changing from state to private in early primary - did anyone do it ??

[cora]

Am thinking of changing DS from state to primary as am convinced he will get a better deal. Does anyone have experience of this and what did they find ?? Would be ssooo grateful of a reply.

should read state to PRIVATE primary !!!

We started in private, but there were a couple of transfers in from state during reception year. They all seemed to settle in really quickly.

i transfered aged 11. it was not easy. i think the sooner the better if you are going to change system.

Why do you think he'll get a better deal?

mine all started in pivate, but have seen transfers from as early as reception half term - all seem to have settled well and blossomed.

We moved DS2 from state to private at the start of Y3. Seemed like a good time to do it.

Our children were in private schools all along but in my twins' class each year , year 1, year 2, year 3 they have had one or two new children from state schools who have settled in fine. One was worried he had done no French to date (I pointed out mine can't remember anyway and he'll soon catch up). A few are a bit behind with work but if they've passed to get into the school they're probably clever and soon pick it up. Ours mix the children around into new classes in year 3 so new children also fit in well in that process. Sometimes it's easier to get in when occasional places come up (as parents move abroad, get divorced etc) as there in some ways is less competition than at 11 when everyone piles in.

ds joined at Year 3 , from a private school abroad, together with several others from local infants schools. They've all settled in well a year on , but the ones who moved locally did find it harder initially not seeing their groups of established friends on a day to day basis and knowing many of them were still at school together.

We did it, DD moved after the half term in the summer term of Year 3. Best thing we ever did as she was not doing well in her state school. She was being branded a troublemaker when it turned out she was doing her work quickly (she is quite bright) and then not getting anything else being left to her own devices. Hence getting bored and annoying everyone else.

She settled in well, gets work appropriate to her needs (whether that is extra work because its a subject she's good in or extra help because she's struggling a bit).

The facilities are fantastic.

To us it was the best thing we ever did and DS starts in Jan in the nursery!

Thankd folks - just seems to me that our state primary has alot to a calss and not much individual help and also disorganised.Realise some state primaries are probably better - but it just seems to me that there is more individualised care at a private primary. Sure that others will disagree but fell that ds needs will be better met there (in the private one!). Anyone else wit experience of this ?

Smaller class sizes were the main reason behind our choice for ds but do look out . At year 4 ds' numbers have crept up to 21 in the class although they are split into smaller, ability groups for maths (each day) and spelling. The facilities are far more extensive than at any local state school and the curriculum includes activities such as textiles and metalwork with specialist staff in dedicated rooms. Having not had experience of the state sector I can't comment on the comparison of individual care but our concerns have generally been met with a positive response and support from a team of staff , not just ds' form teacher, all of whom seem familiar with him.

In our case the new school had 16 in the class and all sat in traditional rows facing the teacher, all doing the same thing at the same time. Much more structure and routine, which with a child with ADHD as ours has was much easier for him to cope with.

The school did have specialist teachers from Y5 on for science, languages etc. He did struggle with science because they expected the pupils to make lecture-style notes (& the teacher was a total a*se) but otherwise it was a good move.

That is exactly why we moved DD. Her needs were definately not being met plus DD is very musical and the level of music within the school was dire. The private school she attends is a chorister school so level of music is very high.

Academically they're often 1 or 2 years ahead too. The structured work can be better. If they're all working to the same standards on similar work then I don't think class size matters too much. My mother taught classes of 40 afrer the last war but they behaved and all worked as one so it was easier. In ours they have a teacher and a classroom assistant in the infants part. Obviously things like the fields and sports tend to be better as well as hopefully the quality of teaching. Probably is more individualised care. If you're paying they are perhaps a bit more answerable too to the parents. Thigns like music, choirs, matches against other schools for sports, much more physical exercise each day are probably better never mind quality of the school lunches.

well i hate to inform u but nursery nurses and people who have not been trained to be teacher at uni or college are employed to be teacher in private schools. And u kid yrself that just because u r payin for the education that u think teachers are more answerable to the parents!!! I have worked in both sectors and it completly depends upon the individual school, just because u r paying does not mean yr child will get a better education and just cos class sizes maybe smaller does def not guarantee yr child will get more individual attention. It also depends upon yr child as an individual, some children come move into the private sector and come on in leaps and bounds but this is not the case for all children. Its complete rubbish that private sector r a yr or 2 ahead of state that too depends upon the individual child!!!!!!

That's true. Be careful. Sometimes you pay and get something worse. You need to look at the schools they feed on to and how many scholarships that private school gets for those schools. Most of the teaching is better and teachers can be paid more so therefore the better teachers (unless they're socialists) can be attracted to the private sector. You only have to look at how much better children do in exams at private schools to see the differences. Generally those with most competition for places are better - market forces etc. A private school that will take anyone woh applies and can't fill its places is not usually a good bet.

But in general around here most private schools at primary level are one or two years ahead of the state sector. That may be because we just have a lot of good such schools like Habs boys and girls, North London etc.

I would also ask some of the teachers about private schools in your area. The fact that a significant number of teachers send/sent their children to ds's school helped to confirm my own choice.

That said Cora if ds is in reception then it may well seem a bit disorganised. Have you had a parents evening to take you through what the curriculum is for the year, and how your son's progress will be monitored? The teachers should be keeping individual records, and a look at these may help with any concerns as to whether he is being overlooked.

Also when looking at class sizes do take into account all the adults involved eg state schools will often have parent-helpers in the classroom.

Cora - it's a very personal choice based on what is available to you and what you rate as important.
Not all private schools are good... Ds' year 1 teacher has been named one of the best foundation teachers in the county. She has on several occasions been asked to visit other schools to see what they were doing (and I presume share her best pratcice). She said the worst she saw was the private school which is 500 yards from my house !!!!!! And it's a very popular school with a very cute uniform!

As a postnatal doula a lot of my clients have kids in private education and they have kids of similar age to mine,... I have yet to be convinced that they are (at the moment) better educated than my kids ! Actually they certainly have more homework and some are on top of that IMO pushed too hard and come home at 5PM... they are only 5yo!!!! Activities and after school extra tuition is rampant... sad I think!

My kids' school is not a very good one but I have become governor as I want to help them improve. It is so unpopular that they are 20 kids per year!!!! Great deal I think!
My friend left the school to a posher (state) school and is regretting it as her DS is too pushed ... she also thinks it's too middle class!

Well said Celia -
I totally agree with what you said !

Cora, as others have said, it's so dependent on the schools involved. Private is not necessarily better than state, but class sizes are often smaller which can make the job of the teacher easier in terms of individual attention for all the children.
We have had several transfers into ds' class from Reception onwards (some from state, some from other private primaries with a different ethos) and the children and their families have all settled well and been made welcome by their classmates.
Our school is not academically selective (I know many are but we did not want this). So there is a wide range of abilities, and as all the teachers' qualifications are listed we know that they are all properly trained teachers (or nursery nurses in the Nursery, where that is what is also needed).
I am not sure what you mean by a "better deal". Most of our transfers seem to have been because the child was unhappy at their old school. Even if I thought ds could "do better" somewhere else I would hesitate to move a child from a school where they are happy and settled tbh.

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Why do people who teach in the state system reply to these threads ?

It always surprises me if they have such belief that they would bother reading or replying.