Parents from private schools

[freakazoidroid]

We are considering private school for our dd. She is already at the nursery of the school we like and is due to start in reception in sept.
What I am worried about is the community of a private school. If she went to our local primary it would be more like that.
Can anyone please say what their experiences are? Have you made good friends with other parents and socialise with them?
Also we are not loaded and do not have a massive house and lots of nice holidays. In fact holidays would not occur much if we go private.
Will this hinder my dd at school as she gets older with her friends, will they pick on her for not having the lifestyle?
Thanks!

manicinsomniac suggested that there would be poor children - the teachers' children!!!!1111

oooookay. I think it would be actively shit to grow up thinking that the poorest it gets (that you are allowed to be schooled near) is a teacher's child. That's all.

I didn't mean for this to turn into private v state , hence the title for parents at private school.

I agree with ElaineReese (and Seeker). Can't understand why anyone doesn't understand that teachers' children doesn't equal properly poor!!!

Send your children to private school by all means but please don't pretend that anyone can do so should they just scrimp and save a bit.

I'm ignorant?? now that's funny.

The op asked for experiences of private schools, I don't think she said 'if you don't like private schools and are really bitter about it please come and post' did she?

It's got nothing to do with who my children are allowed to be schooled near, it's to do with class sizes. If the other 8 children in my dcs' classes are the children of the Prime Minister, teachers, factory workers, shop assistants, hairdressers, pilots, chemists etc etc etc I don't care, I just care that there are only (circa) 8 of them.

Never said they were poor I said they weren't rich.

Do you private school also encourages confidence?
What about the small pool of friends?

I'm not 'bitter'!!! Just stating facts.:)

Think definitely encourages confidence, at ours they do school assemblies from about 4 years old and do them in front of the whole school (from reception to age 18) so get used to playing recorder/singing/speaking etc in front of a large audience. A different year does a the assembly each week.

School pool of friends can be a problem, in dd's class there are only 3 boys so it's more difficult for them, the school has recently introduced boys so this will get more even as time goes on.

You really need to go and have a look round though to get a feel.

8 in a class? Bit claustrophobic, I'd think.

Not you Mottlecat was talking to Elaine. I totally agree with your facts and the way you put them.

9 Elaine. 8 + 1.

Wow, why do people hate the fact that some people can afford private education and some can't? That's life isn't it? Some careers pay more than others, some people are born attractive, some not so, etc etc.
We are about to pull out of private cos we can't afford it anymore. I don't suddenly hate the others who can afford to stay.
Lots of people struggle financially to go private round here cos the comps are scary places! I know - I work in several of them! That's why I sent mine private!
OP - there lies the root of your question....What kind of area are you in? Like us, where state schools are bad and lots of people struggle to find the fees, or affluent where state schools are ok, but people go private anyway??
Go for it and don't worry!

I think my dc's school encourages confidence but the most important thing it encourages is kindness and most certainly not arrogance.

We also have 18-20 in a class - personally for me - thats a good number and i wouldn't want much less.

I do feel Seeker has had a hard time on this thread but not really sure of the backstory - but anyway hope you get the result thats best for your DS.

And do people really think private school is an option for a lot of people - I'm very aware its only really viable for a minority.

Yes sorry OP, I didn't respond to your original question.
At my DCs schools you certainly wouldn't stand out if you don't go on foreign holidays.
2 children (out of 15) in my DS's class have full bursaries.
In DD's senior school over 100 have some sort of bursary, over 50 are on a full bursary and the average fee remission is over 80%.
People drive all sorts of cars and no one notices or cares.
People live in all sorts of houses and no one notices or cares.
Don't listen to Seeker because she's talking out of her arse she has no direct experience of private schools.

Threads about private schools always end up like this!

Back to your question OP, it depends on the school. At ds's prep (he's now at an independent secondary) the children were lovely but the parents were a mixed bunch. We live in a small house, one (new) parent gave us a lift home one day and never spoke to us again! I did find a few parents quite rude, they would interupt if I was speaking to the head but I also found this when I moved him to a state primary. Generally speaking, they were friendly. I did find the fact that everyone lived so far away though as it made getting to parties and play dates very tough. The holidays are long so ds did get lonely.

Ds is now at a brilliant secondary but I don't speak to any of the parents as I don't know them.

I think everyone else hijacked it by attacking seeker, to be honest!

And yes, I'd thought that the 'eight of them' included the child in question, but I see I was wrong. Nine is a much, much bigger number and not claustrophobic at all. Apols.

No, sorry but that's not true. She said on page one 'but not poor (pupils) obviously'. Which is both inaccurate and inflammatory.

Elaine - Am I here sneering at classes of 30? No. Am I here attacking people who chose to use boarding school/state/private? No. So please show some courtesy and take your snide comments elsewhere.

I was going to leave the thread. Then I saw this.

"I feel sorry for Master Seeker that his best is not good enough."

What exactly do you mean by that, amerryscot?

Why were you going to leave the thread Seeker?
Btw, I meant it when I said I wished you all the best for your appeal. Your DS sounds like he's a very clever boy and I genuinely hope that you succeed in getting him in to the best school for him. I totally understand that you are looking out for the interests of your child.
It's just a shame that you can't extend other people the same courtesy.

JordanBaker: you may not like Seeker wading in with anti private school views but stating that 'poor' pupils don't attend private schools is not 'inaccurate', it's true!!!

The vast majority of people cannot afford a private education for their children, even with scholarships/bursaries, however many examples people may give on here with scrimping and saving/no foreign holidays/driving an old banger/not having a flat screen tv.......for most people (not including myself, I might add before cries of sour grapes erupt) it is completely out of the question to educate their children privately, they simply cannot afford it.

Do what you like: just don't claim that 'all sorts' of children go to private school. They don't.