Why on earth would you go state if you could afford private?

[Schmedz]

This thread is for Maisie and happygardening . I like dares!

[Arisbottle]

I would be interested in your definition of a normal family income. Quite a few of our friends educate their children privately and at secondary level they are paying in excess of 20K a year. Having the average income as a disposable income to fritter away on fees is not normal income.

If we were to do that we would be looking at in excess of 100k in school fees alone.

[Elibean]

I live in a nice leafy area. The local comp was very much a failing one until recently, and no grammars in this borough.

A lot of the nice leafy parents were (understandably, in the end) sending their kids out of borough to grammars in the next one, or to private schools. Recently, probably due to a shortage of school places and an increase in numbers of children in the borough, and to the fact that said comp hit bottom and took on Academy status and got a new name, leafy parents have started taking more interest.....not many, but enough to get a new ball rolling.

I would love to support that ball rolling, as an improvement in the local secondary will benefit ALL the local children - those who can afford private and those who can't. But why on earth did it take so long?!?

[morethanpotatoprints]

Only 3 counties that have grammar schools.

I know of 4 counties in the North West.

Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire, Cumbia. I'm sure there's a few down south too?

[1805]

Well I reckon a normal family income is 0/benefits - to say £25k? I don't know exactly. The money will vary whereabouts you live. We are in the South.

This will open the flood gates I'm sure........

[1805]

Actually - I mean One persons income. If both parent have a 'career' it will be more, if neither/only parent/carer works it will be less.

[Owllady]

because you believe the state school will provide your child with the best education and experience?

my parents were staunch socialists and even though they could afford private at secondary level it really was an over my dead body thing. I left with A's and B's but I think I have undiagnosed dyslexia (it was the 80s and early 90s ) but my sister got the best grades in county.

My son is yr 6 in middle school and is already achieving level 6 in maths (according to mock sats) but is 5a in English. He gets along fine. They have to share their school field with another school, I really don't see it as an issue

I have one in the state special school system and the level of care is excellent, yes the building is crap and the carpets are very father ted but that isn't important when you have a severely disabled child.

so erm, maybe people do that because they want to?

[amothersplaceisinthewrong]

We could have afforded private for one but not two children, so did the only decent thing and sent neither. Luckily our state comps are good and they both did very well.

[LiveItUp]

One of my DC's was in a private school. Hated it, bullied, crap teacher (couldn't hack it in the state system), poor leadership. Moved him to local state school - he adores school now. Happy confident child now.

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

1. Because I believe in state education and want to support it
   
2. Because as well as having no concerns at all about the academic achievements made by my children in state schools, I can also point to experiences and knowledge they've gained from it which I don't think they could have in private school
   
3. Because, notwithstanding some things I'd like to change - misplaced apostrophes on some letters home, policies I change, uniform I don't much care for - those experiences and knowledges, for me and for our family, are worth all those things
   
4. because I wouldn't want them educated in an environment which, as policy rather than default (before anyone says anything about expensive catchments) does not wish to include poor or unintelligent children. I want them to understand, experience and embrace open doors.

[1805]

It's not a sweeping statement by the way. If you only want your children to mix with parents who can afford 10k a year for something that is provided free by the state then don't dress it up. Be honest at least...

That is not why most people use private education. "love". What do you consider me to have dressed it up as? Have to go now, but will check back later.....

[socareless]

This is actually encouraging to see that majority, if not all the posters on this thread have better states school than private schools, and that most of the private schools in your area are crap compared to the state schools

At least the most prolific private school bashers can sleep easy tonight knowing that this so called priviledge that private school users are accused of 'buying' is futile since most of the schools are crap anyway and full of dim rich children.

[MrsSalvoMontalbano]

Elibean - your local comp sounds suspiciously like ours.... if is the same then what people have been saying for years while prents wouldn't touch it with a barge pole and that it only takes one cohort of parents to take a leap of faith ha come to pass. 20 pupils from the local primary across the road enrolled this year - you can bet in 5 years time people will be lying to get in..

[maisiejoe123]

Average income in this county is I believe £25k. To afford private school without any help (busaries/help from other family members etc) certainly down south means you have to be earning in excess of £100k.

