How important is attending an "excellent" prep school?

[splatsplat101]

Just thought I'd gather some views on a topic that seems to come up amongst the parents in my area.....some (non selective) prep schools seem to have absolutely amazing results and get high proportions of children into the most selective independent schools around and loads of academic scholarships. Other (non selective) prep school seem to fare less well, sending the majority of their intake to the more middle of the road establishments and achieve a lower number of academic scholarships. The parents at the "less successful" prep schools claim they don't want their children pressured and "hot housed" from an early age and would rather they got into a school where they would comfortably sit within the top quartile, ready to work hard....... and that might be a middle of the road school or a highly academic one. The parents at the highly successful preps claim that the superior teaching at these school sets their children up to succeed for the remainder of their school careers in the "best schools"...and that the "less successful" prep school are being lazy and letting down the children? So who's right? (btw - I can't decide which side of the argument I agree on but am just interested in other people's experiences.....

I agree with Josuk that the school matters not just how bright is the intake. My daughter who went to North London Collegiate at 7+ went to Kensington prep before that at 5+. I don't remember random selection at 5. I think there was the usual assessment and interview as at her sister's school - Habs.

I certainly remember Habs saying (or NLCS I forget which) that they used just to have entry at 7+ but found they could tell just as well at 4 as at 6/7 even though no written paper at 4/5 who was going to be good. They just have a lot of experience of selecting. Now you might say that 100 IQ level girls (average) taken in at 5+ are blank slates or those on a lottery and can do as well as only picking the brightest but I'm not so sure. Now my 3 sons' prep schools are a bit more of a different system - wider entry at 3 or 4 and then the school helps direct the parents to the best school at 13+ - so a slightly more comprehensive input at 3 or 4 and then directing the children to the right school at 13+ with a scholarship class in the last year or two for those who are clearly the brightest.

Just coming to the end of older DSs private education. We started with a great pre prep and onto a prep that prepared him for one of the well known private boarding schools. He is late Aug birthday. Not wildly academic. All schools have been the making of him. Great GCSE results achieved. He has 5 university offers. The school will take nothing but his best.

I would not change a thing and it has been worth every single penny.

I don't think that what makes a prep school 'excellent' is it's leavers' destinations. It's a combination of starting intake, leavers' destinations and everything else.

If a highly selective prep school is failing to get children into top senior schools then yes, it probably isn't excellent. But for a non selective this isn't the case.

I believe I work in an excellent prep school. But my current Y5 form group ranges from a child working on P Levels to children already achieving Level 6. In 3 years time I expect the range of schools they go on to to be huge - probably Winchester College to Oundle to Stowe to Kingham Hill to specialist independent schools for SEN.

Our school works very hard to get each child to the right school FOR THEM. I think that's what makes an excellent Prep. Consultations with parents and other schools starts at around the age of 8 or 9. Earlier for parents wanting a very popular school.

Plus it's all the other things - the grounds, atmosphere, ethos, adult-child relationships, activities, excursions, resources, facilities ....

I think that private secondary schools are very good at identifying clever children who are going to do well - irrespective of whether they have attended state primary, "excellent prep" or more "middle of the road" prep. I think that the idea that the prep is going to change an average child into a clever child is a myth - put out by preps to encourage parents to pay.
I also think that there is a lot of nonsense talked about scholarships. With a few rare exceptions, scholarships are worth only a nominal amount. Being in the scholarship class usually just means front loading all the work in Y/7 and Y8, putting pressure on the children to win a prize that advertises the prep far more than it benefits the child. So look for the primary/prep that suits your child and your family rather than the name on the box.

I have to disagree slightly with what you says Ms - our DS late Aug DS was developed very well. Do I think a state school would have done the same thing - no I dont. I went to a state school and it was rubbish (it was a while ago I hasten to add!).

Scholarships - you are quite right 10% off fees of 20-30k per year isnt going to make much difference.

My SIL has just changed her 8 year old privately educated child. Was really struggling in a academic school and it just wasnt right for her. It took them a while though to decide. They were pulled in by the academic achievements and its difficult to accept sometimes I guess that your child wont be one of the 'chosen'.

Certainly talking about the private sector - there are schools for all, just because you have the money to pay for private education doesnt mean you will have a very academic offspring. I have seen it take parents sometimes years to accept that.