to move on as I was young and wanted more experiences.

I've had all sorts of behaviour in every school, none were worse or better.

My private school children are definitely cheekier and seem more willing to challenge authority. It's hard to say if that's because they are in a private school as I haven't been in a state school for 6 years so maybe children are just like that now 😂

The children in the deprived school did have more behavioural challenges but some of them responded incredibly well to routine and expectations. Some of their home lives were hectic so it was comforting for them to have rules in school.

This is a hard one to answer.

There are more diagnoses nowadays and if parents can afford 1:1 TAs that is helpful, but as you said this is unrealistic for state schools.

Another problem is that 1:1 TAs can be hard to keep hold of. I've worked with people who have been hit, spat at and sworn at regularly. This is extreme but it does happen and eventually people get fed up, especially on a low wage.

Special schools have had their budgets cut too and I have encountered children who in previous years would not have been in mainstream settings. The truth is there is no space for them in SEN schools. In my area the special schools are in 3 categories - 3 is severe SEN with medical needs, 2 is moderate SEN with some personal/medical needs, and 1 is mild SEN with no or little medical and personal needs (mostly Aspergers, ADHD etc). Having spoken to a friend who works in a category 1 setting she can confirm they are getting children who should be in category 2 schools but there are no places for them. So it seems the whole system is squeezed and pushing children into places without adequate support.

For milder SEN, I do think that modern classroom timetables and curriculum pressures mean children aren't given enough time to decompress and relax, meaning their behaviour can spiral. Some children cope with this, others don't.

State or private for your children?

Hi, I have a very naïve question. Do you know if children with learning disabilities are excluded from the official exam results independent schools publish on their websites? Thank you.