why choose independant?

[Crabapple99]

Not trying to start a fight at all, just genuinly uncomprehendig. I have had some experience of working in independant schools, and much more experience of state schools.

I would ver ymuch like to understand why some parents want their children in independant school.

So that their education can be peaceful :)

I think some parents choose the available independent school over the available state school(s), because of specific things about those schools.

I don't think most people choose the whole independent sector over the whole state sector, unless they are the kind of people who only know people who went to independent schools, and have some odd assumptions about what state schools must be like.

Real tree:There anr't any fewer dyslexic teachers in independant schools than there are in state schools.

amerryscot, do you think they are more peaceful. Why do you think that? If they are, what do you think makes them more peaceful?

Because I chose the school that I felt best suited my DD and our circumstances at the time, having visited several schools in both sectors. Dd is now in Y5 and we do not regret the choice one iota.

I had no experience beforehand of independent schools as both myself and DH went to state schools and I have always taught within the state sector.

I work in a state school. It is a special school so we are better funded than a mainstream school.

Our budget is so tight that we have cancelled all external professionals that used to come in (dance teacher, multiskills teacher, drumming etc). We used to have a floating support who gave reading/maths intervention, when she left we couldn't re-appoint. We can no longer take the kids riding. We can only go on an absolute bare minimum of trips because we can't afford to hire a minibus. We used to cook every week for the joy of it- now we can only cook when it is very clearly linked with the curriculum because we can't afford the ingredients. We can't have much at all in the way of new curriculum resources. We have had to cut down on the range and quality of art materials we buy. We are very nearly at the point of literally rationing the pencils.

I've seen the quality of the educational experience we provide to out kids fall due to budget constraints just in the few years I've been there. I want to send my DS to a school which does not have to operate like that. And frankly it'll be one less kid stretching the state provision so I don't see why anybody would have a problem with that?

EBDteacher. I've only worked long term in one indepndant school, but the budget wasn't any less tight there than in the state schools I've worked in.Actually, it was probably worse

Hulababy and a MuminScotland, your answers to make sense to me, thank you for your input

• Traditional subjects and learning methods.
• Lots and lots of competitive sport.
• A focus on good grammar / spelling.
• Encourage free thinking and independence.
• Respect and good manners.
• Far less bad behaviour / disruption in the classroom
• Rewarding good work and behaviour.

I have worked in a state school now for 8 years and my DS is going back into the state system at 13. The state upper schools near me, including my catchment school get almost equally good results at GCSE / A Level as the Indies, but for his Primary education, the independent sector has given me exactly what I wanted for him.

Is this rocket science OP ? To get an education of course.

My DH works in the independent sector crabapple and the budget for just his department to spend on resources is more than we have for the whole school.

I do take your point though as many idependent schools are up against the wall. I will be choosing one that isn't and I don't mind paying my whole salary for it.

Because in the state sector this attitude is prevalent....

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/primaryeducation/8958808/Primary-school-league-tables-top-head-attacks-pub-quiz-style-schooling.html

?Why teach them about the Battle of Hastings when they have got Google?"

Three reasons we chose independent over the local state school in our area.

1. Much better educational standards.

1. Much better extra curricular and extended day and after school care.

1. Much better standards of behaviour.

If we were Catholics or had good local grammar schools in our area (that our DSs could pass the 11+ to get into) then that is where they would be going and we would save a lot of money. I don't like paying for schooling.

Smaller class sizes
Better discipline and behaviour
Work which is matched to ability
Extra curricular activities
Teachers who are passionate about their subjects
Better educational standards
Work is marked
Termly reports so I know how ds is progressing
Teachers who know my child
Better range of subjects
More school trips.

Smaller class size - 15 max
Not restricted to National Curriculum - traditional spelling/grammar taught etc
High achievement (school isn't selective)
Better mix of children - state around here are are all white or all asian children - dd's school has a decent mix of races.
Geared up to working parents - wrap around care, notice of events, they understand most parents are working and do not expect you to pop in at 2pm on a Tuesday
Separate teachers for some subjects - french, games, music
Plenty of sport and competitive games
Excellent behaviour standards expected
High success rates for getting children into selective schools at age 11
Excellent with DD's disability
Costs the same as priavte day nursery..if you've paid for the first 4 years you just keep on paying
Costs less than moving to a house in catchment for a decent state school

I chose the right school for my child.

The main thing you get in an independent school is smaller class sizes. The teachers and education are not necessarily better.

No SATS.
Wider range of subjects taught in particular.
Specialist teachers for wide range of subjects.

I would add:
More stretching for ability
Responsive teachers and leadership
Better facilities for sport and the arts
No need for police presence at the gates!

No National Curriculum
No SATs
No league tables
Early and rigorous language teaching
Latin
Extra curricular activities all within school- much easier for me
Chronological teaching of history
Exquisite manners

Thanks for all your input. I'm finding these answers ver yinteresting. Do you feel that independant schools teach better behaviour, or that the children who go have parents who are more likely to have given them this input already - and if the school does influence behaviour and manners, how do they go about it?

Because you get some choice, you get something other than the National Curriculum. You can get Montessori or Steiner or Summerhill or posh prep atmosphere. It's not all standardised procedures with policies up the gazoo written in Ofsted speak.

In our case, I thought that DS needed reliable long-term close pastoral care to deal with some social problems. I simply could not get that from any of our local state options (or indeed most of the private ones).

X post -- Both, the parents are more involved than on average in state sector, and the private schools find it easier to kick them out when they misbehave.

There is a class thing, of course: some snobby people send their kids to private specifically to avoid their DC mixing with Riffraff & make sure their DC do mix with the offspring of the most influential types.

When I first chose my DC's private school, I was sold on the fact that it was my nearest school and the fact that I literally fell in love with it (both the ehtos and the fabric of it).

As time has gone on though, I cherish so much more.

• as lijkk said, you get choice. At secondary I want different types of school for my DC and I can get it.
• small class sizes.
• large year group.
• early, flexible and rigorous setting.
• only a vague attachment to NC.
• strong discipline.
• like-minded parents.
• partnership with school (it's been very important to me to be invoolved in my DC's education).
• high academic standards for every ability.
• importance attached to music, drama and art.
• proper competitive sport, outdoor as much as possible.