If you had the money to, would you send your children to private school?

[lomp]

And why?

Not for primary, very happy with her current school. Possibly for secondary, though we won’t be able to. Why?

Nope. I'm a teacher and have worked in both state and private in my area. Am senior, and familiar with a lot of the schools. The private schools here (and, in my view, most areas) are DEFINITELY not providing a better education.

However, I might if my kids were quiet and middle ability- which in my experience is the group most likely to go under the radar in education. A smaller, quieter environment might then be better.

It ALWAYS depends on the child.

Nope. I think private schools are morally indefensible and should be abolished.

Didn't plan to, sent my now 8 year old to the local (allegedly excellent) state primary that is just round the corner from our house. Stuck it out until a term into year 1, by which time they had taken a happy boy with a thirst for knowledge and turned him into a child who hated going to school as he was so bored. No spaces in other state schools locally. Moved to private, which has been incredible. Youngest started there in September. Still gutted that state didn't work out, but realise how lucky we were to have options.

Nope because there’s no private schools in my area and I wouldn’t drive over an hour or have them boarding.

Private schools have smaller classes ..money doesn’t by brains but private school there are better opportunities

Depends on their SEN provision. There’s no money in state schools and kids are being let down in droves. If no SEN issues I wouldn’t for primary but maybe for yr 9 onwards. At 27k a year around here, I’d also want to know I’d be able to afford it all the way through - and for all my kids.
If you have studious, neurotypical, well adjusted kids, they can do well anywhere.
And just because its private doesn’t guarantee great teachers!

No, mine had good educations at our local schools.

Moved to Switzerland when they were secondary age, so too old to easily swap to learning in French or German. The only option for continuing their education in English was a private international school. They went there but we didn't pay full fees. The first 2 years were paid by husband's work and after that I had got a job teaching there so got a discount and only paid 10% of the full price. If we hadn't had that discount, we would have moved back after husband's work stopped paying as we couldn't have afforded the fees ourselves. So yes, they went to private school but wouldn't have done if we had been living in UK.

If a child had to leave private school and end up at a state school they would get the shock of there life ..totally different so yes if I had the money private all the way

Maybe if the local schools weren’t good or you needed sen provisions or similar
but local schools here are all rated outstanding, so I’d prefer to take the money and use it on extra curricular activities, tutors, and cultural holidays, and probably still have some left over!

Yep if I had the money I wouldn’t hesitate to.

All day long
I've seen first hand how the majority of kids turn out
Having said that, now of ours did and nor any of grandkids atm but family in a better position to do this if required

Our kids done well without private school and 2 did not do uni.

Our grandkids do get after school classes and at least one educational class privately to try and keep them in the top 2/3 in the class as getting a job is only going to become more competitive.

Private schools its not just the fees, its the books. uniforms, hols etc but well wroth it at the right school.

I didn't have the money. I still sent the child to independent secondary school. It was a struggle but we made it. She has had many more opportunities in life, through going to that school, than I, as a divorced mother, could have given her any other way. It was worth it. My granddaughter is now in a much more expensive independent school, in keeping with the lifestyle of her parents.

For secondary yes, in a heartbeat. My ILS teach in highschools and the way they tell it they spend most of their time firefighting behaviour problems. I know someone who works in a private school and while of course the children aren’t perfect the stories they tell are no where near as bad as the ones from my ILS. I actually hate that I have to send my DC to the local secondary.

If I lived in an area where local state school weren't good, and moving wasn't an option, if I could afford it, then yes I would.

Absolutely. DDs primary has a lovely atmosphere but it is chaotic, busy and disorganized. It’s very cramped with limited facilities. I’d love for her to be swimming twice a week, learning an instrument and in a classroom of fewer than 30. The private schools locally have excellent facilities.

i wouldn’t make the same decision if I lived in my affluent south-east home town. There the schools are of a much higher quality.

Unfortunately for DD I had DS and two kids at private school now would be a stretch too far. I also want to save for retirement and private school back up plan of neither get into grammar.

I don't have the money but am sending them private by hook or crook and long term debt as the state system in my area couldn't provide for their needs / keep them safe from bullying. It really isn't as simple as yesterday or no and I disagree with the pp who said the education is less good in private. The simple short answer is that it depends on the individual schools available and the individual needs of the child. If you are lucky enough to have a confident, motivated, non-target for bullies NT child AND a decent catchment area then it's likely not needed. If any of the above are not true and the independent is suitable then it's worth it. There simply isn't a yes or no answer. I'd love to not be tens of thousands in debt but the alternative was to pull them out, give up my teaching job, exist on benefits and homeschool. Until all state provision can actually match what all kids need, there is a need for alternatives to exist.

In my area there's one outstanding grammar school - definitely the best place for an academically able child. But if you don't get a place at the grammar, then the private options are better than the state options in pretty much every way. Smaller classes, fewer behavioural issues, superb extra curricular provision and opportunities.

If money were no object, then I would go private for sure. But at 20k+ per year, for 5 or 7 (or 14!) years, I'm not convinced the private schools are that much better.

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

No.

None provide a Welsh Medium education which is important to us. We are very lucky to have a great Welsh medium secondary which both dc have thrived at and had lots of fabulous opportunities in. They have friends from all walks of life and understand that not everyone has the same opportunities as they do.

We’ve also been able to have lots of great holidays with them, live in a fabulous big house in a lovely area etc which would have been far more of a challenge if we were paying school fees. The current hikes in fees and threat of VAT being added would definitely be causing sleepless nights.

I did, they had a great education.

If I had the money, then yes I would consider the local private school. Whether we would choose it over the local comprehensive is a different matter. We have never had cause to visit it, so don't know how it compares.

I do know it has better sport facilities and coaches. It gets better results. But don't know how it compares pastorally or whether DDs would find it more suitable.

Didn't plan to. Did it anyway.
Life circumstances and useless local authority support during an in year forced relocation offered no state place. We decided to go private while we fought for a state place. Saw how much happier kids were, gave up the fight.

Yes in a heartbeat (on the assumption that if I had the money for private, I would also have the money to live somewhere with a private school so no long journey)

The secondary schools by me aren't brilliant, certainly better opportunities would be available in private. Unless you have clever kids that can go to the grammars which are decent here.