Would you prefer private school?

[Dontbeamenace]

I'm sure I would prefer private school for my children. Would it matter to you if money was no cost?

Sending my DD14 to private all girls school was the best decision.

No way would I send a girl to mixed secondary school given the current sexual assault statistics.

And even a mediocre teacher, but with a class of 12 engaged students will in my opinion, achieve better results and happier environment

you are deeply naive if you think there aren’t kids in private school who are entirely unengaged and determined to make things difficult for all those around them .

you are deeply naive if you think there aren’t kids in private school who are entirely unengaged and determined to make things difficult for all those around them

In our school, those kids are asked to find alternative options.

My DC go to an excellent state school, have lots of friends and are happy there and predicted to do well. However DD would benefit a lot from a calmer environment without so many disruptions so if a private school could guarantee that I would consider it but they can't.

Yes because girls are known for being so lovely to each other aren't they. Stop treating all boys like they are predators, it's scaremongering and it'll do your daughter no favours.

Mine go to a girls state school. I am happy with single sex overall but get pangs when I see my friends (in the mixed sex schools) kids in jolly mixed groups. Dd says the boys at all boys state are the worst boys the boys from the mixed schools (state and private) are much nicer. . So i do question it sometimes.

@Regholdsworthswaterbed I'm not scaremongering. The stats speak for themselves as do the statistics on girls achieving better results in single sex environments.

This was my personal experience.

I went to a state mixed junior school where a boy liked to expose his genitals to me, and a group of boys tried to beat me up with a scooter.

I then went to a private girls school. There was obv a slight bit of bitchiness but I didn’t endure any bullying and certainly no physical bullying.

My local state all-girls school where I live now also far outperforms the boys school

My 3 daughters have been through the private system. I work in the state.
My conclusion is that NO school is perfect, whether you pay for it or not.

TheEverdelightfulsamantha · Today 07:54

Also, the worse thing is the sense of entitlement and lack of self awareness that comes from private education.

Im sure you get great pleasure from putting these ghastly poshos in their place and telling them what’s what, eh?

Another person who ironically is unable to identify their own privilege in having access to decent state schools whilst condemning others for the same thing.

Entitlement and lack of self-awareness comes from indulgence and poor parenting. It is not restricted to those who have been privately educated. There is a small proportion of ALL students who don't understand how fortunate they are or how the other half live. They all have mum and dad bankrolling them for as long as they desire. It is just as likely a bright student from state sector has not experienced failure in their lives (in my experience, private schools mark more harshly for internal exams)

Either you don't really work in a university or you are pretty poor at your job to make such sweeping generalisations about those who have been privately educated. The fact that you use the term public school and state school interchangeably make me think the former is the case.

I don't disagree that the same exam grade from a private school can be worth less than from a state school. Students in some state schools need to overcome far more to achieve the same grade and it is a good thing for this to be recognised by universities and employers. The places should go to the best person for it regardless of where they have been educated. As a parent who has chosen private education, I have not done it for the grades. I have done it for the overall education experience and have no problem with contextual offers for state educated students.

As a teacher 12 is too small a class size, even at a level. 18 to 24 is perfect up to gcse, 14 to 18 for a level, to facilitate group discussions etc.

I disagree. In my school I did two A Levels with class sizes smaller than 8 and we all got top marks with distinction in one area. We could all have easygoing, grown up conversations collectively (sometimes with two teachers at a time!) on our topics and could focus on any weak points needing improvement virtually 1-1.

Yes, as a teacher. It's hard going with 8 or less and lots of 1-1 in place of other methods. I'm sure the students don't know 🤣

As a teacher 12 is too small a class size, even at a level. 18 to 24 is perfect up to gcse, 14 to 18 for a level, to facilitate group discussions etc

You can't be serious? I teach a class of 9 and it's brilliant.. including wonderful, lively discussion and debate. My class of 10 last year saw more than half of them get full marks in one of the two essay tasks!!

Um small classes is the reason I pay for private school and DD14 is flourishing in class of 12. She has ADHD and ASD so large classes and schools are overwhelming for her.

My DD is at state school and due to the subjects she chose there's only about 8 of them in all her A level classes. In the creative subject it means there's lots of interaction and discussion of ideas and sketchbooks with the teacher.

There was a girl who joined my state 6th form college from private boarding school. She stood out like a sore thumb and it was painful to watch her having to assimilate to "real life" after years of privilege. She ended up dropping out of two different good universities because she knew her parents would pick up the pieces financially and nothing ever met her high expectations. I don't think private school did her any favours.

All academic isn’t it. Vast majority couldn’t afford private education even if they wanted to send DC there. For most folk there’s no alternative to a poorly performing state school because of the cost, even if you drive a knackered old car, never go on holiday or have takeaways. For most it’s just out of the question.

Yes, as a teacher. It's hard going with 8

Yes, fair enough, I was indeed thinking from my DC's perspective and not so much concerned with what's easier for teacher. I guess in some circumstances 1-1 might be more challening for the teacher indeed than just telling kids to discuss in groups.

Following your interaction of one person, can this now be applied to every individual who has been educated privately?
Honestly, the ridiculous stereotypes are in full force on MN

I suppose I should declare all state school pupils to be horrific bullies because I was bullied to the verge of suicide when I attended a state school? Or perhaps all state educated pupils are involved in knife crime because of one individual who stabbed another?
Of course its ridiculous, the overwhelming majority are nothing of the sort and happy so why do people think generalisations in the other direction are appropriate 🙄

Of course its ridiculous, the overwhelming majority are nothing of the sort and happy so why do people think generalisations in the other direction are appropriate 🙄

I’ve often wondered this - and the complaints are virtually identical - ‘entitled’, ‘braying’ ‘unaware of privilege’ etc.
There’s a whole thread from a mother whose daughter is scared to go to Exeter university in case there are ‘posh’ people.
I’ve never come across this in real life so I can only imagine it gives posters pleasure to write off people based entirely on their class.

To be fair Exeter definitely is full of posh people. I got into the posh set at university by accident- they were very nice.

I dare say it is - but anyway from what I can gather from your posts you consider yourself quite posh, albeit moral posh.
However, reading the comments on thread by mother whose daughter was scared of posh people - you’d have thought she was going to mix with murderers and paedophiles.
Disliking people for being privileged is just as narrow minded as disliking people for not being so.
On the other hand, I suppose privileged people are the last minority group who can be insulted with impunity……