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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

117 replies

Dellspoem · 20/04/2025 22:06

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.

OP posts:
MumChp · 21/04/2025 00:18

Dellspoem · 21/04/2025 00:18

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

Show quote history

Happens all over UK...

saltandvinegarchipsticks · 21/04/2025 00:20

0/10 must try harder

ThatNimblePeer · 21/04/2025 00:25

For the people claiming this is a troll thread - who do you think OP is trolling? Wealthy parents who do send their kids to private school? I expect they’ll survive.

ForeverDelayedEpiphany · 21/04/2025 00:26

My DD won a scholarship and has a bursary at the top private girls" school in Norfolk. We were encouraged to apply for her place by my parents, which i have to say, was the best decision we've made.

She's extremely academic, incredibly bright and Oxbridge material. Literally 10 A*s and 5 As in her last school report. She'd be honestly at a disadvantage at a state school, or even a grammar - I went to one and it was good, but i didn't like it.

I'm not saying all state school are awful. They're certainly not. They're just not suited to what we needed. My DD is truly flourishing and I'm pretty sure she'd be doing quite well at a state school, but probably not as well, nor be as happy.

I understand your POV, but it's not necessarily always what everyone else will agree with.

SnowFrogJelly · 21/04/2025 00:31

Dellspoem · 20/04/2025 22:06

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.

Wind up post

SnowFrogJelly · 21/04/2025 00:32

ForeverDelayedEpiphany · 21/04/2025 00:26

My DD won a scholarship and has a bursary at the top private girls" school in Norfolk. We were encouraged to apply for her place by my parents, which i have to say, was the best decision we've made.

She's extremely academic, incredibly bright and Oxbridge material. Literally 10 A*s and 5 As in her last school report. She'd be honestly at a disadvantage at a state school, or even a grammar - I went to one and it was good, but i didn't like it.

I'm not saying all state school are awful. They're certainly not. They're just not suited to what we needed. My DD is truly flourishing and I'm pretty sure she'd be doing quite well at a state school, but probably not as well, nor be as happy.

I understand your POV, but it's not necessarily always what everyone else will agree with.

Edited

Wow

what a boaster

Original poster
Dellspoem · 21/04/2025 00:32

Hwi · 20/04/2025 22:50

You can try the cheapest private day school in the UK - the Glasgow Academy, but you will have to move I suppose?

Just checked this and wow, it is so much cheaper than lots of schools. Surely there’s a market for cheap private schools. Like in the French system/ schools like jacques prevert

OP posts:
Flyflyer · 21/04/2025 00:32

Are all the wind up merchants bored over the long weekend?

ForeverDelayedEpiphany · 21/04/2025 00:37

SnowFrogJelly · 21/04/2025 00:32

Wow

what a boaster

Show quote history

And? I can be proud of my DD.

Hankunamatata · 21/04/2025 00:37

Check out prep schools in NI. About 6k a year or so in fees then because of the grammar system, if kid is bright enough no fees for high school

Only a private school is good enough for my darling baby girl
Original poster
Dellspoem · 21/04/2025 00:38

ThatNimblePeer · 21/04/2025 00:25

For the people claiming this is a troll thread - who do you think OP is trolling? Wealthy parents who do send their kids to private school? I expect they’ll survive.

Those thinking this is a trolling post are letting on too much about themselves

OP posts:
ForeverDelayedEpiphany · 21/04/2025 00:39

SnowFrogJelly · 21/04/2025 00:32

Wow

what a boaster

Show quote history

Nothing wrong with me on an anonymous forum saying this. I don't brag about it like this in real life. I'm just giving the OP some kind of context.🤷‍♀️

ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 21/04/2025 00:41

I was at private school. I hated it. I was adamant my dc wouldn't be going to private school (despite my dad offering to pay) All 3 have done well. Really, it's completely over rated

Original poster
Dellspoem · 21/04/2025 00:45

ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 21/04/2025 00:41

I was at private school. I hated it. I was adamant my dc wouldn't be going to private school (despite my dad offering to pay) All 3 have done well. Really, it's completely over rated

Can I ask, why did you hate it?

OP posts:
OOlivePenderghast · 21/04/2025 00:50

@ForeverDelayedEpiphany ooh what school? I am in Norfolk and have 8 years to train my 3 year old dd lol

ForeverDelayedEpiphany · 21/04/2025 00:55

OOlivePenderghast · 21/04/2025 00:50

@ForeverDelayedEpiphany ooh what school? I am in Norfolk and have 8 years to train my 3 year old dd lol

Norwich High School for Girls 🤩

sofasoda · 21/04/2025 00:55

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

Come now, Brixton has changed a lot.

Move for secondary schools

Nextweektoo · 21/04/2025 00:57

How come everyone is being so nice?!

Excited101 · 21/04/2025 00:59

JAGS isn’t very nice, Alleyns would be better… ^misses point of post^

Leafy3 · 21/04/2025 00:59

shuggles · 21/04/2025 00:04

@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.

Education is about much more than simply having access to information. And in general the internet is not a great source, especially for the uneducated.

Crazyworldmum · 21/04/2025 01:01

Move to a better area , use a normal school ! List of is did just that so our kids have the best growing up .

SnowFrogJelly · 21/04/2025 01:02

Leafy3 · 21/04/2025 00:59

Education is about much more than simply having access to information. And in general the internet is not a great source, especially for the uneducated.

Show quote history

Agree education is about much more than getting multiple A* and As it’s about learning to socialise with everyone not just rich posh kids

BusyBeatle · 21/04/2025 01:08

‘Exactly I want to be whisked away! And if possible I want to sit in first while the nanny sits in economy with the kids.’ 😂😂😂

Leafy3 · 21/04/2025 01:09

SnowFrogJelly · 21/04/2025 01:02

Agree education is about much more than getting multiple A* and As it’s about learning to socialise with everyone not just rich posh kids

Show quote history

You appear to have assumed I'm a big believer in private schools and that my comment was about children developing important social connections. Perhaps you confused me with another poster?

My point was about the fact that there's a whole lot of crap on the internet, misinformation is at an all time high and children won't learn the analytical or critical thinking skills they need without some instruction.

Education is a discipline in more ways than one.

PowderRoom · 21/04/2025 01:11

I’m sure she’ll muck in just fine at the nearest comp, flight path or no.