What would convince you to send your children to private school?

[MistyFied]

Ok, I'm applying for a new job and it's in a private school. The main objectives are to recruit new pupils (from age 0 in nursery to 18 in 6th form) and to increase donations from alumni and parents alike.
I know some people would never ever go private and that's fine but what I would like to know is are there anythings private schools could, or should do, that might make some of you consider it for your children?
Thanks for your help!

So seriously some of you (even if you had he cash) wouldn't send your kids private even if your only state option was awful???

We moved ours out of our local state primary because it was awful & they were achieving nothing there. It's been well worth it.

But as they finish private primary they are both moving on to a good state comp which I'm really pleased about, but if we had to we'd have kept paying for private rather than send them somewhere terrible.

Yes it's unfair that we could pay for a decent school, but it's also unfair that our state school was so bad in the first place.

In addition you have to then scare the parents shitless about the state system and how crap it is. Continually tell tales of children rocking and headbanging from stress in the corners of state reception classrooms. Tell parents all children in the private school are at least two years ahead academically [yeah right] and that their little genius will die of boredom and never get to Cambridge if they leave. Tell them that it is quite obvious even though the child is two that they need to play the violin otherwise they will go insane from lack of intellectual stimulation. Then tell them state school children don't know what a violin is and have never heard of sports. That should work as a plan.

Pastoral care, small class sizes, academic excellence (and by that I don't mean a pressure-cooker environment where it's all about league tables and Oxbridge entrance - but being in an environment that inspires intellectual enquiry, creativity and excitement about learning). A sense of tradition - of connecting with those who came before you and the ones who will follow. In the case of girls' schools, a strong ethos of pride and confidence in being female.

"I would not want to raise a child who lived in a rarefied bubble, alongside other privileged kids. I would also not want a child to be academically hothoused (in this I do realise that a lot of private schools are not academic in the least)."

Attitudes such as this a) grossly generalize, and b) conflate two completely different problems. Yes, there are private schools (mostly boarding, mostly country and vey vey posh) which create a rarefied bubble, but they don't tend to be the academic ones. And the academic 'hothouses' don't tend to be 'bubbles' at all - St Paul's Girls' School, for instance, has an extremely diverse student body, with students from all backgrounds and ethnicities, many of who travel from the other side of London to attend.

Just sayin'.

Ignore comments from those who would never consider private education on principle. That sounds harsh but in terms of you getting the job and doing it well, they are not your target audience.

Firstly, I'd say know your market. Is the school in an area already saturated with indie schools? Or one where the state options are considered dire? Your approach will differ upon the answer to these. If local schools are considered very good then your job will be harder and you'll need a different approach.

Are there any high charging, well-heeled day nurseries in the area? If so, it would be worth your while targetting there. A leaflet drop or even holding a seminar here explaining how sch fees are likely to be less than they are currently paying in daycare may help.

If the local primaries are very good you need to emphasis what you offer above and beyond. How does your sport and music provision compare? At primary level in state schools, kids will average 2x45min sessions of PE and often this doesn't always happen and is the first to go to allow for assembly/show practice.

Can you emphasise small class sizes? What about extra-curricular? Middle class parents love pictures of things like infant children pond dipping and collecting things in the woods. What are your school grounds like? If you go 0-18 I'm imagining they're excellent so make the most of them.

Perhaps suggest an infant 'outdoor' kit. (one of the things that convinced me was seeing how they had all in one kagool type things in school colours which the infants wore to go walking/collecting in the woods which are part of the school grounds.)

Lots of info and pictures showing us how subjects such as history were 'brought alive' with elaborate displays, artefacts and visitors who came 'in character' as people such as Henry VIII. It wasn't just talk either and my kids love this stuff!

I would suggest looking at not only that schools website, but also that of the competition.

"The main objectives are to recruit new pupils (from age 0 in nursery to 18 in 6th form) and to increase donations from alumni and parents alike."

As several others have said, it is an obvious plan to get them in young. Once they are on board, they are more likely to stay. Make the provision for the very young comparable in price to childminder/nursery but, once they are hooked, ratchet up the prices.

Make alumni and parents part of the community, not just a cash cow. For example, they can be an excellent source of careers advice and work placements. That is the sort of add-on that can give Independents the edge over State schools. It may cost money to organise but it is worth it for the future pupils that it brings in.

