To consider private primary?

[surreygirl1987]

I have two children at nursery. My eldest will go to school in September. I live in a small village with an 'outstanding' primary school. It is big- 3 form intake, and classes are mixed out at 30 with a waiting list.

I teach in a private secondary school. I get a 50% staff discount to send my children to a local prep school in the same village. This has 2 form intake and maximum 15 in each class. Plus longer days, so my kids won't need wraparound care. Facilities honestly seem pretty equal (I get the state primary gets lots of funding as it's so big).

The difference we'd have to pay to send my kids to the private school would be £8k for both kids in total per year (taking into account school dinner costs, state wraparound care etc). We could do it, but would feel it. £8k is a lot of money and could be saved for a deposit for a house when they're older, or invested or spent on travel or whatever.

The long term plan would be for them to go to the senior school I work at (if I'm still there- if not, then wherever I am working).

Wwyd? The private school option at £8k a year or the state primary option? Thanks in advance.

The wrap around care is good at our primary school (7.15am-6pm) but I've had a wrap-around nanny when they were younger. This can be hard to find though!

It's a really hard decision. My post is just anecdata, but, FWIW: a friend of mine recently chose a private primary school, primarily for logistical reasons (such as the wrap-around care). Unfortunately, it is obvious it's the best option for her in that respect, and she also doesn't have great state options, unlike you. She's really not been happy. Something I'm aware of from her experience is: is you send your child to a private school from an early age, you put them into a context where the other parents are very wealthy. In your case (and in hers though she's not getting a discount), most other parents are much better off. Children exist in a very privileged space. That may feel good to you, or it may not - but, there are pitfalls, so it is worth thinking about.

I get the issue around wrap-around care, but keep in mind this may not be a permanent, daily issue all through their time at school. You'll get to a point where perhaps they can do an activity (which you'd otherwise pay for, and you'd certainly pay for at a private school) that covers this time. At DD's school they do all sorts, and while I didn't want to pay for after school club, I was more than happy to pay for karate lessons, which cost exactly the same and take the same amount of time.