Would you send child to an outstanding Ark academy or go private?

[sailtrain]

Hi all

Looking for advice please. We have an outstanding Ark academy secondary school on our doorstep. Big on discipline and behaviour is very good. I’m impressed by it. I, myself went to a crappy state comprehensive and this is nothing like it. No fights and disruption on a daily basis here. But 40% FSM and they are dealing with kids with fairly low academic starting points. GCSE grades are average for a state comprehensive.

Our other option is two lovely private schools, perfect in most ways but one a 30 minute coach away, the other a 50 minute coach away, plus the burden of fees. The one which is a 50 minute coach away is significantly cheaper. I like the private schools a lot but it will be a constant burden for us. We are comfortable but not super rich.

What would you do?

Ark academy.
Save the money for a private secondary school.

Sorry, should have said in title, this is for secondary

Do you mean it will be a huge outlay, rather than a sacrifice? Weird way of putting it.

It would totally depend on which area it was in and the type of child I have. A new one has opened near us in a reasonably affluent area and if we were close to it, I would definitely consider it.

Tbh I think many good state secondaries with very mixed intakes achieve results through being strict. If I had an academic / confident/ rule abiding child I imagine they would thrive. If I had a child who needed more pastoral support / struggles academically / could get lost in the crowd then I would consider elsewhere.

I suspect they mean they will have to sacrifice a lot to make this large outlay.

I don't like these type of academy chains but if cost is an issue, I would at least give it a go if it is your only other alternative to private school (that and all the travelling you would have to do for private).

Changed the wording to burden. I just mean, we aren’t super rich so we will miss out on holidays that we could have had or a bigger house etc, we are in a 3 bed semi with two kids but would ideally like to move to a detached house at some point. This might not ever be possible if we go down the private route.

Thank you @Sneakybusiness

Child is middling academically and isn’t super motivated so needs a push. Part of me thinks in the private school, he will get this but I can also potentially see him getting this in the Ark state school as their standards of teaching seem pretty high

Both of mine have come out of average secondaries with amazing grades. I think its got a lot to do with the child as well as the school.

Save the momey for university.

WTF is an Ark Academy?

Lol. It’s a chain, very strict state school. Zero tolerance for poor behaviour. Massive on discipline.

How do the private schools perform academically compared to Ark?

@roses2

The one 30 minutes away is pretty decent academically results wise but children aren’t making massive progress from their starting points

The one 50 minutes away is pretty similar to the Ark school academically

Both private schools have a generally better feel and a lot more extra curricular activities

If results are inline go for the Ark & supplement with tutors, extracurriculars

Nothing in the world would induce me to send my child to an Ark Academy.

Can't comment on ark academy schools as have no experience of them but a school focused on discipline is not a bad thing. Imagine your child being affected by some disruptive child and the school doesn't act so your child's education would suffer.

I personally wouldn't force my child to do a 50 minute bus ride twice a day at 11. I would always consider what would happen if they missed it or stayed longer for a club, would or could you do it regularly to pick up. Simarly friends are bound to be around the area of the school so I'd be worried about isolating my child from a friend who is local and having to be taxi if they want to meet up - taking away independence and spontaneous things.

If the private school would stretch you then as the future is unknown regarding cost of living and what this new government will do, I'd be cautious. Holidays are enjoyable and enrichment so it'd be a shame to miss out on them for 5 years.

As a teacher, I would never work in an Ark academy. They are completely devoid of creativity and are soulless exam factories, in my opinion. However, only you know your own child and the kind of environment they need to excel in.

I used to work for Ark, would never send a child to their schools

Charity set up by dodgy hedge fund managers including right winger and GB News funder Paul Marshall who reformed inner city schools and now take them over as Academies. A very toxic organisation with deep ties to Ofsted. Don’t believe the hype

look at trustees (bottom) and google Marshall Wace hedge fund https://arkonline.org/about-us/our-people/

www.theguardian.com/media/2023/sep/30/why-paul-marshall-is-turning-from-gb-news-to-the-telegraph

We need to know which Ark Academy. I don’t know any that don’t have massive staff over and terrible behaviour but yours may be the exception. As a teacher it would be a no from me.

'The one 30 minutes away is pretty decent academically results wise but children aren’t making massive progress from their starting points'.
I taught in a private sector non-selective school, and it was a cynical staffroom joke that parents don't realise they "don't buy the brains with the blazers". You need to be very sure that the school will benefit your child before committing to the fees.

Why are those the only options? Are there no other state schools? I wouldn’t touch an Ark Academy with the longest bargepole.

Paul Marshall obviously has nothing to do with the teaching and learning or anything else that happens in the 30+ Ark schools.

unlike PP I also used to work for Ark and have worked with 100+ other schools and would happily send my child to most of the Ark schools. In fact have recommended one for a family member.

definitely not soulless exam factories. In fact as an example music has always been a big focus (specific endowment for it)

but yes which is it?

I've also worked in an Ark and not a chance would I send my child to one. We'd move first if there was ever a situation in which I felt I had to because the other schools weren't up to scratch.