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Original poster

Would you send your kids to private school if money were no option?

277 replies

Beetroot · 04/02/2006 20:04

and if so why? or why not?

Mine go to a private school. I justyfy it tom myslef becase they are specialist musicanans, they have 'special needs' which would not be fufilled in the state sector (round 'ere anyway)

Was totally against it though, until I fell into it by mistake!

OP posts:
ScummyMummy · 04/02/2006 20:06

No. Unless they were very unhappy and only private school would make them happy. And I'd take quite a lot of convincing about it, I think.

Angeliz · 04/02/2006 20:06

I was against Private education until i had children.
My dd goes to a Private School as it's simply the best School in the area and we can afford it. I do feel that we are incredibly lucky to ba able to make this decision.

Roobie · 04/02/2006 20:08

Without a doubt .... because of class sizes, extra-curricular stuff, pastoral care etc etc. The non-selective schools round here are rubbish and I simply don't want my kids going there.

Latz · 04/02/2006 20:10

Went to a grammar school miles away from where all the kids around went - probably would have done as well at local comp - feel i missed out on my old friends who thought i was posh - how wrong can u be. Their loss obviously!

emily05 · 04/02/2006 20:11

Yes I would. The secondary schools in my area are crap and my closest one was threatened with closure this years for being in special measures too long

Yorkiegirl · 04/02/2006 20:11

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LadySherlockofLGJ · 04/02/2006 20:11

Not at the moment,,,,,,,,,,,,DS is in an excellent primary, there is only spit between his school and one just up the road, and that is a beacon school.

His little friend, goes to a private primary and the considered opinion of a mum who did Nursery there but primary at ours is that the the local private is not specialised, so achieves results re reading early etc., but she said that she now felt that her DD was being educated as a whole person at our RC school.

Prufrock · 04/02/2006 20:12

At secondary level yes, and I will be doing so. At primary level no - at this age I think I can have a good enough influence on their education to make up for the problems that a state school may have, and that the benefits (IMO not being snobbish, being part of the village community) are worth the slightly worse academics.

Mercy · 04/02/2006 20:17

I agree with ScummyMummy. And 'money no option' is never going to happen in this household, so it's a complete non-starter for me anyway.

Dh adn his siblings all went to private school. Fat lot of good it did him - and he is by far the brightest of them all.

chipkid · 04/02/2006 20:17

yes-I do send ds to a private school simply because of class size. He is in a class of 16 with a teacher and a classroom assistant. The reception year is 30 children. If he went to the local state school he would be in a class of 30 and a reception year of 90
He has a particular need to be kept on task-so felt he would get lost in such a big class.

Original poster
Beetroot · 04/02/2006 20:21

What about developing social lives in a mixed environment. and our children expericening first hand difficult situations, either because of disability or social problems. You don't get this at private schol!

OP posts:
Angeliz · 04/02/2006 20:22

class size is one of the reasons i love dd's School. She in a class of 12.

Clayhead · 04/02/2006 20:23

Agree with Mercy.

dh was privately educated and more anti than me.

hercules · 04/02/2006 20:24

If we hadnt havent got ds into his excellent state school, then we'd have gone private. His state school is far better than an awful lot of private schools imo because it's not pushy academically, has an outstanding pastoral programme, is very caring and kids do very well academically.

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 04/02/2006 20:25

we do have the money and they won't be going to private school. Partly because I want them to grow up fully exposed to the norm; partly because I believe state education is the best way of achieving equality of opportunity for all children; and partly because I believe they will do well there - the main influence in their lives is their parenting and home environment - not school. Having said all that I don;t judge about this issue because if I truly truly believed that dds were deeply unhappy and badly underperforming and if I truly thought there was no state option that could address their problems I would consider paying. It would be a last resport though and I hope desperately it never happens. I'm also non-judgemental about this because I know I am lucky to live near at least some decent state schools.

LadySherlockofLGJ · 04/02/2006 20:26

Hercs

Do you live in S W Surrey ???

drosophila · 04/02/2006 20:26

Only if my child had special needs.

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 04/02/2006 20:26

Beetroot - you said the social thing better than me - I said the norm, but I also meant diversity, if that makes sense

TambaTheTemptress · 04/02/2006 20:27

Yes, as I think that they would recieve a better standard of education.

Im not sure whats given me that opinon you though!

rarrie · 04/02/2006 20:27

I will deffo do it for secondary. Would like to for primary too, but unfortunately can't afford that.

I'll do it for the small class sizes, and the more focussed nature private schools often have.

Not too fussed about meeting lots of other types of children, The brownies can fulfil that need but IME, children seem to stick with the same. Used to teach at one state school which was made up of a very rough 'town' contingent and rather posh villages outside it. The rough town kids stuck together, as did the posh village kids... They just used to look at each other with contempt! Not much mixing went on there!!!

cod · 04/02/2006 20:28

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Socci · 04/02/2006 20:29

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chipkid · 04/02/2006 20:30

beetroot-you do experience disability at private school. One of the children in ds class has a disability.

Socci · 04/02/2006 20:31

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cod · 04/02/2006 20:32

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