Poll? State or fee-paying schooling for your primary children?

[ArsumLardis]

State for us.
I don't want to start a debate (other threads for that!), just wondering where the percentage lies. tia

Ah, now I understand

State, but we checked out the local schools and moved to this particular area when we decided to finally stop roving and settle down because of the schools.

I guess I just think that private schools are generally better. Smaller classes, more choice on subjects (i.e. Latin), and so on... I must confess, however, I haven't really looked into it... yet. The older one is only 3.

Also, I think privatel schools are a bit moreaware that parents are customer and act a bit less like the anti-holiday geschtapo. Also, I think they offer better wrap around care for working parents (a huge plus in my future).

I recently read on a MN thread that you can dith the nanny, take your kids out of state school, put them in private school with before/after school care and break even. Private education for the price of a nanny!!

uwila , ours is actually very anti term-time holidays, if you are thinking private is more relaxed. School is only in session for about 35 weeks a year so we tend to gain by longer holidays before the others break up and after they restart. Agree about the availability wrap around care though, but not sure of the mathematics,and you still have to cover holidays when there is no alternative daycare .

Ah, well it probably doesn't matter, because my dream of having enough money to pay for private is current a pie so far up in the sky it is heading out of the milkyway.

We have chosen private despite having a very good state school in catchment. Infact the three nearest state schools are all very good. We chose private for lots of other reasons. Wrap around care is a biggie for us, and convience and location other major factors.

The school DD is going too does not allow or authorise any term time holidays.

By the way - the comment about not yet looking into it. We had DD's name down for the two prep schools we were considering (at time still looking at state as well) when she was a year old. It cost us nothing and kept our options open.

Holidays in term-time when you're paying fees?

Not many people do at my dd's school, why would you want to waste the money you're paying the school?

Plus, as they get longer hols anyway we always go away outside of the state school hols.

Agree about waiting lists fro private schools - ds' name went down at 3 for theirs and he didn't get an opportunity of a place until 7. So if you are even thinking about it for junior/prep level do so now ! Another local prep school could have taken both kids (year 3 and Reception)with only 3 months notice so it does vary. Most schools would charge a registration fee and then an acceptance fee to hold the place when offered nearer the time (at least partially offset against fees).

state

If you consider a C of E primary school a state school. Oldest son is at a state school too (grammar)

Like MI I consider my support of state schooling is very compromised as neither of my sons go to the nearest state schools for them. We had to meet a specific admissions criteria for the church primary school and my oldest son had to pass the 11+ to get to the grammar school.

Round here you don't pay the registration fee until the year before they are due to start. In the case of the school DD is going to, she was formally accepted in November last year, after her assessment session, and we paid the restritaration fee then. She starts September this year.

Another factor in choice for us is that DD now gets sto start school in Septmeber. . With the state system she'd have to wait until January. She is more than ready for school this year and would have been the only child of her friends, both in school (her main friends) and out (of those her age) not going in September. She wouldn't have been happy being the only one of her peers left behind in September.

Can echo Hulababy and LIZS on the school hols thing. DD's school is open for the legal min anyway so they are extremely strict about taking out for hols. You have to beg to take them out early on the last day of term!

State for both DSs, though have been pondering decision lately.

private for dd.

2 DCs both in fee paying school.

State

2 at state

just moved area & aquired a mortgage to send my 2 children to their lovely church state primary school.

State. Even if I wanted private secondary education for them we couldn't afford it...certainly not for 3 of them.

private for ds1; ds2 starts there September

I just did a count, counting replies not children. I came up with

Private: 29
Mixed: 2
State: 66.

So almost exactly 33% in private.

30% private?