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?

Inequality runs far deeper than education in the UK. What about the better diets, living in areas with low crime rates, more spacious and separate bedrooms, tuition, selective state education, caring and encouraging parents etc which more privileged, but state educated, children enjoy? Surely any parent who tries to do their best and give their children the best start with whatever resources they have are “perpetuating inequality”. There are plenty of state schools rammed full of children from privileged backgrounds, often more privileged than some pupils in the private sector
Agree with all of this.

There are some state schools near me that I'd have to spend an extra £50,000-100,000 to buy my house in their catchment area. Many of them seem to have large disposable incomes too.

Based on Mumsnet logic the children whose parents can afford those houses and be educated in excellent state schools are salt of the earth children who know the real world, but families living up the road in houses that cost more than £100,000 less up the road and chose private because it was better than the struggling state option would apparently be super privileged, mega wealthy, don't know what reality is like.

Obviously the fact those families have a choice means they're more fortunate than many, but the idea that the state school students living in expensive areas, with wealthy parents are more in tune with the 'real world' as some Mumsnetters like to suggest is laughable.

Depends on school priorities. Dd state secondary 70% of Y7 play a musical instrument. Music is amazing there. It is better regarded in the local area than the nearby private schools for music.

I stand corrected must have been kids at private school then 😂 either way I have a solution don’t call your kids silly fuckers

Dh and I both went to quite posh boarding schools and while we are outdoorsy, simply because we both grew up in rural, outdoorsy areas, we must be outliers because neither of us has a smidgen of sporting or musical talent. 😂

@Goldenbear

That the people can pay the school fees and they can't

Private school children are definitely better musicians and better at sports. Why is this?

Private schools, of course, have better facilities than state schools. But, it’s more than that. Many private school parents are not rich; they have made big sacrifices and have worked hard to give their children the best start. This attitude of hard work and commitment to excel sets an example for their children who then apply themselves not only to academics, but also to sports and music. They are dedicated in their practice and regularly surpass grade 4 on the flute, oboe and cello by age 13!

Most parents of state school kids could also help their kids be good at music and sport (but not quite as good as private school kids, obviously). But they simply can’t be bothered to put in the effort themselves. Instead they prefer to spend their money on large TVs, Netflix and cars. They do things like take their kids out of school for holidays and let them lounge around listening to tripe like grime and drill on a Saturday morning when they could be practising the violin or cornet, or training at a local rowing club.

In sum, it’s less about financial resources, and more to do with the superior moral fibre of not only privately educated kids, but also their parents.

Really sad to see people say that Music is not important or a 'life skill'. It's proven to improve maths skills, language.
It encourages teamwork, perseverance, self improvement.

This is somewhat true

😄

In sum, it’s less about financial resources, and more to do with the superior moral fibre of not only privately educated kids, but also their parents.
You are clearly a true paragon of wisdom. I bow down to your superior moral fibre. 🤣

Arrogance and rudeness - is that part of your superior moral fibre? Music no, but I'd bet every inch my children are as sporty and academic as yours. And the schooling is free, so more fool you.
Only 32" thank you.

Regarding sport - aside from a few schools with elite swimming programs, are the private school sports provisions really better than dedicated sports clubs? Private schools have the facilities for kids to try out many different sports, but to train to a high level you would still be better off doing that outside of school

Any private school I've been involved with will encourage their talented pupils to try out for county or regional pathways. Depends on the quality of the club or pathway though.

Fair enough. I just don't see it as a private school vs state school issue but more of a money issue. Parents who have money to throw at their kids sports/music extra-curricular activities can do so regardless of where that child attends school and being privately educated has no bearing on how much you can achieve in either sports or music.

It was intended as a pastiche of what is often implied on such MS threads by private school parents. Perhaps I was too subtle.

If you work full time long hours it's quite attractive to have good quality sports provisional taken care of in school hours or, as mine have been, driven to pathway training and overseen by the sports teacher before being returned to school.

I just remembered that one of my daughter's classmates is an actual junior star skiier, competes internationally. He's barely at school because he's training all year round (abroad for obvious reasons). So him being a star athlete has very little to do with the private school he (on paper) attends and all to do with his parents having the money to pay for his elite training.

More fool me 😂😂

Yes that's true. It's much more convenient if it's all done at school. But it's not necessarily better quality training than if done outside of school

Also better behaved and better mannered. Superior all round.
Probably due to spending time away from their feckless parents.
😉😁😁😁😁

Yes it's still the same training.

Childish and unpleasant.

Well, skiing isn't known for its economic diversity, in this country at least. Show jumping is more diverse! (Not eventing however)

I just don't see it as a private school vs state school issue but more of a money issue.
I think so too. Private school attendance is probably a proxy for affluence most of the time and it's correlation not causation.
That said, DS has been to courses at some private schools with spectacular facilities, better than any he has experienced at private clubs. And if they have multiple sports facilities it must make cross training easier. My DS currently has to go to one place for his actual sports coaching and somewhere completely different for gym work. We spend a lot of time on the road. I could imagine that if he could do all that at school and utilise what is now "dead" time for either more training or doing homework instead he would make more progress generally.

What a strange response.

Firstly, every year we have a number of students starting at my state school who perform way above grade 4 on an instrument. Both my DDs did; in DD1's class at least 20% of the class did. We regularly get post grade 8 students start year 7.

I, my colleagues and parents of my students would not concur with your assertion that our offspring are "..not quite as good as private school kids.." No, they are significantly better, and demonstrate humility, a trait that some posters seem not to recognise. You carry on with your twaddle about superior moral fibre. I will thank my lucky stars that I don't have to interact with such a supercilious being in person on a regular basis.