AIBU to say private school children are much sportier & better musicians?

[Denimrevival]

Just on the back of comparing with friends & family with dc in private schools. The kids & their families are all naturally sporty & outdoorsy anyways but the school provides a vast range of sports with it's own pool & swim team.
Musically their kids all play 2 or three instruments all at least grade 4 or 5..
How do these private schools do the academics, music & sports to such a high standard? Do they also have a very good base if the kids are having sport & music reinforced outside school through their families lifestyles?

It's a public forum, any discussion can be had any amount of times

Maybe it's to do with the type of parents who typically send their kids to private schools as much as it to do with the school

It's in large part due to the fact that most will have stringently academic entrance exams and will also actively recruit children who can offer sport/music talents as well. Add to that the fact that private schools can pay for excellent facilities, buy in expert tutors for a whole range of sports and musical abilities and allocate plenty of timetabled time for practice, and then add the fact that the parents sending DC to these schools will have a vested interest in ensuring the DC develop these talents due to paying high fees, and it's hardly surprising they are able to turn out impressive children.

A private school can also simply ask a DC to leave if they fail to continue to meet the standards required - a state school cannot do that.

Not ALL private school DC follow this pattern though - should add that I have a DC who is very happy at a highly regarded SW London indie and he is neither musical nor sporty!

This

Well I'm not 🤣

But then, I also get shocked looks when people find out I went to private school so that's fun 🙃

It's a pity state can't follow that model. My children's provisions for music & sport is very limited. I would send them private if I could. My friends kids all seem so fit & sporty in comparison but then that's their family lifestyle outside school too.

Private school kids aren’t more sporty and better musicians. They have simply had all the opportunities.

This is just like saying that the GB Olympic team is better at dressage and sailing than Uganda’s.

It’s an arms race. Particularly at junior school. For the cv to get into the top public schools. And the big schools partially select that way.

As you say, Parents have more funding for tuition and often more time to take the kids and willing to put pressure on their kids.

Curious about whether you also see this at grammar school entrance?

One of my children has been through a conservatoire degree and NOS. The other is currently studying music at Oxford.
Both are also church organists.
Both fully state (non selective) educated.

So I'd suggest your premise is wrong.

@Escapefromhell yes they have had better opportunities but how can state educated kids compete with that come secondary, uni or in the wider world?

Private school days tend to be longer.

For a sport scholarship at one school we were looking at for DD1 you had to be county level at the sport - by age 10 effectively.

I think that sums it up.

As above, it's opportunities and privilege. I'm a really good singer and often have people express that they wish they could sing (a talent that is often assumed to be innate).

It's lessons. And practice. Something that private school children get in spades.

@JoWawa is that something they should be looked at in state schools so more enrichment can be offered to close the gap?

Yes. This.

My kids are not sporty. One is musical but doesn’t practice much. Schools are both fine with it.

I wouldn't hold your breath. Tories don't give a shiny shit about state education or any other public services.

That’s a scholarship though. You need to be better than the other kids.

They have better access to facilities but better? No. Any child given music lessons from a young age can become a good musician.

My friend mentioned something about grade 7 or 8 in one private for a music scholarship! The level & competition is intense.

It's not hard to figure out! Obviously having a lot more money to spend on specialist teaching and facilities helps quite a bit!!!!! They are operating in a completely differently league to state schools when it comes to resources. Plus the families who send their children to private schools also have the money and motivation to encourage their children to participate in sports/music on top of what the school provides. Though in my experience, children in private schools usually do most of their sport through the school unless it is very specialist, but music provision may be on top.

Govt taking control of small suppliers of music and sport would likely increase costs and decrease standards of music and sport for everyone.

In general, though, your DC will by far be the exception, rather than the rule.

Of course there are some hugely talented musical and sporty children in many state schools and yes, some will go on to truly excel 'despite' being state educated. But the fact remains that these DC will be in a minority in the state sector due to lack of opportunity for the majority.

I think it's about opportunities. At independent schools sports, music and drama are pushed to pupils. Typically Wednesday afternoon is for sports competitions. My DD went to an independent school and school started at 8.30 every morning sharp. It went on until 5.30pm every day except Wednesday when school finished at 12.30 then sports/activities all afternoon until 5.pm then prep go or 45 minutes every night except Wednesday. She had to go to school Saturdays for what was called a half day but it was from 8.30 until 4pm. If you were involved in a sports match then often later finish. She had to attend their chapel service once a month on a Sunday too. Very hard to get out of. She did get 2 week half term though. She did get excellent sports coaching and a lot of girls got into England under 18 hockey team. She also got opportunities to do first aid courses, learn 3 foreign languages plus Latin. She went to Spain for additional Spanish tuition for 6 weeks out of 8 week summer break where they went to a Spanish college every morning and sightseeing relaxing after 1pm. She had a friend on a music scholarship who played two different instruments to grade 8 and another to grade 6. She had to perform for parents quite frequently though. My DD was very popular and outgoing and absolutely loved her school days. She was very into drama and took part in many elaborate productions and the school choir too. I think if all children got these opportunities they could all be good at sports, drama, singing and playing musical instruments.

It’s because their parents think they are better than everyone else and they impart that expectation upon their children who by the time they are 11, also think they are better than everyone else - expecting crowds to part for them, expecting traffic to stop for them, celebrating the misfortune of others if it benefits them and pretending the common folk don’t exist.