How can state school parents try & bridge the educational gap that's rapidly forming?

[Kenthighst]

Following on from the excellent thread regarding the shambles of state education. What can us parents do to bridge the gap? Our state school children are being failed & we are being kept in the dark.
What can be done outside school to bridge the gap that has formed between state & private?

Take a proper interest in their education. Ask them what they got in their spelling / vocab test at the end of the day. Make the children accountable to their parents as well as teachers. Expect a high standard. Be a tiger parent basically.

This is what A LOT of private school parents do. They expect their children to work hard, they check and they take a passionate interest in their child’s attainment and education.

It sounds like pressure and it is.

I agree apart from the pressure bit. We do all of what you say but never put pressure on, all kids are different and have different strengths and weaknesses. We have never expected a certain level of attainment, just that she tries her best. If her score is 10/20 and she's tried her best then that's as important as getting 19/20 in a test.

I agree apart from the pressure bit. We do all of what you say but never put pressure on, all kids are different and have different strengths and weaknesses. We have never expected a certain level of attainment, just that she tries her best. If her score is 10/20 and she's tried her best then that's as important as getting 19/20 in a test
Same here. I want DC to be well-rounded, lifelong learners who try their best, can take corrections, act on feedback and feel proud of their achievements.

That's going to set them up better for life in my opinion, and probably also improve their test scores long term, than me focusing on the details of the school day.

@Mistyhill

If you can get in early with the work hard praise from little then they shouldn't need pressure etc and tiger parents.

I always remember my dd and her best friend at primary.
Both were excelling at school, avid readers etc getting GD. My dd had zero pressure but her friends got lots.
Both did 11 plus, my dd had minimal input and passed her pal had 2 years of tutoring and hours of extra hw and passed for 2 years her Saturdays were wiped out by tutoring and hw.

Her parents would say she only passed due to their pressure and extra work etc.

I would say their dd was a motivated bright and child who didn't need all that extra pressure.

A lot of what's being suggested is just basic parenting to DH and I - nothing special or something only private school parents do.

My advice to OP - best state secondary you can - and save for tutors and study guides - to try and avoid being one to teach your child because they have no subject teacher in their exam years.

In primary class sizes makes a difference. We moved and went from an oversubscribed school always even in years supposed to capped at 30 having more - to one where our elder two hade much smaller classes.

Eldest went from 36 in Y6 to 25 mixed year where the 12 Y6 were often split out and they had a floating teacher for maths to support bottom and top abilities. It was less pronounced for youngest as numbers had risen and it was 29/30 most years and the floating maths teacher was gone by time she got to same age. They all got a lot more teacher focus in the smaller classes and it showed.

If you do notice any issues with basics - step in early with support despite what the school tells you. Most of the kids who caught up did so due to outside support of some form - even if they did get places in the limited support groups school ran. It's easier as they are less behind and they haven't got negative feelings to overcome.

It's correlation isn't it. Teachers are run ragged we all agree on that. But they are not going to let their kids fall through the cracks. They know much better than us how bad the state schools actually are but know their own kids deserve more. I've always said teachers kids have all the advantages.

Surely it also depends on what you understand to be the definition of a 'good' education. Bridging a gap in terms of attainment can be done by applying pressure so as to achieve high grades but is it worth it. My DS knew a girl in his year that achieved all 9s in 12 or even more GCSEs, this is a city Comprehensive so not a regular occurrence but it wasn't too much of a surprise as from a young age her Mum insisted she did Maths work every morning before school, I overheard the teacher at parents' evening explaining that she is a perfectionist and that was a concern so I don't think it always healthy l. I think at A level it is really important for your child to master their own self discipline and cultivate their interest in a subject. My DS is particularly interested in everything to do with Politics and Economics, he is passionate about these subjects and therefore listens, reads books that are way beyond the curriculum and watches relevant TV documentaries, even films like All The Presidents Men. He is also very sociable though so puts a lot of energy into his social life, which is obviously something he's got to learn to manage. The way I see it, there is no point in higher education if you are studying under duress i.e parental pressure, original and critical thinking is needed for degree level work and self discipline (in terms of balancing social life with work) so I think it needs to begin now at A level.

It probably depends what you understand by pressure. Personally I don’t think it’s a negative thing. It means high expectations. I should have changed the word “pressure” to “high standards” instead !

I think some people think it’s all achieved by the private schools but it’s definitely due in a large part to parental aspirations / hopes / wishes / standards.