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.

My daughter attended private school up to age 16 and we were absolutely thrilled with her 5 GCSEs at grades 4 and 5. She has just passed her level three extended diploma which is apparently equivalent to three grade E A levels. Again we are beyond proud, especially as she has learning difficulties, mental health issues and a chronic health condition that has been extremely challenging this year.

For us the main benefit of private school was that she is still alive. Her mental health deteriorated at state school to the extent that we had to remove her and place her somewhere she felt safe and nurtured.

I'm not in the slightest bit interested in A level results or bragging rights and I certainly don't see private school as expensive day care.

@FrauPaigeI agree with you

It’s a “top one” with waiting lists

it’s still sh*t 😂

Seeing that you have wasted your money I have advice for you. You don’t need to pay much for uni either. There are loads of free or quasi free unis all over Europe with good courses if your kid is really bright. My DS went to one and got a full year at MIT for free too and funded masters now earning a ridiculous amount. Grammar school educated originally. The uni stuff here is all prestige driven too and nobody is forced to sign up there either. It is also lots of nice extras to have, non essential.

I’m not sure what your agenda is. It definitely isn’t how most private school families think.

If you think it’s so awful in the private sector, your child is coming up to 11, so switch to state. It’s not difficult. Everyone is different. Personally I have no regrets spending money on a great education, but you clearly do and have time to do something about it.

I’m not sure what you’re hoping to gain by suggesting that the majority of private school parents are wasting their money when it simply isn’t the view of most of those parents.

Rather than complaining, do something about it. You have the luxury of having the choice; most families don’t. Either switch to a decent private or transfer to the state system.

Your post assumes parents send their children to private school purely for academic gain… I think it’s more to do with the smaller classes offering more nurturing learning environment, giving children better access to sporting facilities and ensuring a well rounded education through enhanced linguistic, theatrical and musical offerings.

It sounds like you may have chosen a bad school OP. That’s must feel disappointing, but there are many schools that are thriving, we’ve not experienced the cutting back you’ve experienced and are thoroughly pleased with our DC school.
Just to add, I got three A* in state.

So this thread is really about the OP ,s little sprog who was sent to private school has not done any better than sprogs going to the local secondary and shes pissed off about it

Why haven’t you left ? Your posts are very strange. Most sensible people wouldn’t continue to pay for something which they think is so awful.

Private schools are good at getting solid results for mediocre pupils.

State school pupils who achieve the same have done so without the same level of resource, spoonfeeding, hot housing so will be much more resourceful and able to deal with the independent study needed at uni.

Private schooling is immoral - if it didn't exist so decision makers had to send their kids to state schools they would be motivated to ensure that ALL kids have a good experience of education.

But there is no comparison cause you can’t directly compare as there are too many variables. I know people who went to state school and got brilliant a level results, I know people who went to private who failed.
there is no guarantee.

people rarely choose private education for the grades alone. It’s the smaller class sizes, the staff being spread less thinly across the children, the co curricular opportunities being just a couple of reasons.

when my girls leave their school and if they choose to go to uni, I won’t feel bitter that they will “mingle” with state educated peers, I will be glad that they are with people from varied walks of life. We didn’t choose private school so they didn’t mix with “commoners”

you seem to have a chip on your should about the private education system that you’re paying for, but there is no guarantee that your child would have the same outcome if they attended state school. No one is being forced to private educate their child!

Unlike many,

I hold my hands up when I’ve made an error in judgment.

I can be happy for others and I respect those children taking on independent school candidates and winning places at the same Uni (for free)

Then why not “correct your error” and pull your child out of private school so they can achieve these top marks in your local state school?

OP, your thread title is a disingenuous. You don’t want to discuss, you want to bitch and winge.

my DD went to state school and achieved fabulous A level results yesterday. She’s going to a top uni, where I can’t imagine she will give a fig about where her peers went to school.

if you regret paying for your DCs schooling, then that’s on you. But, generally speaking, others are satisfied that the educational setting they chose for their DC met their individual needs. If they don’t then presumably they have the option to switch to state.

As already explained once in it’s hard to leave.

All of the smart families holding all the desirable places at outstanding states. Many of whom I’m close friends with they share their kids experiences, work load, This is how I have something tangible to understand I’ve been scammed. It’s expensive Day care.

Nah mate, it’s a shit school, you just fell for the fancy brochure. You would be better off getting some advice from the private school forum on how to find a good school.

My DD’s PRIVATE SCHOOL (is that triggering for you?) has made no cuts whatsoever and has just published its best ever A level results. Academics factored into our choice but there’s no way I would send my DD to a school with good results if it was otherwise not the right fit for her. Also no way I would send her to a school that had constant cuts, poor results and was a glorified day care (think you mean nursery btw) because I want more for my child and would fight tooth and nail to secure it instead of being snippy on Mumsnet.

Isn’t that the PR every single school uses

Our best ever A level results …..

For the £250k this is standard to be expected.

Some children will be fine wherever they go. But others will be bullied and invisible to teachers in large state school classes. So even though these kids are A star students they are unlikely to thrive or achieve their potential in a large state school because kids are cruel and will pick on the ones who are different/not sporty/neurodivergent/shy. So the parents of those kids make the difficult decision to pay for a private school, with smaller classes and they hope that the teachers will be more likely to be on top of the bullying behaviour.

@BellesAndGraceswhy are you so triggered by the OP? You are taking it way too personally!

You’re still missing the point that private school is not just about grades. Smaller classes and lots of attention will help a child reach their full potential though.

You are also not recognising the fact that the private school pupils at the universities you are talking about may not have been in that position without their private education (be that by getting the best grades they can, having greater confidence, or being exposed to different things). You are comparing apples with pears.

But it’s not a PR spin when you can see published results and see their results are improving year on year…

People are starting to pity, feel sorry for those in private school.

It’s not a flex. At least not in UK!

instead of being snippy on Mumsnet

🤔

To get the exact same result as the children who achieved for Free off to the same Unis….

They cant be holding places at the secondary school if your child is 10?
Is it hard because you didnt apply in the normal admission round in October because you didnt knkw your school sas shit then. Is this a new revelation.

It’s not hard to leave. You’ve clearly been unhappy for a while, so I’m confused why you haven’t already looked at the options the “smart families” have.