To find people say X public School is OK because

[NoComet]

It gets DCs into Oxbridge and RG universities, a daft justification for choosing a school that costs £15,000 plus a year.

We have a local secondary (not even a true comp as there is some creaming off of bright DC by Grammar schools) that is in Special Measures that has just got two pupils in to Oxbridge.

And this is hardly news, bog standard state secondaries and sixform collages all over the country send DCs to Oxbridge and RG Universities every year.

My very ordinary Welsh Comp sent someone in the year above me to study medicine at Oxford, there were others at prestigious med schools and, now, RG uni's me included.

Yes, private schools are very nice, yes DC avoid some DCs with a bad attitude to education, Yes DC get good sports facilities and yes DC may study a wider range of subjects, esp. MFL.

But in the end your DC will, quite likely end up at exactly the same uni, doing the same course, just with poorer parents!

[Gunznroses]

Raw if the school has the name of a curry them my ex went there - great school

Vindaloo high? sorry just couln't resist

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

I too am intrigued by the curry named school!

[wordfactory]

The imagnation runs riot!

^ grabs takeaway flyer and skims list of curries^

[wordfactory]

BTW nit, am I right in thinking your DD had results this summer?

All ok?

[Taz1212]

Ha ha, ha, I think I've worked out the curry school. If it's what I'm thinking of it is a good school! We briefly looked at moving into its catchment but the house prices are far higher than where we currently live.

[Talkinpeace]

Teacake
If we pay for private my child will perhaps end up with the same qualifications in their final year, but the pathway will be different with a wider range of subjects and more extra-curricular opportunities.

Which subjects?
As state schools are constantly being slagged off for have too wide a range of subjects.

Which extra curricular?
As many state schools do lots, and if they don't the cash saved on school fees can be spent on those activities so the kids of motivated parents get them anyway.

[wordfactory]

Talkin it is sometimes impossible to source the ECs. Then there's the logistics.

Most people have more than one child and one pair of hands. Motivation only goes so far!

[Talkinpeace]

What is it impossible to source?
Genuine question?
What activities can one ONLY do at a public school?
(I'll discount the Eton wall game and real tennis as they are too niche and polo is easy for good riders to pick up later)

I have two children and manage to fit in riding, dancing, tennis, rugby, music, swimming, badminton and still have weekends free and one evening a week free.

[iseenodust]

Talkin a wide selection of less academic subjects in our catchment state secondary. However, no option to do triple science however capable, fewer modern languages, no latin and less timetabled sport in terms of choice and time. So DS starts indie today.

[wordfactory]

FFS, have some imagination!!!!!

Not everyone lives in or near a good sized town.
Not everyone has a car.
Not everyone is able bodied.
Not everyone is free to drive their DC from class to course to tutor.
Not everyone thinks that's a good way to spend their evenings...

Not everyone (and I knwo this will be a huge shock) lives excatly as you do!

[Tailtwister]

'Only 6% of pupils go to private schools. Wouldn't make much of a dent for the little treasure to have to go to the awful rough comps along with everyone else.

Where we live the figure is more like 25%. If those pupils were to come out of the private sector the state system wouldn't cope. I'd like to see the uproar then!

I don't understand the problem some people have with private schools. The same people seem to be more than happy to pay over the odds to live in a good catchment, lie about their residence or change their religion to get into good schools.

[holidaybug]

Another factor in sending DC to private school is because private schools are far less subject to the political tinkering/lack of funding that state schools are subject to. And if places are going to become scarce as is predicted, then how do you think they are going to satisfy demand? More schools being built or bigger class sizes? Suspect it is going to be more of the latter. So, given the choice (and ability to fund that choice), more people will choose to send their DC to private school with class sizes of 20 with a full time teacher and teaching assistant or less rather than state school with class sizes of beyond 30 and probably beyond 40 going forwards.

[FreudiansSlipper]

i struggled with the choice of sending ds to a prep. he got a place in an outstanding school (not my first choice). how this school got an outstanding ofsted report i do not know. compared to the other school in my area that is outstanding, impossible to get in unless you have a sibling there you can not compare the two when you see the results children are getting

i am very happy with ds school, he is getting the education that he needs and deserves but not all children are and of course they should be. luckily we have the choice and i would not be sending ds to a state school (unless it was very very good) just because politically it is the right thing. he is getting an advantage i know that but it is something he will have to live up to the pressure is there from a young age his school is a very good feeder school with the best secondary school in our area (most are private)

[elastamum]

Well done to you TP, you sound incredibly smug

Do you have a partner? Because if you lived as I do your DC wouldnt get the opportunity of being ferried around in the evening to do lots of extracurricular stuff as you would be AT WORK and they would be home alone.

As I am a single parent, my DC's public school provides a far better environment for them than they woud have as rural bussed in latch key kids in the not so local comp where only half the pupils get 5 GCSE passes.

As WF says, not everyone lives like you do. I have no problem with your choices, what I dont understand is why you should have such a big problem with mine?

