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Original poster

to ask if you use state or private education

1001 replies

manicinsomniac · 20/05/2011 17:22

Sorry, I know it's a little rude and personal but I only ask because I think that only 7-8% of the children in the UK are privately educated yet on mumsnet it seems to be massively higher than that which I find interesting.

So, if I'm not being too unreasonable to ask, do/did/will you use private or state education for your child/ren?

OP posts:
JoanofArgos · 26/05/2011 21:35

so what's your beef?

MmeBlueberry · 26/05/2011 21:36

If my local comp were decent, my children would be there.

Look! I can make similar if/then statements.

seeker · 26/05/2011 21:37

Oh, and as far as I know all state schools set in Primary and stream in secondary.

It is possibly that you don;t know what sets your child is in Primary - but they are setted - often only in years 5 and 6. But tehy are certainly "sorted" by ability long before that.

fluffybutt · 26/05/2011 21:37

The lack of streaming in DD's school is its major downfall. The teachers are so stretched with the range of abilities in the class, that some children will always miss out, usually the extreme ends of the spectrum.

JoanofArgos · 26/05/2011 21:37

yeah, dd's friend got put in set 2 for science and has spent all year unhappy about it: he scores well in tests, and keeps being promised to move up, but it doesn't happen. He's very bright in all subjects, and yet by a quirk or anomaly is in set 2, and it makes him unhappy.

Now imagine and amplify that as an 11 year old who failed the 11+.....

seeker · 26/05/2011 21:38

Frankly, i don't care whether you believe me or not MmeBlueberry.

I can't send you child to a non-existent school, can I?

JoanofArgos · 26/05/2011 21:38

Seeker as far as I know they are set, not streamed, in secondary round here, but that may be unusual.

maypole1 · 26/05/2011 21:39

Joan because you have some wired sense of social justice you seem to want to restrict other peoples choice.

I don't really care what education people give their children as long as they don't try to include me and allow me to make my own choice for my child if people want to pay private , have a tutor or send their child to a sink school good for them

But you seem to have a big issue with anything other than state

So the question is whats your BEEF

seeker · 26/05/2011 21:39

my child - sorry.

MmeBlueberry · 26/05/2011 21:40

Nor can I. If there were a good enough school near me that was free, I'd be first in the queue. Your sec modern is obviously not good enough for your precious little one.

fluffybutt · 26/05/2011 21:43

DD's school doesn't stream until Yr 9, even then it is a very broad spectrum of abilities. Primary school sits pupils of similar ability together for maths and the rest of the time they are mixed. Not all schools are the same Seeker.

JoanofArgos · 26/05/2011 21:44

yeah, I'm very wired, me.

My beef is with private schools, as I should have thought was tolerably clear from everything I have ever said. I'm not entirely sure you're equipped for any sort of discussion beyond this simple fact, so how about you just tell me to fuck off and live in communist china if I like it so much, or something like that? Go on, knock yourself out!

seeker · 26/05/2011 21:50

MmeBlueberry, either debate properly or not at all. You know perfectly well what i think and feel - we've been here before.

No, the secondary modern wasn't suitable for dd - because, among other things, she wantd to do 3 sciences - and it doesn't offer them. If it was a proper comprehensive with a proper top set it would, and she would be there. But it isn't - it's a school without the "top" 23%. It is an excellent school (despite what look to people who don;t understand these things like not brilliant exam results)- it has lots of good things and there is a good chance that my ds will be going there,

maypole1 · 26/05/2011 21:54

Why are you swearing I think you need to lie down.

I have read your points and they don't make sense to me I would understand if the results were bad or they were providing a poor education but by I large they don't, you champion the sate schools which by in large are failing and produce poor results

To me your cheering on poor performance

JoanofArgos · 26/05/2011 21:57

well, they don't make sense to you, but then again, you can't even spell 'does'.

You're actually talking bunkum, I have to say.

MmeBlueberry · 26/05/2011 21:59

What is so sad is that you don't even see how hypocritical you are.

Why can't you be happy with what the nasty system has forced you to do your choices and let others do the same.

Believe me, if we had a good state school on our doorstep, we would send our children there and give up work keep the cash. Sadly, like you, we do not live in a perfect world.

maypole1 · 26/05/2011 22:00

Swearing ,personal attacks I thing you know you have lost the argument.

Very low I be they teach debate in private schools lol

JoanofArgos · 26/05/2011 22:01

but if you believe in state education, doesn't it follow that you take what the state offers you where you live, whether that's grammar, sec mod, or comprehensive?

JoanofArgos · 26/05/2011 22:02

Maypole, I'm afraid that was just a noise.

MmeBlueberry · 26/05/2011 22:02

Only if they offer triple science, JoA

smallwhitecat · 26/05/2011 22:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

JoanofArgos · 26/05/2011 22:05

I dunno, Mme, I'm not keen on the 11 plus either. All I can say, and it's only anecdotal, is that where I live where there is no 11 plus, all the state comps offer three sciences to at least the top few sets. So if the sec mods aren't, that might well be due to creaming of resources/bright kids/expectations where there are grammars, maybe.

LondonMother · 26/05/2011 22:07

All getting very nasty, isn't it? Maypole has explained way upthread that she didn't get a good education herself and that she has difficulty with spelling. I don't think it's a particularly good debating strategy to start making fun of someone who has made that plain.

Re setting and streaming - my impression is that it varies enormously across the country. Setting for maths appeared to be unusual in primary schools when my children's school started doing it over ten years ago. My daughter's comprehensive school didn't put the girls in sets for anything in year 7, maths from year 8, science and English from year 9. From our many school visits when my son reached year 6, I'd say that was fairly typical of most of our local state schools, although many started setting for Maths from year 7. None uses streaming, that I know of.

maypole1 · 26/05/2011 22:08

You can believe in that state thats not the issue the issue is you would take the right away from others who don't feel its right for their child.

And you will find that those who use private (I hope you don't mind ladies ) are no against the state schools its just they are so poor were they live they can not gamble with their Childs education.

But you seem to think they should risk it for a biscuit for the grater good

I am glad your happy with your local state school and it provides for all your child's needs but its like you refuse to see that is not the same for every one , not sure what you would of done if you went so happy with the local school as you claim to be sent your child their any way well good for you but some people want different for their children

MmeBlueberry · 26/05/2011 22:10

I don't think you will find many secondary moderns that don't claim to cater for the full ability range. Plus, I thought all kids with certain sats scores were entitled to study separate sciences (but not iGCSEs like my kids).

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