Only a private school is good enough for my darling baby girl

[Dellspoem]

I can’t afford private school, I never thought I would think like this, but here I am fantasising about giving up my career in academia for a teaching gig at Jags or similar so that my precious baby can have the best.

I think it might be my area (Brixton) but the local schools have no greenery, are overcrowded and hectic, and when I’ve visited I’ve just not had a great feeling about them. The area itself is under a flight path, it’s so polluted and urgh I wish I lived in a giant house in a leafy suburb, sent my darling children to independent school and got whisked away to the maldives during half term.

JAGS? Good god it’s a fee paying comprehensive for those too poor,and too illiterate to go to a proper school north of the river

Surely if you can afford Brixton you can afford huge swathes of suburbia, or somewhere further out on a trainline. You're hardly trapped there - not financially anyway. East Grinstead has good schools I believe?

You don't say.......

The charter schools in Dulwich are good. Or used to be at least. I’ve moved away now.

In fairness, JAG parents don’t excel at much. maybe this is as good as it gets

It honestly isn’t. Maybe a bit tongue in cheek but I’m genuinely saddened by the options, I look at the huge forest school they’ve got and find myself wishing for a far more boujie lifestyle than my life choices have allowed.

Im guessing you have nanny back in economy, don’t worry they have much more of a sense of community back there.

Why stop at first class, even if the nanny is in economy! Surely any decent fantasy should include a private plane with a very handsome pilot at the very least. There are lots of optional add ons that you could consider too!

Yes. I’ve been looking at these. And Judith Kerr school/ Dulwich hamlet/ dulwich wood. I’m not sure we fit into the catchment area and all are oversubscribed, but I think we will put some down on the list

Teaching overseas in a prestigious private school. As long as it does IGCSEs and either A Levels (there are international A Levels) or International Baccalaureate she'll be eligible for UK uni. Teachers are usually offered free places for their children as part of the package.

There are some good indies in Hull and East Yorkshire.

Might be worth it if lots of the locals choose the independent schools

I’ve been to visit relatives in Brixton a number of times in recent years, it’s mostly a very nice area. It’s gone through a lot of gentrification. Love the coffee, love the parks, just a nice vibe. Kid friendly, neighbourly. I’ve not specifically looked into the schools but there are plenty of playing fields, cricket pitches, and tennis courts around.

I say this is a tongue in cheek thread or you are very unreasonable.

I was literally just fantasising about this. I was on the local private schools’ websites seeing if there’s any way I could afford it. I don’t think my 2 day a week job in academia will cut it though 😂

The facilities just look so nice and they have forest school, sports facilities and mfl teaching in nursery.

Why not move out to the suburbs? Much bigger houses, better schools, loads of greenery. Cheaper than Brixton

Many applicants though.

Quite clearly the OP is being lighthearted. I’m enjoying it even if you’re not!

Staff discount in independent schools - good plan. It has the advantage that you can find out what’s going on in the school and can leave if you don’t like it for your child.

I wonder if the more successful schools offer smaller discounts, and vice versa.

ETA: you might find one which runs school trips to the Maldives, or your child can become friendly with someone whose parents live or holiday there, and invite you both over.

@Dellspoem Children don't need private tuition or private education, and this is more true than ever because of the internet. Everything that a child needs to know can be found online.

I never had a tutor or private education.

Private schools are about social connections and getting to know wealthy parents with high flying jobs who will then offer your darling baby girl an internship/first job in whatever field she likes when she is looking for one. I’m afraid info you can get off the internet (?) isn’t going to cut it.

Weird comment, says a lot about you to pass judgement on over 2000 parents. What would like us to excel in? We are not competitive with each other and have no desire to move forward North London.
I am sure someone will come along to say trot out the old adage of eating disorders but not come across any issues that are in excess of any school.

@Dellspoem - there are many excellent schools outside London if you are not limited to the area.
I hope you find a school that suits your DD, whatever sector it maybe in, single sex or co-ed. It’s a travesty that some parents have choice through finance, post code, religion whereas others get no choice at all. I acknowledge my privilege in that sense. Teachers and schools budgets are struggling (many threads on MN alone).
Excellent education should be available for all and it would be for the benefit of our society as well as the individual.

🥲

True.

A friends child won a full scholarship to a private school, amazing facilities and opportunities to try sports like sailing. Some of his classmates were super rich and he felt the income disparity a lot and it affected his self esteem. He asked to come out after a year or so for a regular school, much to my friends dismay. But he was so much happier after. I think sometimes its nicer to be one of the more well off in your class in a regular school than the poor kid in a fancy one.

Are you talking about the same brixton?
When DH invited his parents to come visit we had to walk past a man pissing in a bin