in finding the term 'indie' for fee paying schools slightly cloying

[ZammoMcGuire]

its as if all the pupils wear black coats and DMs all the time

[ZammoMcGuire]

Roddy frame - English NQT swoon

[ZammoMcGuire]

the Ting Tings would be in charge of the registers

[squoosh]

Miki Berenyi and Toni Halliday would have been the cool 6th form girls.

[FailOfTheCentury]

I had an art teacher at my indie private school who looked just like George Michael, if that helps at all?

I mentioned it to my cousin when he started working at my school and she was all "OMG I know exactly who you mean cause he used to work at my school too!"



I think she fancied him. Barking up the wrong tree there I suspect.

[notauniquename]

It used to be simple,
There were private schools (privatly funded by the members of the public that sent their kids there) called public schools.

Then there were state schools, funded by the state and used by anyone who couldn't afford to buy the privilege of a private school.

Now state schools that want to have control of their own budgets, so they can become Independant, still get some state funding, but control how they spend it with less state control. -what they don't tell you is that when you want to control the money they stop giving you as much, so Independant schools like the one my mum works at end up having bake sales not to get new playground equipment, but in order to keep the heating on.

Indie is a pretty crappy word though.

[Hygellig]

I find it a bit annoying as well; indie makes me thinks of indie music or indie films rather than expensive schooling.

[Taz1212]

I've never heard anyone use the term indie school outside of Mumsnet. If speaking in general terms I'll say DS goes to a private school. If speaking to someone IRL I'm more likely to just say he goes to school in X city.

[hmc]

Now that I have discovered this term irritates so many Mners I will resolve to use it more frequently.

[fluffymouse]

Yanbu

I think calling them private schools is totally adequate and very clear. None of this indie bullshit.

Having completed my degree not so long ago uni is a term which commonly used by young people nowadays, and is certainly not used to appear cool or describe posh places. I have no issue with it, but I can understand that it may be different for older generations.

[Lucyccfc]

MN is the only place I have heard the term Indie used for schools.

To be fair though, we don't have any state Grammar Schools in our Borough or private/fee paying schools. If you mention the nearest fee paying Grammar Schools, people look at you as if you have 2 heads and look even more shocked that you have to pay.

[jonicomelately]

I've never heard 'indie' used in relation to schools IRL. Is it a southern thing?

[SwedishEdith]

I've only ever seen it on here. In RL anyone would just same the name of the school. I can't imagine anyone actually saying it. It sounds so stupid.

[rootypig]

You're not hanging out with enough west London hypocrites lefties Edith

[usualsuspect333]

It makes me laugh. It's to make them sound all cool and home counties.

[Icimoi]

I agree, I've always disliked it and have never heard it used outside MN. People also use it in other contexts, e.g about independent expert witnesses. It's not even that justifiable even on grounds of laziness given that, with predictive text, you never have to type it in full anyway.

[HeartsTrumpDiamonds]

Yeah I hate it. I work in one and my kids go to one, much to my disgust. Amazing how your principles fly out the window when it's your own kids / family involved.

Anywyas, "independent" is how the schools in the independent sector refer to themselves these days. Not many of us say fee-paying or public. Independent Schools' Council, Independent Schools' Inspectorate, Independent Schools' Bursars' Association, Independent Association of Preparatory Schools, you get the idea. So basically you have the Independent sector and the State sector.

Independent

• fee paying
  
• public
  
• private
  

State

• LEA funded
  
• free schools
  
• church schools
  
• academies
  
• etc

[ANewMe2015]

Scandi irritates me almost as much. Is it the same types of people? (trying to work out the Venn diagram..)

[SwedishEdith]

I'd use Scandi (whilst being aware that I sound a bit of a twat doing so) but never indie. Good to see I'm not the only one who compiles mn Venn diagrams.

[Flomple]

I thoughtit was just me.

I'm fine with Scandi though. Partly because I can't spell Scandinavian.

[ChickenMe]

Lol at Tarquin and Isabella Harriet. Reminds me of when Jude Law started cashing in on being born in Lewisham as if it made him 'ard when he was in fact uber middle class and residing in Blackheath.

And yes Indie is fucking twee

[mrsruffallo]

They're trying to make private schools sound cool. When we all know they are full of girly emasculated boys and overbearing spoilt girls.

[wobblyweebles]

It's a very UK thing to call them indie schools, I think - I've not heard it elsewhere.

BTW my daughter will soon be going to a state-funded school but we still have to pay boarding fees. Not sure how you'd classify that one if it was in the UK. Here it's called a magnet school.

[EdithWeston]

"Not sure how you'd classify that one if it was in the UK. Here it's called a magnet school."

They're called state boarding schools.

I've only come across the term 'indie' for schools on MN, never spoken aloud or in print media.

[SoupDragon]

we all know they are full of girly emasculated boys and overbearing spoilt girls.

You only know this if you are thick.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

I use it purely as shorthand on the SNs boards, as do many others, because it's quicker to type on a phone (I don't like predictive text) and the distinction between that and mainstream (ms) school is vital when asking for advice there. I never use it and have never heard it used in spoken conversation. Private school was never even remotely on our radar until we realised the extent of DS's special needs, I hadn't realised people think I'm just trying to be cool. Thanks for the warning, I'll bear it in mind when posting in future.