Now that certainly means that the majority will be excluded from the system. But is doesnt mean that there shouldnt be an option to go private. We would have NO mortgage should we have used the state system but you make your choices in life, work, dont work, be a SAHP, have 1 child, 10 children but these are choices.

And also remember if there was no private where would all the kids go. Certainly the state system isnt ready for them or indeed have the space unless class sizes get bigger. All that would happen if the private sector went is that the people would buy houses at an inflated price to get into the 'best state schools'. It happens around here all of the time.

My DM's house in London is 2 mins from a tube with parking for residents only. Although literally only a 2 up 2 down it is worth probably another £50k because of the location. You wouldnt need a car, Heathrow one way in 20 mins and Central London the other way...

[Arisbottle]

Well if it only took an income if 25K to pay fees we could afford to put our whole brood through!


It begs the question , if school fees are so easy to pay for why are 93% of the population just not interested .

I suspect because even with a household income at the top of your measure (50k) most people could not afford school fees.

[almapudden]

I think it depends hugely on the parents' own experience of school. A bad experience in the private sector = their own children in a state school (or vice versa). Similarly, a great school experience in a private school = own children in private school (or vice versa, of course).

I had a terrible time at a terrible state school and have since taught in fantastic private schools. Perhaps unfairly, I will be very wary about sending my own children to state schools when the time comes. I'm sure if I'd enjoyed my own time at school I wouldn't be do reluctant to trust my (as yet putative) children to the state sector.

[1805]

Luckily because people think private schools are full of 4x4 wheel driving oiks with rude dc who buy their way into big jobs. Yuck. I wouldn't send my dc to a school like that. By all means stay away!!!

[FellatioNels0n]

Yes of course you need to be able to pay TSC (assuming you don't get a bursary or a scholarship) but my point is that very few private schools (if any at all, in fact) will take anyone just because they have the means to pay. Even if they say they are academically non-selective there will usually be some kind of interview/test to get through and if they don't like the child (or its parents) they won't make an offer.

[Arisbottle]

Do you not want people like me at your school 1805?

Why are you so keen to keep me out?

[maisiejoe123]

Sorry, pressed send before I was ready.

My point is that for all sorts some things are more expensive than others. You can pay 0 for your house and be funded by benefits. You can choose to live in an area with great transport links to make your life easier but you will pay more for it and you can also choose private education because for your children and in your opinion it is the right choice for them.

[maisiejoe123]

Actually for some schools it is fairly tricky to get in. Just because you have the money doesnt mean your place is guaranteed.

A non confimed rumour going around older sons school is that last year a Russian family turned up unannounced with a briefcase full of money, wanted to see the head. They put the case on the table and 'asked how much to get our son into your school'. Whether it is true or not it sounds true...

[Schmedz]

Maisiejoe...if the house is only worth £50K more that would be incredible! We live 2 suburbs away from a particular SW postcode that shall remain nameless! When we were considering moving about 8 years ago, the estate agents told us that a similar size/presented home in the SW postcode would add at least £200K to the asking price. When trying to move again about 3 years ago, it is clear that many similar quality properties in that area are now around double the value of our own home.
We have easy access to the main facilities and transport links of this particular SW postcode so it is an incredible difference in price...sadly not necessarily linked to the quality of the state secondaries, either!

[maisiejoe123]

Hmm - DM would be delighted if that was the case but it is literally a 2 up 2 down middle terrace house. Very small garden at back and no parking. But it is a safe area and really 2 mins from the tube with protected parking for residents using a voucher system. You could literally live there and not have a car at all with all the savings that allows.

[adeucalione]

We could have afforded private but chose state because our local catchment school has such a great reputation.

Sadly the reality did not live up to the hype and we now have all three at private schools.

I don't think you could say I chose private so that my little darlings only mixed with the right sort, as they still hang out with local children and do various after school activities.

I also don't think you could say that I chose private so that I could climb the social ladder - my involvement begins and ends at kicking them out of the door at the right time every morning, and I still have the same group of friends I've had for years and years.

I went private in the end because it was demonstrably better in every conceivable way, and we could afford it. I know it doesn't sit well with people, and people don't want to believe it, and I would never say this in RL, but if you choose a decent private school (top 100, say) then you won't look back.