Private versus state school - views please?

[Candinha]

Our 3 children aged (3, 5, 6) are currently in a private school but we have been considering other state schools in the area? We are very pleased with the level of teaching, sports etc but obviously it would be much cheaper to access free education. Has anyone been through the same dilemma? Bear in mind we leave in a very rural part of the country. Thanks

It depends entirely on the school. We have an outstanding primary school in our village. No-one sends their primary age children to private school. Quite a few do for secondary though.

OP this has been done to death on here I will be amazed if at the end you'll be able to make a decision. Many people feel strongly one way or the other and will post very persuasive comments.
Lots of factors come into play the obvious one is can you afford it? Fees get more expensive as they get older and you bill could look quite frightening by the time they reach senior school. Secondly can you afford the sort of school you would like to send them too? If you've always dreamed of your DC's attending a big name boarding school you will be paying in excess of £100 000+ a year.
Thirdly do you have good state schools in your area?
Fourthly do you have any good independent schools in your area?
Fifthly how hard is it to get into either?
Sixthly what sort of education do you want? A mega pushy exam factory or perhaps your drawn to Steiner ed? Or do you want single sex?
The list goes on. You need to answer all of these questions to help you decide.
My DC's have been in both independent and state ed IMO there's crap in both even so called outstanding ones in both sectors may not suit your child but again IMO at the very very top end of independent ed. if the environment works for you DC it cannot be beaten and is worth every penny.

It depends on the schools you have and if the cost of private is too high.

These threads never go well due to the strong and often biased feelings on both sides.
If you have a good state school which is logistically accessible and where you're children will be happy then it makes sense to use it.
If the private school makes the logistics easier, if it has wraparound care on site which makes it easier for you to work, if it's results are much better and you can afford it then why move the children?
As you live rurally what is the local state school like? Is it big enough for the children to be taught with other children of the same age, is it big enough to have sports teams and compete both within school and against other schools? Do you know anybody who has children there and can give you some info?
What is the current school like? What are the differences? What are your plans for senior school?

Your children are young enough to change schools and settle and make new friends so it is a case of which option works best for you and your children.

You need to think about their whole education and work out the best options for you as a family. What the secondaries like? Are you likely to want to go private for secondary is so would it be better to save now? What are journey times like? What does the private school offer that the state primaries don't and vice versa?

It totally depends on the schools concerned. It's not about private or state, it's about the individual schools. If you go state, you will probably have to pay separately for some things that were included in the fees at the private school, which involves more organization.

In about 10 or 20 posts time, someone will come on and tell you about their awful experiences at a comprehensive 20 years ago and how they would rather beg on the streets than use the state system.

Someone else will come on and reply that you can't extrapolate from one experience to all state education and that people in private have also had bad experiences. And that there are good and bad in both sectors.

What others have said: if state options are fine use them. If not and if you can afford private then not. It so depends on what you have.

Oh boy I should've anticipated this... I'll try and answer some of your questions and it might help me with our decisions. Basically the local village school is not an option. It's a welsh school (although that wasn't a problem for us) but they were simply weak on maths and literacy after school activities and sports. We were very disappointed with the level of teaching so moved them to the private school last year as we couldn't get places for all of them in the only other school with good reviews and reports in the local area ): now the private school is good and we can afford it till year 6 although it's tight as we are not mega wealthy just hard working parents. I guess I am also anxious about moving them again and looking at school reports there aren't many options around here. I guess I am just weighting the financial stress against a good education and whether it's all worth it at the end of the day.... Don't even get me thinking about high schools... I think we will need to move then. Thanks for everyone's advice

I suspect most who pay experience "financial stress" of some description even if it's self inflicted. It just depends if in your view the benefits out weigh financial stress.

oh ffs OP just make your mind up - this just ends up in shouting

This type of debates don't bring out MNs nicest people!
OP decide what you personally want and expect from education, look at the logistics, look at all your options, you'll never get everything but hopefully you'll get most things.

Doesn't not don't bloody predictive thing!

Candinha, happy is right - best to assess individual schools that are options, and not try to assess 'private' v 'state'.

We looked at both in our area, and the school we liked the best, and that could support what we wanted for dd1 the best, happened to be a state primary - and not the one our 'neighbours' liked best, either! You really do need to just visit and talk and listen and ask questions, then trust your gut.

Because there are better state schools, and there are better private schools, and it totally depends which one you're comparing to which. And to the individual child and their/your needs.

As your children are quite young and you have already moved them once from the village school to the private school I think you have to consider some stability for their sakes. Whilst young children resettle quickly and easily make new friends, it isn't good to continually move them in search of something better (and then perhaps be disappointed when you get there and want to move again).
If you can afford the fees then I think you should stick with it for as long as possible. The problem with continually moving around is that different schools will be doing different topics at different stages and the children's learning could be affected as well as the upheaval of leaving friends behind etc.
I really think the issue is less private vs state education and more what is right for your children and I feel that stability should be the priority.
If you start struggling to pay the fees then obviously a school move will be necessary, but I personally would not move them again unless it is necessary.

Thanks everyone fee slightly more stressed now so we'll end this one I think...

Just one last thought I do think stability is probably best for now thanks norudeshitrequerided!

No problem.
I had the same decision to make myself after moving from state to private and paying fees which are a financial stretch. But at the end of the day I concluded that I was happy with the private school (wasn't happy with previous school) and my son was happy so the most important thing was to maintain that happiness and provide some stability by not moving again before senior school.
It wasn't really a private vs state decision for us, more a 'what is the best available option for my son' decision.