To think State education is really poor?

[Boswelian]

We sent our eldest to a taster day at a private school. He was agog. His school don't allow playing on the grass when it's wet. The private school change them into waterproofs and wellies for break. PE 3x a week. Sport every day. Dedicated specialist teaching in art, DT, languages, sciences etc. 16 in a class instead of 30. The difference in the quality of life between the two school has really blown my mind. The state school is "outstanding". The private school reckon DS is 2 years behind their curriculum. We've been told in state that he's meeting expectations. How is this remotely acceptable?

I was quite simply pointing out that many selective schools are indeed very focussed on results and destinations. Nowhere did I say that all private schools are like that.

DC is now 25, was part private and part state educated. and seems to have achieved a balance between the two. They're not intimidated by mega-wealth, because some of their childhood (current) chums are mega-wealthy (though not flashily so) and they also have close friends whose entire house square footage would fit into our kitchen and dining room space.

Comfortable in almost any social circumstances was not what we thought we we aiming for, but it has happened anyway. And long term, it will probably prove advantageous.

Dd2 is like that already at nearly 16. State educated but her closest friends are at the various different local private schools. She’s comfortable in a council flat and a Manor House.

My children are the same. It comes down to parenting. Not what school they go to. Like most things.

There are some horrific teachers in state schools. They are not all angels. They've been denying any safe way for my 5 year old to attend for over a term so she is getting no education at all except what I provide at home. Some of them are horrific people who are happy to bully a 5 year old who has done nothing wrong.

At primary kids were much nicer.
At secondary they can really turn.
It's an awful herd mentality.
Not all state schools are nice places. They breed a nasty culture.

Private is a business. They will ensure that taster day is marvellous.
Private as state has its dark sides

And not all private schools are nice places either.

As do some private. Certainly in my area at least. Sexual abuse/exploitation is rife.

Actually @Willyoujustbequiet , there may be some private schools that are questionable, but our DC had a very chequered school experience, private and maintained sector. Our experience of state school tells me that the aspirations are inadequate, the teachers don't set expectations sufficiently high, and that there is tolerance of under-performance and behaviour. DC's GCSE results were entirely due to the private phase of education and tuition because the significant elements were taught in private primary and secondary before DC was 14, from which point they attended the local comp. DC studied Of Mice and Men and Wilfred Owen (both GCSE texts) every single year from the age of 11 to 15. Of course, they did okay but it wasn't engaging teaching, and yes, it was unlucky. And DC is both dyslexic and quixotic, but quite quick-minded. On the positive side, DC has seen both privilege and poverty upfront and close to home. But we do not live in leafy suburbs or in the SE. Our life did not happen in London or Winchester, but in the beautiful, poorly paid rural Southwest.

I am out of it now ( e.g. having children still in education) but a few cheep shots from the side.

I live in Barnsley and looking at secondary school results when the kids were moving up was an eye opener. Less that 36% of students in the area achieved 5 A to D gcses. Labour had been in power 7 years plus by then. (A safe red seat didn't need to be improved because put a red rosette on an ass and it was voted in)

The results today are still as bad.

So I spent something like £70K putting them both in a private church based day school where all students achieved 8 A* to C grades.

Though sadly in the last year of the youngest child's O levels, most of the good teachers left the school e.g. their children had done o levels and then left the school, which then changed its emphasis from educational achievements to a "refuge" for sensitive children from the horrific local state schools.

I wasn't aware that at the time less than 9% of the Barnsley 6th form students went on to uni.

Its a labour fantasy than only rich people use private schools. Would have an extra 20% e.g. vat stopped me sending the kids to a private school ? Yes definitely as it was we just managed to pay the mortgage off in time, and it was pay check to pay check to keep the household afloat.

I don’t know ANY school around here that would stop the kids playing out when it’s wet, the classes are more like 20-22 but it can drop for certain subjects and stream -
DC is in a class of 12 for GCSE maths for example, they have specialist teachers for everything, including arts, sports, extra curricular, teach German, French, Spanish, Russian as standard with the option to study other languages.

And as for your DS being ‘2 years behind’ with all due respect - they’re full of shit. They WOULd say that wouldn’t they.

@pdq123 Your DC did O levels? How long ago was this?

DD's old school in Barnsley has a much higher attainment rate than the rate you posted. When she was there the A* - C pass rate for 5 GCSEs including English and maths was around 75%. I have no stats for 8 subjects.

If the school you are talking about is the one i think it is it closed in 2018. It was one of twenty-seven independent schools to be issued with a warning notice from the Department for Education in November 2017 that failed to meet its independent school standards. It noted its pupils were not developing respect for different faiths and beliefs, didn't have easy access to drinking water and the outdoor space was too small.

@RampantIvy
you ae correct its was gcse not o levels.

At the time the nearest high schools to the family home had been in special measures for a long time. The OH thinks I was generous in suggesting 36% got 5 gcse and it was lower. looking at the high schools ofstead report, there had been years when no students had been entered for gcse's !!
We did look at 2 other state schools in Barnsley but their results were only slightly better but still lower than nationally average. St Michaels and the other escapes me at the moment.

Looking at the wiki for the private school where you got your information and quoted from, somethings you say are true, but putting that in context 2/3rd of the student body were not practicing Christians at the end (again a quote from tinternet), and were of all religions. It was around this time the emphasis had changed from academic results to a "refuge". I couldn't comment on what the grades were when the school closed, but I suspect it was no better than the local average.
Not sure on the water issue.
The play areas were an issue.

It was cash in the end that shut the school down.

quoting the local press when it shut.
"children being ‘unexpectedly removed’ from the school along with ‘considerable amounts of outstanding fees and unpaid trip money from the last academic year".

But the school did what I needed and the DC both have degrees and good paying jobs so glad it was there when I needed it