AIBU to discuss A level success without private school spending?

[Absorbthecost]

Parents/carers who have not spent a penny on Educating their children and they have just received great A level results.

The sacrifices made all the struggle,

I’m interested to discuss families where the child has succeeded without need for private school

https://www.gbnews.com/money/private-school-fees-soar-vat

https://www.ft.com/content/091b214d-231b-414a-8f3e-9ef9fc021926?syn-25a6b1a6=1

Those who did pay,

presumably to secure great results at A level

The same kids off to Uni, placements easier to secure as less international competition. Uni the playing field evens.

And now time to pay for Uni,

https://inews.co.uk/news/education/university-tuition-fees-11000-2030-4705197?srsltid=AfmBOorss52PSHD6xJzisWMdeNxcXDen3IrCGS49nnGH1ZyDnmvTOh_k

A child who did outstanding (without spending a penny) the same result as a family who spent £250k + The above article is a low estimation for a selective U.K. day/ boarding.

The kids holding the same result off to the same Uni, How are families feeling!?…. Did you save to help towards the Uni Fees/accomodation.

It’s a bit weird you see things like this - people don’t send their kids to private school for just the grades?

should your argument be true,

times are changing and the external image of independent school has been damaged.

internally we already know what the problems are. We receive the begging letters (emails)

To summarise

If you’re on a free ride or heavily subsidised by the other full fee paying families.

Of course it’s value for money and you’ll fight for private education.

If you’re rich and you just want your kids in the uniform and choose to ignore all the “economising” and cut backs your own prerogative.

If you’re a full fee payer who values standards and getting value for money this is becoming dubious, questionable. Many seeking discounts and haggling fees.

If you cannot afford it and your household and children suffer to meet fees, debts, hardship, children noticeably going without whilst state school children live happy, normal lives. This is not the path.

Many different perspectives to consider!

Many more will leave and many more will merge or close I know lots seeking hardship support to the next off ramp. Transition point.

The sweeping generalisations in this thread......

That’s often my experience which is why I always challenge the default hiring policy and try to even out the mix we have. But still the preference for them is ridiculous.

So wrong. They are wonderful and fulfilling and creative careers. So much variety and breadth of work you get to work on. I adore it. No two weeks are the same. So much writing, directing, great shoots and locations and interesting subject matters and strategic challenges. My teams are young and so talented and they love and compete highly to get the roles. Shame you don’t see the value in it. And it’s well paid.

💯

people always compare the expense of it to the results. It’s about so much more than that. The teachers, the calm environment, the extras and the whole experience.

Although this is naturally because he is heir to the throne. His school is irrelevant!

Unsustainable

https://www.isc.co.uk/media-enquiries/news-press-releases-statements/independent-schools-facing-incredibly-difficult-financial-headwinds-warns-isc-ceo/

How do you think they will fund all this “help”?

If you think bullying doesn’t happen in provide schools, I’m sure my dd2 would beg to differ. She certainly experienced bullying in her very academic, highly selective, independent senior school.

I mean I was a motivated, resourceful child who went to state school - it didn't for a second occur to me that I should feel like I'd won the lottery when i got my A Level results.

In my friendship group one went to Oxbridge, one to York, two to Durham, one to Manchester etc. The wider school year results were similar.

I remember a very posh (ex boarding school) lad an uni realising he was on a table with 3 girls who'd been to state school, and the look of shock on his face. I think he thought all state school people went to prison or something!

There are decent state schools...

Is that because they are privately educated or because of the wealth and contacts of their families and the other experiences their wealth has afforded them? Do you see the same opportunities given to poor students who attended private schools on full burseries?

Much as you may dislike it, there can be value in employing someone purely for their contacts.

Bit of back pedalling going on there!

wealthy seek quality and value for money they won’t make-do with economising.

Absolutely agree but I would say that they are less likely to use A-Level grades as a measure of that quality and value for money.

Child happiness, smaller class sizes, tight knit community of like-minded individuals for both themselves and their kids, huge breadth of curriculum, international opportunities, excellent sports facilities etc are how they are measuring quality and value for money.

For the wealthy and connected, A-Level grades will be what they will be. Their kids will do ok in life regardless.

I didn’t look at exam results or university destinations when selecting the schools that my children go to. I knew my kids would get good results wherever they went. I cared far more about them enjoying their childhood and being happy.

https://www.isc.co.uk/media-enquiries/news-press-releases-statements/independent-schools-facing-incredibly-difficult-financial-headwinds-warns-isc-ceo/

Everything economised because fee money from the like-minded is siphoned to the 1-3 hardship support. Set to get worse…..

Contacts? What contacts? I went to private school and I never got anything from the “posh middle class” people I left with. The idea that someone walks out of private school with a Rolodex of contacts is ludicrous.

One friend works in admin at a uni. Another went to work for a charity. Another became an accountant. Another is a teacher in a…. Drum roll… in a state school.

You really have us all down as Boris Johnson types don’t you? Half of us were at state primary. But there was no difference between any of us. Still human beings. I’ve never had a job lined up for me, or made a phone call, or hired someone I knew, or got a tip off about something through my so called “extensive contact network”. Nor have I been hired because I’m private school educated, it’s not on my CV and hasn’t been for decades.

You are imagine a world that’s so vastly different. The thing we paid for for our kids was less disruption and less bullying. Is that a crime? I couldn’t give a shit about all the so called opportunities. I just wanted my kids to feel safe.

I can think of many more worthy charities I’d like to donate to with my money ahead of middle class who cannot afford the VAT!

I can think of many more worthy charities I’d like to donate to with my money ahead of middle class who cannot afford the VAT!

Then take your 10 yr old child and have her attend another school.

Say what now?

Is the question/discussion point:
Some children do academically just as well (or better) at state school as those at private school?
That's not news.
If your child is 10 and at private school and you've just realised likely to end up at the same universities (duh!) as children from state school (the horror!) then you should pdq apply for a state school for them from Y7.
I only just discovered that private universities are a thing in the UK. OP if you do want to keep paying and segregate your child from state school riff raff all hope may not be lost! You can do this!

You’re free to spend your money exactly as you choose. Thats called a free market democracy. Same for parents who wish to spend money on their kids schooling. It’s a free market… maybe you move somewhere more socialist/communist, you might be happier… everyone is the same then, no free market choice. Perhaps that would be better? No private schools but also no consumer choice either. Yes I think Russia tried that didn’t they, how did it go?

If all private schools are so terrible then how can private school parents possibly be “buying grades”?

A state school education wasn’t available for my elder son. If it had been, we’d have remained in the state system.

I suspect there’s a huge amount of generalising and assuming in this thread, likely from both sides of the fence. Not all schools are the same, just like not all children are the same.

Sadly all the good state schools are full and all the independent seem to be suffering the same financial difficulties! As demonstrated by the 40,000 who have already left!

so, you are being choosy as to the state schools you are aiming for, you are not simply going for any state school many of which do have availability?

Like The Royal Opera House?