If you could afford to send your kids to a private school, would you?

[juicychops]

or would you choose for them to go to a 'normal' state school?

just curious what your responses will be

Yes. I hope to send them both to private preps.

I'd like to think I'd say no (DH probably would say no) but if money really were no object, I'm afraid I probably would .

Definitely

CustardCake I am lucky in terms of where I live - very good state primaries, secondary has not very good GCSE results but A level results are very good indeed. Our locality has an area of very severe social and economic deprivation so those kids will be dragging the averages down, which explains the good A level results. However, its OFSTEDS emphasise the good behaviour of the pupils and the nurturing environment, so my DDs will be going there unless things really go wrong for DD1 (in which case she will be transferred quick-smart).The school is literally 3 minutes walk from our house.

It must be so hard for parents who live in large urban areas with catchment area rules that are very unclear and very unfair - at least in our little town there's only one secondary. That does mean no real choice, at least without major inconvenience, but on the other hand the school is working very hard to be the best it can.

If I could afford it I'd have DD in private education. My parents had me in private education for year 6 but couldn't afford it after that. I can honestly say that year was the best out of all in terms of education.

Smaller classes, higher standards, more resources. It was the perfect learning environment.

I am foreign and my education was all in my country apart from 1 year of primary education and college in England, but I would imagine it would be the same everywhere.

And that is what makes me so sad about the system here in the UK - why can't we deal with the underlying ills that end up creating sink schools? I'm from Holland, where the differences between rich and poor are much, much smaller - here in the UK, successive governments of all colours and persuasions seem to think it's perfectly OK for the bulk of all the wealth to be in the hands of a tiny minority whilst the rest of us either struggle on or give up and go completely feral. It's very depressing.

Which is why I wouldn't send my DCs to private school, even if I won the Lottery. It's a corrupt system and if I had the choice, I'd just opt out.

Unfortunately, since people who can move will move, sink schools are here to stay.
Once a school gets a reputation as "failing", any students with promise are usually moved to other schools, only people who cannot move stay, and the school's job in raising standards becomes harder.
The best schools get better as they can effectively choose the parents who are most invested in their children's education (who would move within catchment, attend church etc).
I speak as a parent who kept my DS in an "Unsatisfactory" school as it was kept in special measures, for 2 years, then moved house within catchment of several outstanding schools when DD was starting school and watched them both blossom educationally.

I can and do. Reception class size of 6 being the main reason.

pointythings, I thought like that too.

but with DS1 seriously slipping through the net (literacy age of 2 years younger than he is, in SATs, complicated SEN), I decided to take action and move him to a prep school, because of the smaller class sizes. It's a very un-snobby prep school. Some parents call it "State school Plus" as it is "cheap-ish" and teh main selling point is smaller class sizes and good results in y6 despite being none-selective.

Not ALL private schools are snobby and poshy, this particular one seems to cater for lots of kids who are failed by the State system (BIG intake of new kids in y3 and 4 says it all, most parents tried state schools to start with.)

I'd love to have really clever kids who would do well anywhere (and parents of those sort of kids seem to especially dislike private school, but it's easy to say if teh State system works for you!).

Only if I could easily afford to without giving up holidays, working two jobs, scrimping and saving, etc.

I don't think its fair to put that much pressure on to young children's shoulders.

I know a few people who have given up lots to send their children to private school, and, as a result, the pressure of their expectations is too high.

I'm a great believer in going to the local school along with your peers. In our case the local school is not great but on the other hand it has recently left special measure (again) so I live in hope!

When we lived abroad we made a conscious decision to send our DCs to the local school to help them and us fit into the community rather than sending them to the Bristish school. No regrets for having done that.

I suppose if we were to win the lottery then we would probably move so I suppose that then we might consider private if that was what our neighbours were doing.

Not for primary school as from what I have seen the prep schools round my way have far too much homework and I wanted my DDs to have fun and relax in the evenings. I did have private school offers for them both in case they failed their 11 plus. So I suppose the answer is yes but only when necessary.

I could afford it but won't be. Very happy with the State school provision here thanks!

Chandon I can completely understand where you are coming from WRT to SEN. I think the policies of subsequent governments of pushing SEN children into mainstream provision have all been about saving money and have been completely misguided (and that's putting it politely).

I just feel that it should not have been allowed to come to this.

The thing that worries me most about private school is the networking aspect of it - the fact that it is going to be easier for some people to get into good jobs because of where they went to school, when such things should be allocated purely on merit.

No for primary. On the basis that in our situation:

• we live in an idyllic village where everyone goes to the local primary and the school is very much part of the community
• private schools are 20+ miles away which is a hell of a commute for young children and that plus all the homework they would get, would mean they would never get time to do anything with the family

Yes possibly for secondary or a little before that, as it is imo a completely different ball game at that age.

No. Mine all went to the local village primary and then onto the catchment comp. There was no 'choice' which made it easier. Everyone we knew did the same. Until I discovered MN I didn't realise it was such an issue for some.
I have two who went to what I now know are good universities.
Two who chose the apprenticeship route after A levels.
Two still at school.

All my 6 went to the same schools. They all did/are doing well. Only one DS had any trouble with bullying which was awful at the time and if there had been another option at the time I might have considered it. But then I'm sure every secondary school has some issues with bullying etc.

No, I don't think so, not until Y7 at least anyway. We have excellent state schools in our area and the dds are very happy.

I would only consider it if my children were particularly gifted in a specific subject and the private facilities would aid them better, or if they were seriously struggling / severely bullied at the local state.

Private school does not guarantee success nor does it guarantee immunity from problem children. The small class sizes are nice in the younger years, but even then I believe there is such a thing as too small a class - both socially and kind of educationally.

No. I want my kids to have friends from all backgrounds.

I went to both state and private schools and my state school friends are just as successful - more so in fact - a lot of 'successful' private school friends seem to have come by their wealth thanks to some healthy financial leg-ups from their family. Nearly all my successful state school friends seem to have become successful in their own right. They are also - dare I say it - generally more down-to-earth and somewhat 'solid' in their friendships. That is only my observation though and I'm sorry to generalise.

Have to say though that if dh and I still lived in the city we previously lived in, I would probably have sent the dds private in a heartbeat. I agree I'm speaking from a v privileged position!

If I did have the money (and if I had kids!), I would homeschool.

I don't think that state school is great unless it's small. Small is found in private schools, so I guess the next option would be that.

No-or not unless they were being failed by the state system.

You don't usually get a variety of backgrounds in state schools, practically impossible with class system and catchment areas.

Yes I would and have.
After two state primary schools that really did not do the job we got a large bursary for a prep and sent our ds1 there. The difference is amazing and he will actually have a chance of reaching his potential. It's so lovely seeing him happy and enjoying learning again.