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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Wibu to consider private school due to wrap around care costs?end

206 replies

Yeahthatthing · 15/10/2019 18:03

School application time for DC1. We have good local state primary schools and I always assumed that he'd go to one of them. But I've been looking in to the wrap around care and it's going to be a £14.50 a day for the cheapest option. So around £2700 per year. Which is the same price as the prep school attached to his current nursery.

The prep school has the breakfast and after school club onsite and run by the teaching assistants and lunch time supervisor where as the local wrap around care is off site with a 'walking bus' arrangement.

We will absolutely need wrap around care.

Also the local holiday club is school hours at £25 per day and wrap around care needed before/ after that as well (so £39 per day) where as the prep school has onsite holiday provision at £25 per day, full hours.

Seems ludicrous that a private school will be a cheaper option?!? What am I missing?

So WiBU to send him to private primaryfor financial reasons?

OP posts:
Original poster
Yeahthatthing · 17/10/2019 14:13

BertrandRussell that's not the question. The question is "how many wanted to sit the 11+ and how many did you advise didn't do it?" Which they won't answer.

OP posts:
sue51 · 17/10/2019 14:19

When my DDs took the Kent test , the school advised whether or not to enter the child. Does this still happen.

BertrandRussell · 17/10/2019 14:33

Technically primary schools in Kent are not allowed to do more than 2 familiarisation tests. Teachers will usually give advice if asked but they are not supposed to.

SamBeckettslastleap · 17/10/2019 14:51

What is your plan if they don't get into grammar, or possibly worse they are intensively coached get into grammar and can't keep up? Yours are too small to confidently predict if they are Grammar kids.
Also is it super selective?

Penelopeschat · 17/10/2019 15:37

I’m interested if people would have the same negative reactions if it was a free school. There are many small state schools that I’m sure people wouldn’t bat an eyelid in telling an OP to get a spot ASAP as it sounds a gem. Is it because there are fees attached?

Original poster
Yeahthatthing · 17/10/2019 15:37

SamBeckettslastleap they'll go to comprehensive or we'll pay for private, which ever best meets their need at the time. We're lucky as we live in an area of good schools, whether grammar or not.

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Original poster
Yeahthatthing · 17/10/2019 15:43

SamBeckettslastleap do you mean is this school super selective? Or is the grammar?

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BertrandRussell · 17/10/2019 17:12

“ I’m interested if people would have the same negative reactions if it was a free school. ”
I certaintly would. I don’t think very small schools or very small classes are a good idea. And I would be very wary of after school activities in specialist subjects like ballet run by staff.

Original poster
Yeahthatthing · 17/10/2019 17:31

In an ideal world, I'd send them both to the forest school school but it's 25minutes in the wrong direction so not feasible. Neither DH or I have classic educational achievement as our focus for primary education but it's obviously a consideration. I'm much more bothered about pastoral care, teaching kids to be kind, inclusive, pursue interests, gain interests, enjoy nature, promoting curiosity and all that rather than grades really.

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Original poster
Yeahthatthing · 17/10/2019 17:33

I feel that locally were stuck between tiny school like this, or massive school. I think I'd prefer tiny but that's obviously not the only consideration.

OP posts:
RedskyLastNight · 17/10/2019 18:04

were stuck between tiny school like this, or massive school

3 classes in a year is really not massive (I'd say 2 or 3 was "normal"). Remember you need to think about a school that will still suit your child in 3/4/5/6 years time.

Original poster
Yeahthatthing · 17/10/2019 18:12

RedskyLastNight it's more the class sizes, they're all maxed out at 30/31. Which I don't think is good, particularly not in infants. It's a busy area - 1.5 form entry is 'normal' for this area.

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Loopytiles · 17/10/2019 18:49

Tiny classes (fewer than, say, 15) aren’t great either IMO

Theworldisfullofgs · 17/10/2019 19:21

Tiny classes nearly always have friendship issues. Particularly in years 3,4 and 5.

WaterSheep · 17/10/2019 19:45

It also looks like it's run as a privately owned business (might be worth a look at companies house for its financial position)

I'm not an expert at reading accounts, but it's pretty worrying that the net assets are only £5985

BertrandRussell · 17/10/2019 19:45

When you’re looking at class sizes you need to look at how many adults are in the class with them. That makes a huge difference.

Schuyler · 17/10/2019 19:58

This is anecdotal but having been to a small school and a big school, I was much happier at the big school. It gave me more option for friends and a wider range of activities (lunch clubs and after school) because there were more teachers who were able to effectively teach.

Original poster
Yeahthatthing · 17/10/2019 20:31

BertrandRussell it's 1 teacher and 1 teaching assistant per class. Sometimes the TA is assigned to a specific child. At this school each class has 1 teacher and 1 TA

OP posts:
SamBeckettslastleap · 17/10/2019 21:55

Is the grammar super selective?
Apologies my post sounds aggressive it's not meant that way. I just know of so many children that struggle so much with the change from indi to comp, especially the size difference.
I have one a indi, one at grammar and eldest went through local comp (much older different father) so I'm not against private.

Original poster
Yeahthatthing · 17/10/2019 22:26

I'm not sure how selective to be honest. I didn't think it sounded aggressive.

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WaterSheep · 18/10/2019 06:24

it's 1 teacher and 1 teaching assistant per class.

How big are the classes and what age range?

Original poster
Yeahthatthing · 18/10/2019 09:03

Biggest class I know of is 22 kids and there's 1 teacher and 2 TAs in that. Age range is max 2 school years combined (rs R&1, 2&3 and 5&6)

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Original poster
Yeahthatthing · 18/10/2019 09:04

My understanding is that the classes which are mixed depends on the cohort, so currently year 4 is a "big" year, so doesn't get combined.

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CandiceSucksCandy · 18/10/2019 09:09

Not all public schools are extortionate for reception and primary kids. I know a couple of sets of parents who have done what you are considering OP. They also got early years funding in the first year because it stopped the term after they turned 5.
That is probably not the case now.
Its horses for courses but I'd do it. You can always pull them out if it doesn't work.

modgepodge · 18/10/2019 12:16

Ah - you can of course pull your child out of it doesn’t work, but will the local state primaries you like have spaces? You may find the only spaces available are not local or not ones you like. Plus, once offered a state place you have to accept it and start within a certain (short) period of time. This is only a problem if the state you want is oversubscribed i guess. We had a girl leave our independent school at 3 days notice so she didn’t lose a state school place, but her parents had already paid fees for the remaining half a term, and were liable for the next term’s fees too due to the notice period.