to wonder why people send their children to private schools?

[TheStripyGruffalo]

People I know have done it for various reasons a) because they want their children to get all A* grade b) because they don't want their children mixing with the people at the local comprehensive and c) because they think it looks good to have children at a private school.

If you send your children private do you mind saying why? I'm genuinely interested (and I'm not a journalist). We didn't choose private schools because we thought our DC would not be comfortable being amongst the poorest families there.

I'd be attracted by a) smaller class sizes & b) better behaved children. I'm sure the teaching isn't any better but if you've got a & b then I'd be tempted.
Having said that, ds is in an excellent comprehensive school ( all boy Catholic ) but we had to pay half a million for a house in the catchment area, so technically we're paying ££££££ for his education.

My parents sent me to private school because they thought it would best serve my educational needs - they weren't impressed with the standards at the comprehensive alternatives that I could have gone to instead, plus they realised I needed to be educationally pushed/stretched. They also had high hopes that my brains would get me very good grades and I would follow a high-flying career, I guess - that bit didn't work out quite so well but I did ok out of it.

I'm very grateful to them for sending me private.

Should also say I was in one of the poorest families at the school - but my friends never seemed to care.

I was educated in both the state and private sector. The main difference I remember is that the discipline was so much better in the private sector. Consequently more time was spent teaching than managing behaviour. The class sizes were about the same. It was also 'cool' to do well, which wasn't so true in the state sector.

If I had sent my children to private schools, OP, which I would have if I could have afforded it, it wouldnt have been for any of those reasons. It would have been more to do with wanting the best for them.

Anyway why do all these leftie types get on their high horse about private education, when to educated their they are probably

a. moving house to a 'good' catchment, at vast expense
b. lying about what religion they are to get their children into an exclusive enclave
c. juggling around with applications to eg Christs Hospital, London Nautical,

IMO it is hypocrisy in the extreme. At least people who pay to get somthing better are honest about it.

I'm pretty sure we would most probably be on the lower earners scale at dd school.

Don't give a rats arse and I'm sure no one else would give two hoots either.

What an odd question. Firstly I would say it's not really anyone else's business and secondly, if people you know say they don't want their children mixing with state school attendees, I certainly hope they aren't your friends because they sound like arseholes.

That is such an entitled up yourself postnutellacrumpet. People like you would put me off sending ds to private school.
Smoking over buggies is wrong though.

When ds is older if I can afford private school it would be because of the better opportunities.

*educate their children I meant of course.

Alan Bennett has the answer:

""Private education is not fair. Those who provide it know it. Those who pay for it know it. Those who have to sacrifice in order to purchase it know it. And those who receive it know it, or should. And if their education ends without it dawning on them, then that education has been wasted.

"My objection to private education is simply put. It is not fair. And to say that nothing is fair is not an answer. Governments, even this one, exist to make the nation's circumstances more fair, but no government, whatever its complexion, has dared to tackle private education."

Yes, I do know people who have sent people for reasons b) and c), they were shocked at my choice of school for the DC because 'aren't you worried about who they will mix with and what people with think when they find out what school they are at?'

As for people justifying their choices, I am not asking that, no. I just wonder what the appeal is.

We haven't done it yet (did in a state primary, ds is a toddler) but are considering it for secondary.

Our catchment secondary is awful. Currently ranked 10th out of 10 in our city by results. Currently rated "requires improvement" by Ofsted but the rumour is that it is about to go into special measures. Apparently very serious bullying problems there. One of the groups of children that are apparently really failed (according to Ofsted) are those on the G&T register. Just found out dd is on the G&T register at the moment.

We can afford private. Or we could move house. Either way we will be using our superior purchasing power to obtain a good education for our children. Going private is just being more honest about it.

Maybe that says more about the people you choose to mix with than anything else, gruffalo.

I simply don't believe that anyone has ever said that they send their child to private school simply because it looks good.

Lisbeth exactly....

And if you are so intrigued as the 'the appeal' go have a look around some and form your own opinion.

Because the good schools where we live are all faith schools so we were discriminated against. The one we were offered was in special measures, I visited it 3 times and knew that it would either be private or homeschooling for us. Luckily we can afford private right now but if we ever can't then I'd still HS as circumstances in our area haven't changed.

Like minded families with similar morals, small classes, better outcomes and it looks good on future cv's.

Lots move for good schools which isnt much different. We did, the Ofsted report tells you a lot about the school and its children.

Better children, better facilities, better teachers, better extracurricular activities, longer holidays

wow. Better children.

because Surrey County Council failed to allocate my 4 year old a Reception place and when they finally deigned to, it was a failing school 7 miles from where we lived, in the opposite direction from where we had to travel onto to work.

Yes usual - that's it in a nutshell.

The people I know who have sent their children to private school have felt their children were having their normal personalities distorted in the state sector, usually because of a critical mass of strong personalities in one peer group going in a bad direction. They weren't willing to see their children hit, verbally bullied and following very distressed and disturbed children into being bullies themselves, without the school doing anything about it. DS was bullied but the school swung into action almost immediately and that was the difference (apart from the small fact that I don't have the money, either to move or to pay).

I disagree with the principle of private education but it shouldn't be in the least difficult to see why people choose it for their children, nor would I judge anyone for doing so.

Fedupfine. I'm pleased someone else said it I had to sit on my hands.

To learn Latin and Ancient Greek, inter alia.

Mintyy: life isn't fair. Do you make your children eat scraps just because some children aren't well fed? In any event, being at a private school won't help you if you're still a lazy/stupid shit.

And Caprini: no-one SAYS they do it cos it looks good but doubtless that is true for some.

I was one of the "poorest" at my school, I suppose. Never bothered me one iota. I just felt lucky to be there and worked hard to show that.