to wonder why David Cameron is sending his daughter to a state secondary school?

[sexonthebeach]

He went to Eton and his wife went to an exclusive private school. Both have done brilliantly well, so why are they sending their daughter to a state school, particularly as most London state schools are apparently a bit rough.

On the one hand, I applaud them, as they are showing support for the state sector, and of course the standards should be sufficiently high that no parent should feel they have to spend £££s on opting out. On the other hand, are they just using their child for their political agenda.

Miriam Clegg has also made similar comments ie that their DC will not be educated privately, as why would you pay so much for the privilege of your DC to take their maths exam in a tailcoat? For some reason, Miriam comes over as more sincere, but I still can't help wondering if this is part of the Cleggs' political agenda, given that Nick went to a top 'public school'. Miriam, not being British, probably can't understand why the Brits want to send their kids away to boarding school, in any event, instead of bringing them up yourself - it seems to be something peculiarly British, going back centuries to the days when the noble families would send their children to the households of other noble families to be brought up.

Anyway, I've digressed. Do you think the Camerons are being responsible parents or being unreasonable to use their child to further their political agenda?

I wonder whether he will be waiting in the long queues for the teacher at parent's evening?

"It doesn't matter what school they send their kids too because I'll bet they'll have private tutoring at home and in the holidays because those kids will be under extra pressure to perform really well at a state school because of who their parents are."

Because obviously nobody does well at state school without tutoring...........

poster SolomanDaisy

You clearly don't know choosing a secondary school works you have to apply months in advance this is not a thing that can be done a couple of weeks before hand even if your pm as I am sure the labour cronies at the council would love to leak if they got special treatment

Why don't you save your scorn for the champaign socialists that believe private and grammar are good enough for their children but not for mine

I wonder were Tristan will send his children

Add message | Report | Message poster capsium Sun 19-Oct-14 18:07:17
I wonder whether he will be waiting in the long queues for the teacher at parent's evening?

What are you on about at my school you get a booked time turn up and are seen I not waited more than 5 minutes in 3 years

Because she has to be educated somewhere? Because if she goes to private school her parents will be pilloried and she will be instantly dismissed as a rich privileged white kid at private school just as her Father is?

Very nice for you Thefish.

poster letmelego

Church schools don't have catchments they have dicecys and it can stretch across 3 councils

My dad is a teacher in a school in west London their "catchment" is harrow, ealing,hillingdon and Hounslow that's 4 local authority's

Hak

There's a rather well to do state school in Cardiff where the monied tend to send their children. It has been infamous for years for the heavy use of private tutors. And the pupils drug use,but that's another story.

My brother went to another like it, though not in Cardiff.

The father-of-three currently sends his five-year-old son Digby to a state primary school in London but would not rule out the idea of moving him to an independent school in the future.
The MP for Stoke on Trent told a newspaper: “As a parent you can never rule out whatever takes place but we are delighted with the education he’s having.”
However he hopes that his two young daughters will follow their brother to the same state school as their brother.
Mr Hunt, 39, the son of Lord Hunt of Chesterton, was himself educated at the £15,465 a year University College School in Hampstead North London.
He went on to study at Trinity College Cambridge where he was a member of the Footlights alongside David Mitchell and Robert Webb.

Posted too soon.

I went to different state school again, very diverse intake. Some had tutors, some didn't/couldn't. Did fine there, as did a great many.

Depends on the school really but imagine Cameron's will be going to school where private tutors are the norm.

poster Alisvolatpropiis

Not sure where your children go to school or if they are at high school yet but it is very much the norm now for private tutors

We moved 8 weeks ago my son is 14 and I was actually finding it difficult to find a place that had space and out of my sons class of 24 their are only 7 children who are not being tutored their was actually a news letter going round and the staff were being approached for private work so often

His choice within his own constituency would have been, shall we say, somewhat mixed. Bet they didn't even consider going there for state sec schools!

Motherinferior - I think I recall you mentioning the school your DDs go to, and it's the same one that my DD has just started at. Yay for fab non-leafy comprehensives!

We have leafy comps in his constituency many of which are shit

Add message | Report | Message poster TheDogsMissingBollock Sun 19-Oct-14 18:28:48
His choice within his own constituency would have been, shall we say, somewhat mixed. Bet they didn't even consider going there for state sec schools!

But why would they unless you don't care about your children or want to punish them why would any one send their child to a shit school I moved to a poorer area so my son could attend the better school we would not have moved to that area for any other reason

It takes 15 minutes to walk from Downing Street.

Admittedly they'll be screwed if they don't live there long...

Let's be honest . He will not be sending his dd to some bog standard comp. it will probably some ' posh' state school which will be 'private school' in everything but name.
The Clegg' s son attends a state' comp which may as well be called a private school.

You'd call my daughters' non-leafy comp a bit rough, I expect. Has poor kids and black kids and girls in hijabs and all

They're doing extremely well indeed.

WHY the fuck is a school rough because it has black kids

poster Thefishewife

off topic but that practice is really annoying

thanks

as you where

TheFishe- my point was that i find it somewhat galling that our local sec schools here in his supposedly leafy constituency are on the whole somewhat mediocre. Those who can do indeed move or go private.

thefishwife

No children yet.I know it is more normal on the whole than it was say, 10 years ago when I was in my GCSE year but not in all schools.

Certainly more common in certain schools in the South Wales area than it is in others. But as a poster said upthread, some state schools are pretty much private in all but name.

Nothing wrong with private tutors. I had one for maths because I was an utter dunce at it.

Thefishewife - think the poster was being sarcastic....

I don't think tutors is the norm in most state schools at all. Far from it. I would actually question the level of education being provided at a school if a high proportion of parents felt the need to seek further help

Thefish - what on earth are you talking about and why are you being so racist?This may be your opinion of a rough school, but it certainly isn't mine.

State London schools are good, those outside in leafy suburbs and market towns can be less so.

Apparently the educationalists are struggling with the problem of 'aunties' round the corner: extended (white) family members who can just about manage on low paid jobs plus benefits and don't encourage children to cast their nets wider and go for jobs elsewhere. It's all very lovely and supportive, but too easy, in some ways. Whereas poorer immigrants in London have every incentive to work their way to prosperity.

Teachers in schools say that the actually very lovely families of some of these children simply do not inspire them with the drive to do as well as the children could do and they don't quite know what to do about the situation. Strong community roots are important but seem to be holding some children back.

Some of the London comprehensives sound amazing.