Would you send a bright but lazy child to independent secondary school?

[peanutbutterkid]

This thread worried me.

Near as I can make out, DS, yr5, has achieved Level 5 already in maths & English.

He gets good marks for effort at school but he is convinced he knows everything already, HATES homework, doesn't do well socially & hates to apply himself at almost anything except computer games. Does no extracurric. activities because they don't get his dopamine receptors racing are all too boring.

It's so frustrating to have a child with so much potential who won't apply himself, that it's hard to have any enthusiasm about spending a lot of money on his education.

DS state secondary options have GCSE pass rates of ~45%, although I hear anecdotes about them catering very well for the brightest kids (like DS). There are two independent secondaries he could possibly attend, but I fear that it's too unreliable whether he would ever apply himself properly or he might even hate the pressure in a 'high standards' secondary. Or? would he likely fit in even less well with the offspring of the well-heeled than he does with the local scruffs(?)

If you had (have) a DS like mine, WWYD about secondary options?

[peanutbutterkid]

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[OxfordMum4503]

With a pass rate that low, I would be looking at the latter - I would probably look at his game playing, limit it if you feel the need.

Remember, he WILL change a lot over secondary school, as he grows physically, socially and mentally. The environment in which he starts to develop will indeed have a great deal of impact on his academic and sociological development.

I would say, from the position you are in (here are comprehensive pass rates are 92% (Cambridgeshire)) to consider the independent schools - If money is a problem but he is very bright then a scholarship may be an option?

[peanutbutterkid]

Ta 4 your reply.
Don't they have to be EXtremely bright to get a scholarship, typically? I don't think DS is that amazing (by a big margin, lol).
We do limit his computer time, believe me.

I guess the thing is that DH & both attended quite mediocre High Schools, and then turned into high academic achievers (very much not the norm). So it's hard for me to believe that a so-so secondary school is always that much of a handicap in life.

But obviously we didn't attend very good schools, so we can't compare to how that might have changed things!!