UK Public Schoolgirls

[TwilightDawn]

Are you a former UK public schoolgirl? What careers do MOST UK public schoolgirls go into and do MOST of them actually progress far on the career ladders? I am aware that the majority of people in top positions in the UK are former public schoolboys (old Etonians etc.) but what happens to former public schoolgirls? I don't mean the relative few who somehow get into top positions (they as women still have a fight on their hands) but what about the majority?

I went to a bog standard comprehensive school and university. I took a few years out working before uni to build up savings. During this time I worked for various govt. departments and found that some of the typists, secretaries and lower (entry) level administrators were women who had been public school educated and had been in these jobs for years if not the whole of their careers. Some of them went to top public schools. This came as a surprise to me. I hadn't imagined that women with this background would be working side by side with me and earning the same peanuts which the Civil Service refers to as a salary.

I now work for the NHS as a nurse. Back in my student nurse days, some of my cohort were former public schoolgirls also. The last I heard, most of them were still band 5 nurses whereas I have progressed to senior management level. AIBU to wonder whether the potential future benefits of a public school education actually manifest for the majority of former public schoolgirls?

Just to clarify, I am using the English definition of "public school" i.e. fee-paying, private, exclusive school.

I went into the Civil Service, there are lots of privately educated women there too. I came from a working class background and married a working class man, so I haven't the exact experiences of many of my peers who went off to university and now have professional careers in law and medicine. One school friend became a DJ for the BBC, another became a TV presenter. Other friends work for charities or in teaching. It's only given me an advantage in that I was confident enough to apply for my job and go for promotions, I don't really find the alumni network useful to me for anything other than socialising.

I went to a very academic all girls boarding school 20 years ago. My year produced lots of lawyers, three doctors, two vets, a dentist, a nurse, lots of people in PR and comms, an archaeologist, several people in the art world, a psychologist, a couple in finance and a couple of drifters who are living off inheritance. I think there has been quite a bit of plugging into networks, not specifically those made at school but because people were from the sorts of families with connections anyway/their brothers all went to Eton...

I can't think of any girls I went to school with who have particularly impressive careers. Teachers, SAHMs, middle management type jobs. One doctor I can think of. Of my close friends, the one with the most impressive job and highest salary is the only one of us who didn't go to private school.

Most of my peers went on to "marry well".

I did not in one sense, but very, very much did in another, DH is ace. I was senior within my career but took a step back once I had kids and I'm middle management now but very happily so.

I went to a public school, now a SAHM. My friends from school are a mix of careers. Some work in their families business (nearly all the Asia based ones do, but this is quite expected culture wise) , one is now Director of Finance at a big company, a couple of doctors, a barrister, one or two started their own business, a physio, an author, and a whole bunch of SAHM.

A lot of the ones I know work in PR and live in Putney 😂

I work as support staff in a comprehensive school. Of the girls I went to school with there's a lot of teachers, nurses, work in healthcare, run small businesses

@Maireas

GDST schools aren't public schools, are they?

When I was there they were called GPDST (Girls Public Day School Trust) but no I would say they are private/independent but perhaps not public school in the same was as Cheltenham Ladies College, Bedales or St Swithuns. I have a friend who went to one of those who is a senior civil servant and has friends who are vets, doctors and broadsheet journalists. Although both the vet and the doctor aren’t happy in their careers and one of them wants to retrain as an aromatherapist. Comes back to what you consider ‘successful’ really.

Yes, @NautaOcts - the thread is about public schools, but I think people are talking about any fee paying school, which can vary significantly in quality.

One of my friends went to a well known girls boarding school at a young age. She’s a very part time artist, currently on may leave, and her sister is a SAHM who has now given up her catering business...

Though actually remembering now twin girls we were family friends with went to private local day schools and became a GP and dentist respectively, though I don’t know if private day school meets the definition in your OP, or if you’re thinking more of the Cheltenham Ladies/Roedean type places.

I also went to a comprehensive school, but then became a partner in a big 4 and MD for a global Bank. I did well I would say despite my education, not because of it. The people I employ/ed are a mix of public and state educated people. Once you get in the work place there is no difference, for any good team I want a mix of backgrounds otherwise we would all be talking to the mirror - not healthy. I have however put DD in public school education, not because I think she will do any better academically, but for the rap around care as I work longer hours, and also for the opportunities quite frankly I did not have around non academic subjects like sport and music. I do have concerns that she will not be as well rounded as me as I had every bit of all sorts in my school and friendship groups as a child, but when she is in her teens I will be addressing that head on and getting her to go to and knock around places far less shiny. Plus I talk, I talk about my life, the fact my grandfather was the only kid in his road to have shoes.. But does this mean she will do better in the work place, no, I think that comes with being driven to whatever 'better' means, to some this is money driven, for others it is contentment or duty. Private education does give plenty on one hand, but it also takes away if you are not careful.

When I checked earlier in the thread knowing the public in the title was not what that poster meant (she means fee paying schools), it said for girls' school. ls it is if the school is a member of the GSA or not so one of my children who was at north London Collegiate would be "public school" on that definition and the other - Haberdashers not.

I think the biggest divide is between schools where most people who apply are not bright enough to get in and fail - so that would be state grammars and the academic private schools v. those where anyone can get in (and in private schools get in if you can pay). That tends to determine outcomes (and obviously top stream of a comp will be the same as the first category too.