Oh, and also.
The best (and cheapest!) advertising for any school is current parents. Keep them happy and they will tell their friends and family. Upset them and they will tell the whole county!

I would have said that it would take a lot to persuade me - strong believer in the comprehensive system and all that. However, ds1 has attended a number of courses at various private schools in our city recently and always does very well. It is enabling me to get my head around the fact that he might do very well in one of these places which have such eye wateringly good facilities.

Someone from MN recently said that money spent on secondary education is better spent than on University fees, which also got me thinking.

I would add the mention of any specialist teachers - my DS in Yr 5 has specialists for all his subjects. It's great to have a History teacher who really loves the subject, for example. Sports lessons with dedicated teachers who really teach you to play rugby, netball or whatever. Learning support included within the fees (up to say 2 sessions per week) - it's crippling when it's charged separately and a surprising number of children in a non-selective school need some sort of support. Music lessons at school, including choirs. I think the issue of behaviour is highly important, and also the wish that the children will be really engaged in their lessons and wanting to learn.

If i had had the money i think i would have. my ds1 19 is sitting upstairs after having left local college about 16 weeks ago with HND in web design. He cannot find a job,any job.If he had been at private school A he would probably be at Uni getting a degree or B would still be more employable because of private school education on his Cv

Hooks that might work:

1. Zero tolerance to bullying
2. Development of each child's USP (be it sport, academia, music)
3. Wrap-round care extending overnight - if applicable (our DC's school lets day pupils stay over on ad-hoc basis - much cheaper than babysitters)
4. Peace of mind regarding continuity of care - no joining the frantic fights for places at 7, 11 or 13 - continuity and consistency of care for 15+years
5. Ability to educate children without restriction to govt-set criteria
6. Class sizes, and ratios by year
7. Emphasise how extra tuition - if needed - often is part of the package
8. Emphasise social mix if appropriate
9. Think of targetting outside current school reach. EG Russia, India, Singapore, etc

Other areas where I think there is an opportunity for indie schools to develop themselves more are:-

1. SEN - if school could adapt to offer one or two places in each school year (which is potentially doable given class ratios) then you could market to both the parents of SEN children and other parents (many of whom do worry about lack of social inclusion).
2. Financial Investment on behalf of parents. Because schools have charitable status they can obtain higher returns on investment than parents themselves can obtian (because no income tax applied) and this could be used to obtain full fees upfront on a discounted basis
3. Give examples on website of how much it costs at each stage by monthly direct debit
4. Acknowledge on website that cost is a factor and address is. Explain that parents can get all the uniform in the second-hand shop (and that this is normal) - poit out appx uniform costs if purchased second hand. Explain that music costs X extra each term, but that only Y% of kids do it so it is not stagmatised to opt out. Explain that although sports kit can add up, parents are saving money by not having to do extra-curricular activities. Just provide loads of info
5. A good marketing technique would be to put up profiles if you can find families ot agree - and put in a good social mix - eg the single mum who wants her son to have lots of male/sports influence at school and who works to cover fees, the family with 3+ kids who want to be able to drop off all their children at one place and pick them up together, the busy working parents who want their children to have a strongly combined school/social life and who want to know that homework, sports, and extra-curricular stuff is all covered within the school day and that they do not have the stresses of organising this on top.
6. If I would change one thing about my DC's school I would get them more aligned with the 'real world' - charity work in their spare time, working with homeless, supporting elderly that kind of thing. Even bob-a-jobbing type stuff
7. instead of renting out school grounds to summer camp people, do it yourself - hire the camp staff and offer day camps throughout holidays (not just 3 or 4 weeks) so that working parents can have this covered.
8. If you have the grounds available think about settign up a 'forest school' as part of the school - sending kids out for a morning a week to learn how to climb trees, build camps, light fires, etc (google it if you want more inspiration)

Fundraising - this scares parents so need to break it down into small numbers. Lionk in wiht parental community to do cake-baking, coffee mornings and suchlike. Look maybe for company sponsorship - many city firms 'sponsor' bright children in East End schools - see if you cna get the 'Barclays' Bursery, the M&S bursary, etc.

Can I just thank everyone again for taking the time to help me out on here. It's actually quite dramatically changed the way I was going to do my presentation and I am feeling a lot more confident now. It's really quite moving that so many people I don't know have spent time to help. Thank you all - I will be on here with virtual drinks if I get the job! xx

My parents were staunchly anti-private schools and my gut feelings are still anti.
That said, DS1 attends a small private school (self-esteem issues).

