Topping up state education in a good school verses independent education

[tryingtobemarypoppins2]

Following an interesting comment in a thread I started, AIBU to think that parents providing tutoring, lots of clubs etc can give as rounded (?) high quality(?) education as an independent school experience?

Any thoughts or experience?

Nice namechange mrbojangles1!

You fail to mention the fact that your DS's state school is a highly selective grammar school!

Bit of a different perspective given than I'm only working with primary age kids at the moment, different ball game, not as loaded clearly.

My son's at a failing "inadequate" primary. They are sufficiently organised for him to be making progress, and he's happy there.

He has two interesting and motivating afterschool clubs each week in gym and art that cost next to nothing (2 quid a session), I take him to a swimming class at the council pool once a week, (18.75 a month that one) and I make sure he does his homework and read some books with him. I'm showing him the basics in piano and if he continues to enjoy it we'll think about some piano lessons but only if he'd like to. His peers are up and down the street and so can pile in for playtime and it takes four minutes to get to the gate.

At this point I can't really see what point there would be using a private school as his needs are met, he's progressing, he's happy.

Whether I'll feel the same when he's 11 remains to be seen - I am watching this thread with interest!

When I said DS needs more teacher time, I meant that he needed more confidence, nuturing, additional encouragement, and in a class of 30 that isn't easy!

But OP, even that depends on the school really. My dd's school have quite a lot of TAs and a whole army of parent helpers who are wonderfully nurturing and encouraging - and very highly educated too! Only one teacher in a class of 30, yes, but dd still seems to get quite a lot of 1:1 time with various encouraging adults!

It depends what you mean by 'experience.' Do you mean academic performance and broadened horizons? Or do you mean a greater chance of success in life? The two are not necessarily the same.

If you factor in parental support, socio-economic background, and the initial ability of the child, then apparently the evidence shows that state schools outperform private ones. Private schools tend to have better 'results' because they are selective, which often translates as creaming off the brightest and wealthiest.

There was a study that showed how Oxbridge graduates from private school backgrounds (particularly the more elite type) were still significantly outperforming (in terms of income earned) their state-school contemporaries. The reason for this was because of networking. The private school experience created connections that were likely to be more beneficial than those from state schools because these parents had much better paid, more influential careers and were in a position to open doors for those they knew.

That's not to say that a bright child with strong family support and a good state school education cannot do well. But what you're really paying for with private school is the increased access to greater opportunity, rather than a 'better' education IMO.