To think this 'Austerity Day' is one of the most patronising things I've ever seen?

[NoHunsHereHun]

St Paul's Girls school having to eat baked potatoes and fresh fruit for lunch. For a day. I mean FFS, there are SO many better ways to help. Volunteering at a food bank for one.
www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-44578499

Of course, but going to lesser universities is slumming it.

Unless you actually know what you are talking about of course, then you realise that lots of Oxbridge grads go on to do fuck all with their degree, and that lots of the alumni that have achieved things did so because of their backgrounds and starting points rather than their innate ability.

The family spreadsheet is definitely a thing. One of my cousins sends me hers, from time to time, when we are trying to schedule meet ups.

I know several people who have recently graduated, or who are about the graduate from Oxbridge, Durham, Bristol etc universities. I also know a lad who has done a highly vocational degree at a former poly. The former poly lad already has work offers from international employers. He has the most stellar prospects of the lot of them imho.

I was joking that my twins are slumming it at Bristol. It's a very good university and they love it. I am delighted they were able to get in. Everyone knows that any of the top few universities are good. It has never been Oxbridge or you've failed.

Our eldest DC is about to start work in the City with a first year package of >£100k. No horrible school fees or any competitive school entrance exams. These things are NOT necessary.

I used to wonder why so many of these bright and highly educated mothers seemed to be devoting all their focus and energy into ensuring their children achieved, rather than into their own lives or careers. And whether their super high achieing DD's would do the same. I was never convinced that a very child focussed approach would be beneficial in the long term.

A bit of benign neglect has to be helpful. Or that is how I used to excuse my, perhaps second rate, parenting.

But the tiger mum approach, coupled with going to the most academic girls school in the country, can yield super confident, highly skilled people poised to take on the world. And who do seem to have quite a recognisable persona. Stranger, I would treat it as a compliment.

That's very good. Well done. However some of us want to pay school fees and have competitive entrance exams. Surely we can each choose what we want just as your child choose to go in for an awful lot of competition to win that job. It's all jstu the usual life of competition and survival of the fittest.

You said slumming at London Met.

Revisionist now?

In a country where children are going to school hungry, because their parents can't afford rent, heating and food, this is insulting and offensive!

"It's all jstu the usual life of competition and survival of the fittest."

Yet in your terms the "fittest" are the ones that had their privileges bought for them?

You can choose to send your children anywhere, but don't pretend that its merit based when without the cheque book their chances would have been extremely low for getting in.

Xenia, Im not sure. A friends dd failed to get into Oxford from SPGS. She went elsewhere. All her peers instead took a gap year and tried again. There is a lot of focus on achieving the best University you can. One reason why destinations are so good.

And perhaps one reason why employers, especially public sector ones, are trying to ensure they cast their recruitment net wider than they did.

Xenia - I agree that there is not a single successful educational strategy. Fee paying schools in the U.K. clearly add a lot of value to children’s educational experience. I do not believe that bog standard state education alone equips DC adequately in order to fulfil their potential. We added a lot of value with other stuff, at home and with extra-curricular activities - we wanted our DC to have a lot of perspective on countries/cultures/systems and this seems to have paid off.

topcat, you said "US sats are not an equivilent to A level, which is why Harvard et al ask for 5-6 AP courses passed at a high level as well as very high SAT scores, but offer places based on 3 A levels to students here."

It is true that SATs are definitely not an equivalent to A level - frankly they are not very challenging and, in the big picture, not very important. You are incorrect about the APs - decisions are made during the senior year in the US and are not based on predicted grades, but transcript of all grades in high school, national exam results, and other factors (the extracurriculars). At the time of decision making (either early December or mid April, AP grades would not be known, nor would A level results so these are not the deciding factors.

For the top liberal arts colleges and unis in the US, including Ivys, grades and test scores are just the sorting factor to even be looked at. The acceptance levels at these schools hovers at the 5% mark - the deciding factor for these schools are the extracurriculars. I have the list of candidates from the UK who will be entering the freshman class of Harvard to hand and some background info on them. Half of them are international athletes, one is a IMO medal winner, and several are internationally recognised musicians. That makes up the majority of the incoming freshman class from the UK. These children have these accomplishments as well as top marks. The criteria is similar for the other top US colleges. Much easier to get into a top UK uni!

(TC, ah - in that case that's different. Just trying to work to keep all those 75% of the nation who are net takers, whilst posting... it's a tough life at times, can't even remember my own posts.

Not sure that applies in my case - cheque book bought the jobs/universities. My son is a delivery driver, perfectly good job., I suppose you could say the fact he was rich enough to learn to drive got him that job.

"Just trying to work to keep all those 75% of the nation who are net takers, whilst posting... it's a tough life at times, "

Must be extremely taxing if you can post at the rate you do.

Me, I'm retired, but still a net contributor.

"Much easier to get into a top UK uni!"

Bollocks, cause if Daddy has a big enough cheque book and the right connections you can get into an Ivy League.

FWIW, I actually don’t begrudge the school its “eating disorders are prevalent in teen girls, let’s show them how enjoyable, tasty, hearty, healthy food can be” approach (which is how I read it). But my views haven’t shifted on the “austerity lunch”. And I am battling to imagine the kind of parent who looks into SPGS in detail and decides that that environment is what they want for their daughter.

Topct - how big do you think the chequebook has to be? I know someone who tried this for their son. Their daughter got in the normal way, and he wanted his son to get in so gave donated half a million a year in perpetuity (he is a billionaire, can afford this). His son was waitlisted.

This being said, his son was not imbecile - accelerated a year in the French system, IMO but not winner - just a bit without personality. He would easily have gotten into a Grandes Ecole in his native France or a top UK uni.

And I am battling to imagine the kind of parent who looks into SPGS in detail and decides that that environment is what they want for their daughter.

Me, although obviously my assessment of the environment is based on actual facts/current experience of the school, and not on sneery hearsay.

GW Bush and many others seem to have got into Harvard and Yale despite poor grades and outside achievement.

Mominatrix - the chequebook effect for entering top US universities is, IME, not at admissions time but much earlier in a child’s life. My American friends (living in Europe) spend extraordinary amounts of money supporting their children’s extracurricular sport/music/languages etc.

It was far. Far easier to get into those schools even 20 yeas ago. When I was applying, the “easy” Ivy to get into was U Penn, which let in more than a third of applicants. Actually, much more than a third, Today, it’s acceptance rate is 10 percent. Still higher than the other Ivy’s, but scarily selective.

The chequebook effect is there, but the amount one needs to give is many, many millions. Even then the child would only have entry - the thing would be to stay in.

I also know Russians whose investments in their children’s education are truly startling. Three languages/four instruments are planned on from birth, with live in native speaker teachers and world class musicians.

I know that this goes on user, not just with wealthy Russians but with wealthy people globally. I can't feel indigent about it as it is I feel that if the child survives that sort of regime and does well - simply paying does not guarantee performance, well then they certainly earned their places.