Private schools/ what do dcs do?

[morethanpotatoprints]

Just wondered what children at independant schools learned and if it was the same for all.
Parents, do you know what you are paying for? I ask as many parents complain they have no idea what dcs do all day.

My dds (at prep) bring home a weekly newletter which outlines the main academic focus for the week as well as highlighting trips, sporting achievements and giving reminders for extra-curricular activities etc. They have a homework diary which needs signing by a parent and teacher weekly. Obviously, this lists homework daily (which also gives you a good sense of what they're covering in school). There are open days and parents evenings where all the work is laid out for you to look at. All work then brought home at end of year. Mini reports (with grades) termly I think, with more detailed reports (including exam results etc) maybe twice a year. My dds tell me what they've been doing all day though. Maybe harder to get info out of boys?

I don't see how a state school could get good Ofsted without reasonable communication.

DS private school often failed to answer the phone & didn't have an answering machine, either. Emails were better for getting msgs thru, but not perfect.

We didn't know who was driving his minibus (I paid for transport). Eventually I got a mobile number for the driver because I wanted to be courteous when DS was going to miss school & bus shouldn't wait.

Fee (sent by cheque) went missing in December & we weren't informed until April (I know, should have noticed cheque wasn't cashed, but lots of money moves around in December-January).

DS was at the school 2 yrs & I never had a parent's evening, only received one letter inviting us for parent evening (yr6); I emailed with my dates available, no reply. Only feedback was end of yr reports (given out on last day of summer term).

Last 4 weeks of yr7 DS had no time table for Weds-Fri & kept shrugging when I asked him if he had right books for next day.

Latest newsletters not online, either, other examples I won't list, and yes, we were paying for that level of service!

The state secondary DS is transferring to has been a bit poor at comms, too (see my thread in chat where everyone tried to assure me that any state secondary school would be fine at transfers, well Folks, they aren't). BUT (unlike the private school) they are supposed to have a website login with his time-table on it, and notes online about whether homework was done or detention or bad behaviour. I am more than up for dealing with whatever lack of comms they can throw at us. Water off a duck's back, this time.

ps: Other DC at state primary, I get heaps of communication from them.

Fivecandles I thought so re boys and getting info but have become friends with a mum with a DD in DSs class and although her DD tells her all the gossip (who fell out with who, who sits on what table etc), her DD doesn't really elaborate on rthe academic part.

My DS went to spend a day at new private school and on way back from home (30 mins drive) he was able to tell me from start to finish what they learnt/did. without 'ermmmming'.

Mine are taught critical thinking from an early stage (primary), which is reinforced by debate and Mini United Nations stuff in secondary (which makes them more confident). As well as the basics, English, French, Spanish, Maths, Science, they have a very broad curriculum which can include: digital composing, ceramics, art, claymation, video production, play writing and production and other stuff that escapes me at the moment. They also do a lot of sport, both in school and after school. Both girls are in the school soccer team, DD2 also plays basketball.

(We are not in UK though.)

I don't see much difference between the two types of schools in terms of education. All children are taught all subjects regardless of which school they go to.

At the end of the day, the highest mark a child can score on a GCSE is A*.

Plenty of dcs achieve this without their parents paying £20,000 a year to get there.

For example, my dsis pays for her two dc to have a private education and they are currently working at the same levels as my two dcs of the same age in state education.

Both eldest dcs (hers and mine) are halfway through GCSEs and both are so far achieving As and A*s. They study the same subjects, have the same sporting and music opportunities, the same type of school trips, etc.

Possibly, it's similar to payng for private medical treatment. You get the same doctors and surgeons, the same medical care, you just pay more for it because you can. It then takes the burden off the rest of the population who get the same service for free.

It all depends so much on what you are looking for in a school. The independent sector includes such gems as this, where you would not know, and will not be told, what your child is choosing to do.

To find out what your DC would do on a "typical" day at any particular school, you need to ask to see specimen timetables when you look round, ask about subject options (can most combinations be timetabled, how far will they go to accommodate ones that don't fit), see what instruments they have regular peri teachers for, how many theatre productions and concerts they have, how active is the fixtures list, what other co-curricular activity there is, and what is actually timetabled and what is available at lunch-clubs, after school or on Saturdays.

