Is private at primary actually worth it ?

[nottoruffle]

I'm not here to ruffle feathers at all. I'm trying to decide what to do with my kids and whether private at primary is the thing for our family.

It's bloody expensive.

Is it worth it, is the million dollar question.

What kind of child tends to flourish at this type of school ? Will they be pushed too hard? or will they have more support as there are fewer pupils than in a states school ?

I'm looking at 3-18 co ed schools as I have a boy and a girl.

Any experience welcome.

I think every child is different, some will thrive with the attention focused learning and some will also thrive learning on their own independently.

I'd think about what secondary they are going to after and what will make the smoothest transition.

If they can go up with friends, that would be nicer for them.

I sent my kids privately all the way through. It was worth it for us - but we could afford it.
We valued small class sizes, high academic standards, high expectations regarding manners, behaviour etc. Mixing with children from similarly motivated backgrounds, from families where education is valued highly.

I have heard a primary school teacher say that private at primary is more important than at secondary - to give them an excellent foundation.

However, my own adult kids are highly unlikely to be able to afford school fees at primary (big question mark over whether they’ll be able to afford it for the senior years too but that’s some time away). They will probably move to a catchment area of a very good state primary and be prepared to support the school in every way they can. One of my kids is married to a catholic so that may well help too.

OP. If you can do it and still ‘have a life’ then do it. If it means huge sacrifices that will suck all the joy out of life then I’d focus on doing whatever it takes to get into the best possible state primary, in your shoes

Most schools admit for year 5 instead of year 6. As year 6 is a crucial year prior to year 7 admission.

it was for us because our DCs were thoroughly unhappy at the SATS obsessed village primary. The local prep school was much more child friendly with subject specialists and fun breakfast and after school clubs. Didn’t bother at secondary level as local grammars were decent and socially mixed.

Private primary has been vital to my dyslexic DD. She is working at Age Related Expectations and is reading at the level for her age.

If she was in a class of 30, with 5 EAL, 5 with SEN, noise and disruption daily, she would be behind in everything.

There is no 'one size fits all answer'.

For many pupils with SEN, there needs cannot be met in the state sector, and an independent school is more appropriate.

I guess it depends on your child, on the what the state offering is like, and whether your area has an 11 plus in year 6 that you want them to pass!
It's worth it where i live. The state primarys are good, but the secondaries are poor, with the exception of the super selective state grammars. And if you attend a state primary it's very hard to pass the 11 plus to ensure entry to the grammars. And the private secondaries are more expensive than the private prep schools AND they get far worse results than the grammars.
Therefore, all things considered, private at primary is worth it, to get a good, free, secondary education.

Other than the cost the only downside I can see is they mix with a more narrow section of the population - this can also be a positive though.

I sent my kids privately all the way through. It was worth it for us, and the best decision we’ve ever made. We were in a position though that it was walkable from our house and we could afford it without giving up holidays etc.

Positives for us were - small class sizes, high academic standards, varied sporting, arts, music and language options, specialist teachers for IT, music and languages - genuinely something to nurture the talents of each individual child. Also high expectations for manners and behaviour etc. and great facilities that unfortunately state schools can match.
The also provide great wrap around care 7:30-6 if needed and holiday clubs to cover holidays that aren’t state school holidays if you need it.

We also found the pastoral care fantastic as as the class sizes are small with additional TAs any areas of struggle academic or social were supported quickly. One of mine struggled socially (nothing major) but they helped her talk about her worries and build great friendships. There is also zero tolerance for bullying and that makes it a much more pleasant environment.

The children came from a diverse background but with parents who signed up to the positive ethos, being involved and valued education.

Lastly for us it took all the stress and worry out of years of tutoring or prep for the 11+ as this was just part of school and they knew nothing about it. This in itself was worth every penny compared to the stress I’ve seen some 9-11 year olds under!

As a previous poster said I have also heard primary school teachers say that private at primary is more important than at secondary - to give them an excellent foundation. I really have found this.

The confidence in public speaking, being themselves but kind and caring, giving back to the community has been great. But for me the key thing is that they develop a love of learning and a desire to get involved in all sorts of things along with a belief that if they work hard they can do anything has really set mine up for success in later life.