Grammar School or Private School Scholarship?

[MrsDO88]

Which would you have picked?

It depends on the private school and the grammar.

Where I live, I would pick private as they offer a more rounded curriculum. The grammar is uber academic and so, so competitive whereas the private schools are better at art, drama, sports, music. More rounded education.

But can you afford all the extras? School trips? Expensive uniforms?

... and the child, and your finances, and the commutes, and...

With so little info given, it seems you are not really seeking help but just a stealthbrag

If you name the schools, ideally in the thread title, you have more chance of getting some useful feedback and advice

What's the value of the scholarship?

Why on earth would this be a bragging post? how odd. Many people post similar all the time!

I didn't see the point in naming the schools, I doubt people would know them? We're not in London.

50%

Which one do you prefer? Does one suit your ethos on life more than the other?Which one does your DC prefer? Can you afford the private school and still live fairly comfortably?
We turned down a place at a super selective grammar (top five in the country) for a place at a super selective boarding school. The commute to the grammar would have been an absolute pain in the arse but I also wanted a broad education with lots of opportunities both intellectual and non intellectual that were not in the slightest bit related to passing exams. Despite what the staff at the grammar said when the chips were down I felt it first and fore most was a league table obsessed an exam factory and I didn't feel comfortable at the school I'm hopelessly informal or around most of the other parents their ambition for their DCs was so palpable I found it almost scary!

It would depend what the particular schools involved were like. Impossible to say without knowing that.

we were in the same position-picked grammar. My dd felt private school had a cohort that was too small. Also we wanted to save the money for siblings who are less able and not likely to pass super selective grammar tests

private. In my experience grammar schools tend to be of a worse quality then private because they filter out children who are less academically gifted which means their teaching standards dont have to be as good.
I attended both a private school and a grammar school and the grammar school was far more petty and strict. They just got rid of students who were difficult and they did not like whereas the private school worked hard to make sure all students were achieving. Or so it appeared to me anyway!
It does depend on weather you really have the money as well though because the costs of things associated with attending a private school can really add up.
I imagine that if your child is very keen to learn and not in any way wayward then they may do just as well in a grammar. If you think they are going to need extra support or that they may benefit from a more relaxed approach to rules then private is probably a better option if you can afford it.

Agree with MrsBlennerhassett-and Im guessing your child if passed grammar and offered 50% scholarship is v bright and so will do just as well in grammar. Thats why I decided to save money for sibllings who will benefit more from smaller classes. Again depends how easy it is for you to afford private -I would probably go private for the additional -sport/music etc if money was no object or dd was only child.

You need to look at the progress scores. Our grammars are in the highest band and Outstanding so the assumption below is incorrect.

Go onto the Ofsted website and check the grammar school itself.Most of our privates are dire. The one that is very good is also selective, and certainly no better than the grammar equivalent going by data.

We picked private over TOGS because of the pastoral care. I have two other dc, one in a grammar and one in secondary modern.

It depends on the child, school, needs etc.
I am not interested in results over everything else though which seems to be what a lot of people are concerned with.

Unusual to get a private scholarship worth that much in the UK (in our area anyway) so I would snap it up. For the reasons others have said about pastoral care and all round opportunities.

Greenginger,

You need to be a littkle careful judging grammar vs non grammar schools by ofsted rating.

Ofsted rating is often very tightly linked to the percentage of children on Pupil Premium / Free school meals.

If you sort the schools in England by %PP, then those with the highest %PP are all - with a couple of exceptions that are either a) in london so have double the funding of elsewhere or b) faith schools - Inadequate. Those with the lowest %PP are all Outstanding - and are also almost all selective.

Superselective grammar schools in particular have very low %PP in general, so it is worth bearing in mind that the Oustanding rating may simply reflect this.

Locally, the best Progress 8 scores are from leafy comprehensives or slightly less selective grammars ... possibly due to edge effects on data for extreme groups. Progress 8 for high achievers is better at the leafy comprehensives, possibly for similar reasons.

I thought Ofsted graded on achievement,quality of teaching,behaviour and leadership. To get Outstanding you need to get it in all those areas.

Then there are exam results and Progress 8 to consider( not a given just because it's a grammar). If all are very good I wouldn't turn your nose up at a grammar space if you or your DC liked it.

It is simply not true to say that ofsted rating is linked to the % of pupils on free school meals. Factually incorrect. Progress of pupils on fsm is one factor taken into account, but not %. I do wish people wouldn't talk rubbish.

To answer your question I would go for the grammar and enjoy spending the £15-30k per annum school fees saved on something else.

the schools DO matter.
some private schools i wouldn't accept a free place over our local state never mind grammar.

private does not equal fantastic.

Not enough info to give an opinion.

and it also depends on your dc.

are they super intelligent but need rounding?
or are they intelligent but a bit lazy/need pushing?
are they musical, sporty, drama - which may (or may not) be better at the private school.

tbh your OP is a bit ridiculous.

It would depend on the schools and a myriad of other things.

In answer to your question both my children are at a grammar school - it is the best school (imo) for them.

It is worth considering costs of trips, uniform, buses & lunches too. Private school trips can be very expensive & while they are not all compulsory, some are. We have spent between £300 and £800 a year on trips for DD16 since she started in yr 7. I went back to work part way through her first year at private secondary school. If I hadn't, trips would have been a problem. Our school bus is more than twice the price of bus to local grammar and the volume of kit required is also greater and more expensive.
The netball team went on a trip to Barbados, and the lacrosse team went to Martha's Vineyard! I don't have a sporty dd (thank heavens) but she has been on some wonderful academic trips that I wouldn't have wanted to say no to.

Save the money for uni fees? I think though it also depends on which schools you are comparing and whether you have other children to consider. We have 3dc and couldn't send them all private so those can pass will go to grammar school, any who couldn't we would consider private for. One is already in a grammar school and happy.

I resent the comment about teaching in grammars being crap!
There are crap teachers in all schools and all teachers have crap days (When OFSTED still gave individual opinions I got Outstanding as it happens).
However, it really does depend on area. Our grammar school is really quite good at music and sport (Drama not so much at the moment but that's a story for another thread and a name change), better in fact than the local private schools. We end up travelling a LONG way for sports fixtures.
So, in our area, it would be a given that most would go grammar rather than private.
I used to teach in Berkshire. At Reading School. Again good for extra-curricular as well. However, there are some exceptionally good private schools nearby. Certainly better than some of the other grammar schools in that part of the world.
I've caught people making comments about my son going to my school (he's 16 months!!!). I can't possibly decide if it will be the best place for him yet and we wouldn't be able to consider private!

Think about:

1. your family income and where the other 50% and extras (like external exam fees) will be sourced?

2.Have you other children- impact and poss destination of school for them?

1. respective commutes to school-really important when winter, heavy bags and reluctant teenager to ensure commute is reasonable
2. The feel of the schools- the range of opportunities, extra curricula, atmosphere of the school, leaves destinations. In grammar area the private school may be less academically selective but look at the outcomes for the top performers.
3. The preference of your child? Whilst the decision is finally yours, if your child has a preference between two sensible choices, that can be a strong factor
4. The respective strengths of the school. We picked a school where there was a broad offer and even very academic young people encouraged to get involved in arts, design, sport, community etc.
5. The likely effect of Govt funding- all of the evidence suggest that all state schools are feeling the effects of reduced budgets and higher costs. Whilst important to campaign for more investment on state education, this is also a factor to consider, particularly in terms of discretionary spending.
6. the financial stability and sustainability of the private school. In our area, up to 50% academic scholarships are still reasonably common but the private schools vary in quality and a few have closed due to unsustainable numbers.