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.

Private school fees buy an environment where those with no interest in learning aren't allowed to stay and disrupt those who want to learn.

This in a nutshell.
I see no reason why my children should be subjected to low level disruption by children who's parents don't value education. Primary schoo, state fine, secondary worth paying for.

cardibach and Backforthis - correct.

The teachers are not better but the conditions and environment are such that they in fact can do a better job.

"Rather than thinking it's ok to completely ignore her needs under the bullshit theory often trotted out that high achievers don't matter because they still get results. "
I'm a 'high achiever', as is dd (99th percentile plus on VR/NVR, vocabulary/reading skills etc at 18 y/o + level age 9). I do think that actually scarce public funds are more usefully devoted to those who need help. And that learning to work and mix with a wide range of people is a useful skill in its own right.

To be absolutely blunt, I don't think if you're a genuine high achiever, you need spoonfeeding by a fabulous school as well.

Lurked - I was a bit like your dd, very bright and mostly ignored at my previously-mentioned god-awful comprehensive. My parents weren't interested and I was left there.

If there had been just a couple of others like me, we could have worked together and encouraged each other. Sadly it was an area with a lot of independent schools.

Ah right sadik I take it you'll be seeking out a shithole school with loads of vocational subjects and the legal minimum of academic ones for your dd then? Or if like me that's what your selection by postcode lea offers you, you'll be delighted? If so you're a better person than me.

Who said it needs loads of funds? Does it cost loads to differentiate properly in lessons? Or to allow kids to do seperate science over 2 and a hospitality gcse? Or to let a child who's gifted at maths work towards another qualification in it alongside the standard gcse? Because given plenty of decent schools manage it it can't be that costly.

(I don't mean to say I had the most superior intellect in the whole school of course!)

sadik she doesn't need spoon feeding thanks.

postino I had the same. Socially fun, and that side dd would be ok too. Less gobshite confident able kids get picked on. Anyone with the slightest choice avoids this school. Headteacher tells everyone it's so popular people come from miles away. No, it's because its undersubscribed and ends up with the unlucky sods from far and wide. Finding a few more of her at that school is unlikely, and just not something I was prepared to do for the sake of adding another peer to the couple of other able kids who I know have had no choice.

I'm not so sure state and private are as different as all that.

Same teachers.

I wouldn't want my child going somewhere where they had to put up with poor behaviour but that's not necessarily a state/private divide but an effectively managing the school or not issue.

Plus, private doesn't equal clever.

Or does it?

I agree some state schools are not that different from some private schools

Then some are very different they vary greatly even when catchment area crosses over

Yes, so surprisingly Grime Street Comp is a bad, bad, bad school with bad, bad, bad teachers and teaching and Leafy Lane High is a good, good, good school and has good, good, good teachers and teaching.

Obviously it's just the teaching!

Obviously!

Because we didn't want our DS to go to the local comp. My DH attended it and hated it, and we can afford it.

It has been the right choice for him, smaller classes and access to other activities which he otherwise wouldn't have had access to.

Each to their own in my opinion.

Ds in a class of 10
Will be with the same group of kids right the way through school
State of the art facilities
Excellent exam results
Most importantly it just felt right when we walked in

For me, the difference is that great leaving. Shit state or top independent, a million miles from each other

And no it does not equal clever just in the primary years they will mostly be taught in smaller classes and disruptive children are not tolerated for too long they have that choice

Secondary schools yes some will only be taking in those who are academically very high achievers and who are also right for their school

What about shit independent / top state? :)

Lurkedforever - my point is that no child should have to go to the school you describe. If anything, a high achiever will have a far better chance of overcoming the disadvantages from such a school than a low to average achiever.

So no, I don't think you should have to send your child there. But the reason for avoiding it isn't because they're academically able, it's because it's rubbish for anyone.

None of your reasons are our reasons.
For us it was smaller class sizes, excellent facilities only dreamt about in the state system, good quality wraparound care, freedom from the constraints of both the NC and the LA and lots more little things.

I have (on paper) excellent state schools in my area. None could offer the whole package we pay for. That doesn't mean they are bad schools. I teach in one which is wonderful. But budget constraints and endless targets and new guidelines mean we could never offer the sort of facilities the independent sector can.

Shit independent

Well they are not going to be in business long are they

And it's not about results either. Our local comp have very high GCSE and Alevel results well above national average. Our school is only about 8% higher. But for me, that experience all the way from 3 through to 18 is worth every penny. My boys are thriving.

I agree with you again sadik

Neither will state schools enthusiasm with all the academies!

Never thought I would, but a tearful, school avoiding, lonely 5 year old with no friends and a refusal on the schools part to do anything about it was a bit of a worry.
Then we went to parents evening and discovered she had learnt very very little in the two terms of reception which was even more alarming.
Then our LEA admission dismissed our request to move schools as we hadn't been through the proper channels to deal with bullying (which her school maintained wasn't happening).
So then we went for a look, found a lovely, small, nurturing prep, took a deep breath and went for it.
Two terms later she is a different child. Happy, confident, loves school and sucking information in like a sponge.
Works for us, what you do for your kids is your business.

I don't yet but might when dc are senior school if we can afford it- simply it's the ethos of trying hard is standard, doing well is the minimum and excelling is encouraged. As an average student at my good state comp along with my friends we ticked over- our grades were always going to be acceptable but when I see less bright/ acedemic pupils from primary who went on to get excellent grades at GCSEs it was the coaching and class sizes which made the crucial difference
The downside, I feel, is the less wide options of subject
We live rurally and so it's a long commute daily or a less wide subject option esp at a level

If you have the money then you have the choice of state or independent.

Sorry btw for the comment about spoon feeding - just gets me riled when people say that being clever is a reason to avoid the state system. I have loads of sympathy with anyone whose dc have special needs and aren't coping in state, or of course anyone facing knives/gang violence etc .

Having said that it was quite noticeable at college that there was a noticeable cohort of students from private schools - not all of course - who didn't have the same ability to study independently as those from the state system. (Something that I believe is borne out by statistics - for any given set of A level results, a state school pupil will on average get a higher class of degree and is less likely to drop out of a university course.)