[Beastofburden]

Talkin, often it is the chance to do further maths and three strong sciences at A level,and triple sciences and modern foreign languages earlier. But also, it is the chance to be taught physics by someone with a physics degree, which is pretty rare in state schools, and so forth. the shortage of science teachers in state schools is very frustrating and sad. I dont think we are alone as parents in having both been to state schools, and having only gone private when faced with the reality of science teaching at state secondary school, with a DC who was gifted that way.

The riding etc was not a factor at all and actually not even on offer where DS went. He went to a scruffy ex-grammar with large classes and superb results, but no fancy-pants drama and arts complex or the like.

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

Word thanks for remembering - yes, thank you, she did really well. School say some of them can consider doing a 5th subject in sixth form, which is leading to all sorts of frustrations and annoyances at home, but that's another thread which I probably won't bother with! Other than that, really enjoying swanking around as a sixth former

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

Now this is the kind of thing that annoys me:

I don't understand the problem some people have with private schools. The same people seem to be more than happy to pay over the odds to live in a good catchment, lie about their residence or change their religion to get into good schools.

I don't know whether you know people who've done just that, tall, and if so then I have no respect for them in the latter two situations particularly. But although it would be easier to work on the assumption that everyone who thinks differently about private schools is a hypocrite, and thereby discount their argument, it's not true.

[Beastofburden]

I have to say I have come across all three types of behaviour, but I wouldnt try to argue that they were typical.

[FreudiansSlipper]

I know plenty of people who have moved to areas where there is a good school, of course it pushes house prices up. some and have also rented properties for 6 months. it is common knowledge that happens with certain schoosl around here. it is cheaper in the long run than sending you child/children to a private school but really it laughable that they can claim they would never consider private as they certainly would if they had the money and their children did not get into a good school

[Beastofburden]

We have one very good state primary locally, and there is a new build estate in catchment. Coincidentally, or not, there is a brisk trade in rented houses ther,e and many more six month leases advertised that you normally find ( a year being the norm). They are 30% more expensive to rent than houses just out of catchment, I would say.

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

Hmm, but would they, Freudian? I do know people who would certainly consider the catchment of wherever they were buying, but would also not particularly want the private school environment or ethos for their children - whether because they feel uncomfortable with it, are opposed to it, or don't feel it's for them.

Although I also don't know of any areas round here where the price difference of the same sized and standard house would be enough to fund 7 years of school fees even for one child, though perhaps that's different elsewhere.

But really, unless we're saying that anyone opposed to private schools has to somehow convince the authorities to give them a council house in the least desirable area with the least desirable catchment there is, then their arguments are invalid, I think we have to allow that people will live in different areas based on what's available, what they can afford, whether they like the area (if in a position to choose), proximity to work/family, and quite possibly schools as well. And after all that, they're still allowed not to be in favour of private schools!

[Runningchick123]

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9553764/Ofsted-mixed-ability-classes-a-curse-on-bright-pupils.html

This article goes some way to explaining why some parents of bright children might choose to move from state to private. There are lots of similar articles available from credible sources stating similar, a quick google will bring it up.
So we could argue that some children in private schools have been placed there by their parents due to the local state schools not meeting their needs adequately and ensuring that they reach their full potential. Any good parent who sees their child not reaching their potential due to the schools failings would want to do something about it if possible. For some parents that might mean tackling the state school and going to the board of governors if necessary, which may or may not have some effect. For some parents that might mean seeking a better education elsewhere, choosing a school based in its results, specialisms, teaching style etc rather than having no choice but the state allocated school.
The article also raises the question of; do private schools have a significant number of bright students not just because of them being selective but also because many of these children have been failed by the state sector?

Local prep school to me gains a fair few children in year 3 because two of the local state primary schools combine classes in key stage 2 so the class goes from being 20 children to 40 children. As a parent I would be very concerned about a bright child being taught in a mixed ability class of 40 with only one teacher, especially given what research shows often happens in these circumstances.

[Tailtwister]

'But although it would be easier to work on the assumption that everyone who thinks differently about private schools is a hypocrite, and thereby discount their argument, it's not true.'

I did say some people, not all.

I don't know anyone who wouldn't choose the best possible education for their child simply out of principle. Whether you pay for it by moving or going private or simply live near a good school, nobody in their right mind would take the inferior choice.

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

There are so many variables why people choose private school.

My children are summer born and so I preferred the smaller class sizes for them.
They are not Christian so we had no hope of getting into 3 out of the 4 nearest primary schools, the one we did qualify for was more that 3x oversubscribed.

My children are late summer born boys (who also happen to have mild dyslexia) so I felt they have some disadvantages to overcome. I am lucky enough to pay for choices to help them overcome those issues (I know this isn't an option for many people). Its not that I think my children are better or that I am a better parent but simply I am in the position to choose the school that I think will best enable my children to acheive their potential. Out of the range of choices available to us I think the school we have picked is the best option.

[Runningchick123]

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9553764/Ofsted-mixed-ability-classes-a-curse-on-bright-pupils.html

Apologies; I didn't convert the link in my above post.