Music, a lot of it (the main reason we chose for her to go private rather than local school): DD2 plays in 4 different bands and orchestras in her present school and has made huge progress very quickly (beginner to grade 6 in under 5 years).

Latin and Greek: DD2 again has benefited immensely from being able to learn these and appears set to keep studying both into A level and probably beyond.

Sciences: Older two DCs are scientific. Local (highly rated) school offered single science award and double at the time (they've since been forced to reintroduce triple science award). NO triple science, no physics at A level- very mediocre.

Ebacc standard: All our local schools looked OK on paper until this was published, when their strategy of discouraging pupils away from serious GCSE subjects became glaringly obvious (11% achieved it at local State school, no other local school got more than 15%, vs 97% at childrens' private schools).

My DCs prep school email us their timetables, have a daily updated parent portal, twitter feed if sporting features are cancelled and Facebook page for you to follow both the prep and senior schools on.

We also have termly parents evenings, half termly reports (with NC levels at which they are working on) and phone calls or emails from teachers or pastoral staff if they have any concerns with your DCs. We also get outlines at the start of each term telling us what they are doing in the main subjects that term.

Mine board so they phone several times a week with tales of how they are doing and what they have done (although DS usually calls when he has been told off and wants to come home)

I get far more out of the older 3 and their school than I do the youngest DDs state school who even though I am there every day and help in school do not tell you anything about what is going on.

I know pretty much what they are doing and when they are doing it, sometimes before them and I regularly amaze them at the knowledge of what they are doing

Oh and what am I paying for? The fact that my DCs have a stable environment to learn in and an education that isn't disrupted with them being put in whichever school has space every time we move (currently every 2 years) with DHs job.

The benefit of this is they get better sporting chances, more music included in the curriculum, opportunities to travel on school trips and sporting tours and a close set of friends who are all in a similar situation to them and know how you feel when a parent is away in a dangerous place and can support them.

Duchese it can vary massively from school to school can't it. Research is so important. At my dcs state school the orchestra and choir travel all over the world to perform. My dd has had some wonderful trips. They did extremely well in Choir of the Year and were featured on Songs of Praise too.

Dd studies Latin and is set to do it at A Level. Also they start studying advanced science in Year 11 and have all the science options at A Level. Some state schools are absolutely fantastic and some private schools are not. OP you need to look at each school on it's own merits and choose the one that suits the individual needs of your child the best.

I think private is good for primary but honestly see no difference at secondary between many private and grammar ( if your in grammar area)

My former grammar ( and now younger sisters - 15 years younger):

3 languages ( 7 to choose from)
Sport ( including athletics/ gymnastics/ swimming) 3 times a week
Fantastic facilities and excellent teachers ( most there for decades)

( obviously different from boarding but not much from day school)

Myself and sisters all attended over the years ( all girls school), and brothers went private as no decent boys grammar and I think parents and ourselves felt grammar was better

I was looking at resources used by ISEB last night, namely Galore Park. The subjects offered appeal to me as they are wider than those offered at dds past state school. I think Latin, Greek and a choice of languages at both basic and more indepth are a bonus too. I am not trying to say that indies are better as I have no experience here (well, not from a parents view) and I don't think it is a question of which sector is better. I wanted to find the differences and believe there are several. I think both sectors do follow basically the same curriculum but for me personally I have found that the ISEB produce resources covering more than the nc.
However, I have decided to use both as I think there are benefits to both and would like to thank those who have responded for keeping the thread polite

Another option is to take the free state education and then just pay for extra curriculum activities after school such as sport, music, languages, etc.

Fairenuff.
We were doing that until 2 weeks ago, dd went to local primary. She was missing so much school due to what some would call extra curricular activities. However, they mean the world to her. I didn't want her education to suffer so now she will be H.ed. School / LEA were good and her absences considered as educated off site but there were alot of them on her stats and she was still missing a lot of work.