DS school said No homework for under GCSE age and work set in ability groups (mixed ages) from yr7 (or yr6 for more able children). DS is bright & with well-behaved class sizes of 9-10 why would they need homework, especially at primary age?

DS has had some homework & having seen the timetables I can see the work is NOT set by ability and mixed age groups at secondary -- I am biting my tongue 4 now.

I am hugely put off private schools with elitist overtones and who set lots of homework that they DEMAND must be done -- if I wanted an exams factory I could easily find that in the State sector.

To attract lots of money OP, you need to promise high results. That's how it works. You can dress it up nicely, but it comes down to salesmanship.

Good luck wityh the interview.

DD has just started reception at a private school. If you had told me that a year ago I wouldn't have believed it.

1.How much it costs i.e how affordable it can be. Ours is cheaper than the private nursery. People are used to paying nursery fees - for us it's just carrying on an expense we already had.

2.Get them in young. Again nursery fees subsisdised with govt early years grant and childcare vouchers will be on a par with other pre schools.

3.Set up for working mums. Before after care is cheaper than alot pay in state and very flexible. Holiday care is offered at a good price. Notice of events given well in advance, total package.

Sorry not much time but ....

children who are enthusiastic about their work and play and welcoming. When I visited with DD a girl came racing up to us in the nursery class, took DD by the hand and asked her to come and help her with the model volcano they were making. DD was obviously enthused and really enjoying herself playing with them.

Good facilities, links with the local community (eg DD's class do PE lessons once a fortnight with a class of autistic children from a local special school), well behaved children both in and OUT of school (I rejected one local school because we saw a few too may fights and bullying episodes at bus stops) and excellent pastrol care.

I am from the US and private school doesn't hold the same stereotype as it does here. Average people fork out $36k plus a year (!!)financial aid/loans. But if I didn't have any options state wise I would try for one that is more inclusive, also the small class size appeals to me. I just cannot afford it.

Oooh I love threads like this. It gives people a reason to attack me (which I secretly love). Tell prospective parents that:

1. Your school teaches Maths and English instead of Gardening.

1. You have teachers and TA's to teach the students (rather than getting more able class members to do it).

1. You have competition and Sports Days. Not everybody will win a nutricious carrot for taking part. (my personal favourite)

As you might guess, I took my DS out of a state primary in Y2. Thank God.

Good luck.

Where was the state school, bigfoot, 1810?

I do trust they'll be teaching the modern spelling of nutritious at your ds's school.

(Yes, yes, I know, cheap shot, but really...)

I thought it looked wrong when I typed it

Nutritious
Nutritious
Nutritious

I'm glad he wins medals now and not carrots though.

Depends on the school and its market and those two very different functions. Bigger schools recruit very experienced fundraisers and they may not be the same people seeking to increase numbers of applicants.

I've paid/am paying for 5 children from 3 - 18. I like a school in the top 20 in the country of all sectors for A level results which is consistently maintained over 10 years or more perhaps as a starting point. But those schools mine went to don't really need to sell themselves.

If it's not doing so well look at the local competition and try to work out why. Things like local advertising, raising the school's profile in the local press, articles in locl papers about wrap around before and after school care which can make it cheaper than a state school if you're a full time working parent who woudl also otherwise need a nanny or au pair etc etc

No homework at pre-prep and prep stage

One of the most prestigious prep schools in the country doesn't set homework and has normal length school days (in case anyone thought their day was longer hence no homework).

Wraparound care vitally important. That was the deciding factor for me. State school offered nothing, private school did 7.30am to 6.30pm.

Flexible curriculum.

Such questions are usually academic, because for the vast majority of people it is not a question of "being convinced" but of having enough money.

It's very telling that there are ten times as many discussions on here about the "choice" as there are about the actual ethics and added value of paying for education, and the knock-on implications of this. There's a vocal minority of us who stand up for supporting state schools, but we are usually shouted down.

Sometimes I enjoy the way MN seems to represent a broad cross-section of society, but it's always the private school threads which leap up and whack me in the face to remind me that no, in fact, it's mainly a cosy little middle-class bubble.

Hello UnquietDad - I was wondering when someone would come along and start beating us with their big state school stick.

C'mon - I'm on a roll tonight!

I see it as more of a carrot