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Education

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Original poster

If you can afford it, would you send your children to an independent school?

516 replies

Fiona2011231 · 04/11/2013 20:50

This is a hypothetical question, and I would greatly appreciate your insight.

My question is based on this assumption: In England, if you want your children to have a better chance in life (great success, joining the elites, etc), a good independent school is a requirement. Of course, few have enough money to afford it.

But suppose you have enough money, would you send your children to an independent school? Or would a grammar or a comprehensive school be good enough?

Thank you.

OP posts:
Yermina · 05/11/2013 13:47

Should add - private schools don't have to 'tolerate' low level disruption because they can just exclude/not admit in the first place disruptive children who then have to be educated in the state sector, alongside MY children.

Anatanacoat · 05/11/2013 14:04

Oh yes, I would. I went to state schools (several) and it was a bloody shambles. Complete waste of time; no opportunity for any kind of education. I had to educate myself tbh. I can't see the point of it at all. If not private then HE.

State schools are warehouses. Multi storey kid parks.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 05/11/2013 14:37

I can and I do send my children private. Its not about joining the elite, I am very successful from a state school background (hence being able to afford private schooling). The private school was the best option for us out of the available choices (the DC are not Christian so that knocked out quite a few of the local schools before we started!).

Both of mine are summer birthdays so really benefited from smaller class sizes.

maillotjaune · 05/11/2013 14:41

Bloody hell, "State schools are warehouses"?

Bollocks.

We could afford private but wouldn't pay for private school. By attending local state schools our children will gain from spending their days with the full ethnic, cultural and social mix of their area. The teaching is not automatically better in an independent. The pastoral care is often worse. Thee opportunities for enrichment (of the whole family) would be gone.

handcream · 05/11/2013 15:10

Can afford and yes - we do use. There are some people who believe we should be using the state system. They use it and are fine with it. Well, maybe where they live there are fab schools but its not the same for everyone.

I went to a state school, complete rubbish with no real aspirations for anyone. In a capitalist country there will always be people who can buy more than you. Whether that be education, luxury holidays etc. Its life.

prettybird · 05/11/2013 15:38

What an very presumptuous (and sad) assumption: "if you want your children to have a better chance in life (great success, joining the elites, etc), a good independent school is a requirement." Hmm

Maybe it really is totally different in Scotland but I am extremely happy with the (state) school that ds goes to and fully expect him to do well, be successful and happy .

And for the record, my state school stood me in good stead: I got 6 As at Higher (as did a large number of my cohort) and I went to St Andrews from the equivalent of Lower 6th (my friends stayed on to do 6th Year/Upper 6th and went on to study medicine/veterinary science)

sadsometimes · 05/11/2013 15:44

I do whatever seems to work at the time. For one of our dcs the move from state primary to independent was the best thing we could have done. Another dc is now in independent prep but Tbh would have been fine at state primary and it's been a bit of a waste of money academically. Youngest is in state primary and doing really well and has a lovely year group so there she'll stay.

Doodledumdums · 05/11/2013 16:01

rabbit- Can you explain how public and private are different? I am just interested as I have always thought they were the same?

Talkinpeace · 05/11/2013 16:07

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_England

Anatanacoat · 05/11/2013 16:07

[shrug]

That's my experience. I went to plenty of state schools. They were all like that. In my family the boys went private and the girls went state. The boys got a better education. By miles.

Of course your experience may differ. I'm glad if it does.

BrianTheMole · 05/11/2013 16:08

Yes I would and I do. I'm very happy with dc's school.

Talkinpeace · 05/11/2013 16:10

equalapproach.com/media/43489/Class%20Ceilings.pdf

Talkinpeace · 05/11/2013 16:12

BUT
the majority of FTSE 100 bosses, and judges and MPs and PPSs and Generals went through the system over 20 years ago : things are changing
www.theguardian.com/business/blog/2013/sep/30/ftse-100-chief-executives-school
a bit

but not if Gove has his way

Aquariusgirl86 · 05/11/2013 16:14

I think it would really depend on what the local state schools were like, if they are good then I would put them in state school, if they were awful and failing schools I'd be more likely to pay out for private schools

maillotjaune · 05/11/2013 16:24

Anatanacoat I'm sorry you went to bad schools but some private schools are crap too and I wouldn't dream of making a comment of the 'all private schools are...' type. don't see how anyone can make an 'all state schools are...' statement that can be true (other than 'all state schools are different' perhaps).

Even with experience of 'plenty' of state schools.

Ecuador · 05/11/2013 16:50

The local run of the mill privates are a far cry from the top public schools where the 'elite' send their children. Mine are at a fairly modest fee-paying school and I don't see them rubbing shoulder's with Cameron's children any time soon.

That's not what they are there for though.

bebanjo · 05/11/2013 17:10

We could but choose to home educate.

Anatanacoat · 05/11/2013 20:17

I agree; I don't see anyone making the statement "all state schools are" anything.

I said firstly that "state schools are x". Then I qualified by saying all the ones I went to were x. At no point did I say that "all state schools" were anything. The only thing that all state schools are is state schools.

handcream · 05/11/2013 21:41

My DS goes to a very well known public school. And I am no one at all! My. son is getting the education of his life. Its not all full of the elite.

morethanpotatoprints · 05/11/2013 21:52

handcream

Wow, you surprise me, I thought public schools were only elite.
You learn something new every day. Grin

OP, most parents choose the education that best fits their family.
We are H.ed for the rest of primary, unsure for secondary, may opt for specialist private school.
I don't think there is a right or wrong or better or worse collectively, but rather individual schools or choices.

Talkinpeace · 05/11/2013 22:00

most parents choose the education that best fits their family
Um, no.
Most parents put up with what they can get as they can neither afford fees, moving house or tutors
so they settle for what the admissions code throws at them.

Please remember that half of the adults in the UK live on less than £18,000 a year and half of all households have a total income under £26,000.

NewBlueShoesToo · 05/11/2013 22:12

My children love their independent school. They have subject teachers from Year 4, a wide range of activities, loads of space to play and daily sport. We have never had a morning where they don't want to go.
They are not afraid of competition because the school aims to find what every child is good at.
We do more activities out of school and see other children from all backgrounds.
I hope that we have done the right thing but so far I cannot fault it.

soul2000 · 05/11/2013 22:19

We have just had a "MOUTH FULL" of Public school boys on another thread.
These very people who in 20 years will be the Judges, MPS, Doctors and members of the ruling elite of this country. The reason we have so many
private(Public Schools are Different) is because grammar schools were
destroyed they offered parents at least a chance for their children to get in to the lower echelons of the establishment. Despite the problems with grammar schools being filled with lower middle class/ middle class children
and not enough "Under Class" or working class children. The ones that are at grammar schools have at least a fighting chance taking on the
upper middle/ upper class twats from the public schools who have destroyed this country. Therefore if no grammar school provision exists any parent who can afford it with children of academic potential must send them to a (private grammar school) NOTE NOT PUBLIC SCHOOL...