will a normal child do well anywhere?

[thepowerofvoodoo]

What is better about private schools? i've read through lots of threads on here about private schools and know a lot of people "in real life" who send their kids to private schools and wouldn't consider anything different. i suppose i look at it from a different angle as i went to bog standard state schools (many, as my parents moved a lot), a mixed comp and then did a degree at oxford. so i suppose i see it as "it didn't stop me doing well" and that my parents (not that they could have paid) would have just wasted their money. i suppose i also believe a child should want to do well for themselves and motivate themselves rather than be artificially pushed.
i look at the area i live in and ALL the primary schools are OK - there's none in special measures or anything, so will be sending my nearly 4 year old to whichever he gets into.
Is is just a matter of where the parents went (state or private) the children go? Some of my friends haven't even considered state because they didn't go to state school. I suppose I'm the same because I'm not even considering private because I didn't go.
I just don't see the point of paying for something that is available for free (but then I'm a tight arse). What am I missing?

A bright kid with no additional educational needs won't do well anywhere, but probably at a large percentage of state schools.

However, the private sector can polish up some pretty mediocre pupils. I went to a decent comprehensive, was a high-achiever and now in top profession, quite literally couldn't have achieved more. A poster girl for what the comprehensive system can do, but what I've found in my work, from interaction with my colleagues, is that there is a minority of people who just aren't that bright and they were universally educated at v v expensive schools. Had they gone to my school they'd have been middle of the road - good private schools can produce amazing results.

What's my point: sometimes you get what you pay for! I personally am glad that I was state educated - it's made me who I am. One thing I resent is that people constantly assume that I went to a very naice school because I'm a high-achiever! I was vehemently anti-private til I had a DS with Sen, now i'm much more pragmatic and I'll do whatever it takes to provide the education which suits my children.

as you've said OP you were actually not a "normal" child in any way.