Are you asking for the differences so that you can tailor your H.Ed package, then, morethan?

@Duchesse - even if we discount the grammar school (which IIRC you did apply to for your DCs) the best state school in the city got 31% Ebacc which isn't great by any means but it's nothing to do with not hitting the science target - its to do with a school policy (now being reversed) to do multiple languages often at the expense of 'acceptable' humanities. As far as music goes, the music at the private schools in the city isn't actually any better than in the state schools I know about (which isn't all of them of course). THe same teachers teach at both types of school (and privately), myDCs all learn with teachers who also teach at the private schools. The private schools are definitely better at sport though and their facilities are amazing. And the big three anyway all have a great reputation not just for academics but also for turning out nice well rounded kids. :)

Rabbitstew, well sort of for the moment. Although my intention was initially to find out how the education differs from what we are used to and what value parents put on these subjects. DD has only just finished state school and haven't really done any H.ed yet.

@duchesse also, I think you got your Ebacc figures wrong. M got 75% last year. E got 89% I don't for one moment suppose that for either school that was because they were doing rubbish subjects, I think that it's because the measure was imposed retrospectivey and both schools value subjects like music, art, drama, other MFLs than French, etc as well as science. I think that's fine.

Good luck, morethan - I hope it works out well.

Unless you send your child to a specialist music school, I think the number of orchestras within the school itself are a bit of an irrelevance if you have a musically gifted child, since they are going to find far better orchestras to play in outside of school than those which take place at school. They will probably also find better teachers outside of school, too. However, if they don't have a pre-existing interest and you want to take every possible opportunity to persuade them it is a worthwhile interest to pursue, then a school which offers plenty of opportunities for musicians at all levels of ability will increase the chance of your child taking up an instrument and enjoying it. (Not that I want to make the point that your child's school doesn't have to be the provider of choice for everything your child does, or anything!).

Rabbitstew. Thank you very much, I don't know about luck. Maybe something a bit stronger, valium anyone.

Rabbitstew.
I have no idea what will happen with dd, as I have not experienced this with the other 2. They had no interest in music, although ds2 has lovely voice but to quote "You won't get me in a frilly white collar and a dress". He was approached several times, but doesn't regret his choice.
TBH, not even specialist music school would be the best option for dd, not for a while. Her dad and his colleagues/ associates and peers are fantastic and she can really have the best. I know though eventually it won't be fair to expect all this brilliant, often free tuition. We do pay for quite a bit as well.

I have to agree with Xenia, unfortunately though that is. Unless you are extremely lucky in state provision, music facilities and teaching is better in the private sector, as they can attract the best.
Saying that though, a state educated child can have private tuition out of school from the same teacher and pay the same.
Private schools don't pay the teacher all of the fee for tuition, it goes to the school. So the Private school parents end up paying more than anybody else for the same service. So in that sense its swings and roundabouts.

What I don't like is that sometimes in the state sector talent isn't always nurtured. Theres a boy in dds choir sings like an angel. He only has little opportunity and his parents would never pay for lessons. I think they could afford them but may not see the impotance. This saddens me greatly and I tell his mother how well he sings and how talented he is and that he shouldn't waste it. Her reply is thanks.

Our Dc are in state primary. Recently a friend's son moved from our primary to a prep. They compare homework a lot. Ours in yr 5 still get: draw a picture of an orang utan or design an Olympic flame out of cardboard. The friend (in same school year) gets: write an essay on why you think Winston Churchill was voted out after the war. I have since presumed there's a similar discrepancy in what they learn during the day too.

Racingheart. I know what you mean, my dh told me similar as he taught in private sector (but gave no specifics as he taught music). There should be differences if you think about it as the parents are paying for this type of education. The jobs they are likely to go into would probably benefit from the ability to assess Churchill. Don't think much of the alternative though.
Thats not to say that state shouldn't provide equally as good an education and in some cases it does. I think problems arise when people try to compare the two like for like, as they obviously aren't. I would never have/ will send my dcs to a top performing, selective or private school as I don't think they would fit in. That to me is the simplest answer, my own opinion its horses for courses.