What do you hope/expect from independent primary + secondary schools?

[Jzee]

Having looked at quite a few independent primary schools I am starting to feel that apart from small class sizes they are not offering much for their fees. I was expecting lage playgrounds large rooms , good IT facilities, good music facilities, varied languages and maybe even a swimming pool thrown in!

BTW I had no intention of going down the independent primary route as I believe that all children are entitled to good free education, but unfortunately that doesn't appear to be an option.

I expect exactly the same from ANY school I would choose for my child - for the school to get the best out of my child and to develop her abilities, wherever they may lie, to their potential.

DD's prep school has small class sizes - 15 in DD's class with a FT teacher and a FT teaching assistant. As a result they get more one to one and can, for example, be listened to reading every day. They do ballet in addition to PE, and from next year (PP2) they begin French lessons. They start It lessons after Christmas in an IT suite. They also have an Art base, a music room and science labs (science labs from P1 upwards). They start swimming from PP2 also but this is done at a local swimming baths. Playground is like any normal playground. Their meals - cooked on site - are included in the fees. There is an afterschool club included in the price until 5pm and a reasonable range of extra curricular activities they can choose from if they wish.

School doesn't do SATs, prepares girls for the common entrance exam instead as more relevant for them. Doesn't follow NC fully either as too restrictive.

Do state schools listen to children read every day individually? I think that's important.

When DD was in reception at her state school as far as I'm aware they did listen to them read individually every day, it wasn't much - a few pages perhaps but they did do it. I know by year 3 they'd stopped this though.

dds' state primary school has classes of about 20-23 (87 children in total) with a teacher and a teaching assistant (two TAs in reception) per class, a huge playground, several outdoor learning area with ponds etc., specialist teaching for art & PE from year 3 onwards, wide range of music tuition provided by peripatetic music teachers. It is set in the beautiful rolling Yorkshire Dales countryside and has just had an outstanding Ofsted report. SO NER!!!

Very true, Batters. For example, just reading Hula's post about the things her dd's school provides - dd1 is at a state school yet started French and lessons in her first term there. She will start swimming next term (in year 1).
However, I realise that this isn't true for all state schools, just as is isn't true for all private schools either.

oops, "French and IT lessons"

Bah humbug to French lessons - wish they'd do something useful like Spanish instead
I like the sound of Madame Pompous , wonder if she is anything like the Mam'zelle in Malory Towers (whose name escapes me)

Thanks
The short fat one was the jolly one n'est ce pas? No stereotyping there at all . I remember being fascinated by the term "pince nez" and not knowing for years what Enid meant.

Very true - not all schools offer the same regardless of what sector they are in. We visited 5 or 6 schools at the time and they were all so different.