Are you now considering private school?

[Effup]

That's it really - if you can afford it - and we can with some cuts. Are you considering private school?

I would get a massive discount if I did as dh works in the local private school.

If this goes on past Sept i might. I would be inclined if I had a year 8 or 9 child but he is already in private.

So far in CV as in all areas, state and private are chalk and cheese. My private boy is in a SEN school so the LA pay his fees. State sector are always saying that the extra funding goes on the building etc. But IMO that is BS. Everything my son needs he gets in private. Including 8.30-4.30 zoom lessons. It's a different world.

Mine is Year 3 going into 4. I could access online schools - I may consider moving from Year 5 anyway.

I have one in a special school (LA pays his fees) and one in private. Both schools have been absolutely superb throughout lockdown, with live lessons via Zoom/Teams and even DS1’s usual therapy sessions via Zoom.

I’m not that impressed with ds school (private)

The expectations have been absolutely ridiculous from some teachers others have barely interacted with the pupils at all.

A number of different platforms used just to make everything more confusing

The provision in school has been very good and well organised but there is no teaching as many seem to believe there is, its supervising pupils only

No. Can't afford it.
I have been paying for Zoom lessons on Outschool and am considering something like Kumon.

I'd have to go full time, cancel all holidays and extra curricular activities so it's not really affordable for us (or the negatives outweigh the benefits) otherwise YES! The local private schools have done a much better job at teaching throughout, got all years to yr 8 back and seem very positive about getting things done.

Also, my daughter has been back for three weeks and is thriving in a smaller class.

No. I went to private school and could afford it but would not send my children to one. Our local state school is ok but if it weren't I'd move house before sending them to private school.

My friend is considering it for her DD who has SEN but they’re still fighting for a specific diagnosis (years down the line). It would have to be a bursary but I’m crossing everything for her because her little girl needs to be back in school full time as soon as possible, for her own sake and for her mum’s.

Plus I think that DC need their friends right now. Mine would not be happy at all to have to cope with a big change at the moment.

@DingoDing why would you not send your kids to private school?

My eldest seems happy to go - said she'll make friends. Before lockdown that probably would not have happened. She said she'll make new friends and still see her old ones at activities etc

But I would miss her friends immensely - she does have a gorgeous bunch of close friends - I never ever had that at primary school. Such a blessing.

No. We could easily afford it but are very happy with our local state secondary.

I'd like to. Sounds pathetic but I cant quite work out whether we can afford it or not, so id better not.

No. Very happy with the provision at our state primary for my DS who is autistic.

I work at an inner city comp and we have provided - online voice-over lessons for all year groups (not allowed to show face in video); work set and marked within 2 days; regular phone calls to parents; provision in school for kids struggling to complete work at home as well as keyworker/vulnerable kids.

I don't really know what more we could feasibly do.

I am really intrigued how all day live lessons are provided when the teachers' own kids are at home with them? Would love to know!

i was really interested in private until we looked round our local state primaries and I was so impressed. I really couldn’t justify the cost of private given how good the state provision is here. However, given covid, I will be paying for some additional lessons in particular subjects that DC1 enjoys and wants to do. It’s opened my eyes to a whole host of options out there that can supplement the normal curriculum. His confidence has really grown through the ones he’s done so far and it helps him explore what he loves.

No but I doubt my DC would be academic enough to get into the private schools around here even if we could afford it. We are currently paying for maths and science tutors for DD (year 10) and she is getting help from her extra-curricular club art teacher (since her school are useless). For DS we are paying for group english and maths tutoring sessions.

@Bobbybobbins that sounds really good! I’d have been very happy with that.

We’ve just signed up our eldest to a private primary, leaving the middle one at the state primary for now.

Lockdown learning and the disparity between what different state schools are offering has shown me that our state school is pretty rubbish. They’re just doing the bare minimum.

@Effup

Main reasons are - I want my DC to mix with as diverse a peer group as possible. Choosing private school would narrow their social circle and I want them to grow up knowing lots of people who are not like them.

It would be much easier and more convenient if all their activities were at school, but I think it's better to do those elsewhere. That way they have different friends in various settings if something goes wrong at school - a falling out, or their bestie leaves, or they get bullied. School can be miserable at times for whatever reason, so I think there are too many eggs in one basket if their world is school and home and not much else.

(Plus I feel that private schools are fundamentally unfair and are a big factor in the UK's social inequality. Even if I thought that they offered a preferable experience I might not feel comfortable taking advantage of that for my family. But have never really thought deeply about this because state is best for us anyway for the reasons above.)

It has confirmed our decision to swop from state to private for secondary, but I’m not going to do it sooner because of covid.

I'd also be interested if any parents with kids in private with poor provision are switching to state, since on the basis of this thread it sounds like state has been just as good for most through covid19 (and is free).

No I’m not thinking of changing to state school as ds is very happy and before lockdown I was very happy with the school

Thanks at @DingoDing

I am wrestling with the ethics of it - honestly it's giving me sleepless nights. Our State provision locally is excellent - I grew up as a second generation immigrant - my parents arriving here in the 60s. Their state education was poor - my mother fought hard for me to go the best State schools possible. They couldn't afford private - even when I did win an assisted place they felt that there would be too many sacrifices.

I imagine a number of my daughter's friends at her State school will end up in Private for Secondary about 15% left at the end of year 2 - it's a big State til 8 school. Her cohort of friends in State school are not diverse like mine were - not in colour or social standing. People move to this area for the State schools - so I've wrestled that in my head.

With outside activities - we will keep her dance as she loves it and all her best friends from State School go.

My DH feels comfortable in the Private School environment he was educated that way - but I felt very uncomfortable on the last one and it's because I saw the privilege that was being sold to us - it concerned me - massively - to the extent I didn't really realise before that how uncomfortable I am with the concept:

Our Covid provision has been ok - it has got better over time and now the school calls us every two weeks and we are able to email the school for help.

At yr3:4 I don't think she will be massively impacted but I feel like I've now kind of been 'dragged' along let's send her private and it's gone too far! Albeit we haven't accepted or been offered a place yet. I'm really hoping we don't get a place. I am scared of also taking her away from her lovely friends.

@Effup
Honestly, if you are hoping she doesn't get a place, your state school option is excellent and you're not comfortable with the ethics of private schooling, sounds like the decision is a pretty easy one!

@Effup
I should also have included your worries about taking her away from her friends, which is an important one. What would be the benefits of moving her?