Private school from year 7: thoughts?

[starzzzz]

DS is coming to the end of his time at primary school; it's neither been a resounding success or an abject failure. He's certainly clever and has been identified as G and T (I take that with a huge pinch of salt) but he has consistently had no trouble academically. His teachers have described him as thoughtful, quiet, mature, sensible. He has been known to 'explode' a bit under pressured situations - it's really unusual but it has been known for him to burst out with something rude/inappropriate if he feels someone is haranguing him.

Friendship wise, he has never really had enemies. Always got on well with everyone, some minor bullying in year 3/4 but soon nipped in the bud. But he doesn't really have a lot of friends either. The other children seem to like him but don't include him - this is problematic as they get older as things like parties become more for a select few than for the whole class. So for example if the children had to choose a partner no one would mind working with him, but no one would choose him either.

Thinking to the future, then, we had initially thought he'd go to the outstanding secondary that is local to us. However, DH is keen to explore the possibility of him going private.

My main hesitation over this is that I'm just not sure what value for money it is: when added up, the total could buy DS a house aged 18! The school we've looked at really is lovely but I do believe bright children will thrive anywhere.

I don't know really, I'm mainly interested in the thoughts of those who choose to educate their children privately, and why?

I really don't think so.

The cuts to sixth form education have already had a detrimental impact. The rest will follow.

Even the very best SLTs cannot hold the tide. The cuts are too deep. Too many teachers leaving.

We're at a real crossroads.

The government are getting away with it in part because middle class parents do not wish to accept what's going on.

I too would be worried if I was a parent of school age children about the way state ed will be financed and what further cuts will have to be made over the next decade. Unlrss of course the government have a radical change of thinking or we get a new goverment of a different political persuasion which I think is nye on impossible. If and it's a very big if there's any spare money kicking around its likely it will go the NHS/social care (as it should) which has long gone beyond "the bones of its arse", with a staffing crisis of gargantuan proportions and a very expensive aging population that the private sector won't pick the bill up on.

The growing pressures on state schools also apply to many private schools - increased pension costs, increased minimum wage (may affect cleaning staff, for example, and put pressure on for wage increases higher up the scale), fewer people entering the teaching profession, a shortage of headteachers, inflation outstripping wages, so parents can't cope with fee increases, etc. It's not as if it's a clear choice between underfunded state schools and a wholly healthy private sector. Unless you can afford the obscene fees of the most expensive private schools, which offer far more than most can either afford or need, then you need to carefully consider the long term financial viability of all the schools you consider, the subjects they offer, whether they can actually afford to continue with those choices, the support they provide and how they are staffing themselves. Can you really afford to prop up a cash strapped private school which is suffering increasing costs? Or would you find it more affordable to make voluntary donations to a cash strapped but popular state school?

I think it's what this appalling government wants - a system where "state" schools are not just funded by the state... sod those unlucky enough to have children in schools where the majority of parents can't afford to chip in.

The DfE hasn't even bothered to try to work out what the minimum cost per pupil is for a decent education. It has no idea and has admitted as much. Why, after all, would you need to bother to work that out if you don't actually care whether or not schools are underfunded?

I agree that there are already some struggling independent schools. But this is (relatively) easy to check.

Independent schools can at least take some measures to alleviate the recruitment crisis and the added pressures of the new public exams.

State schools are not allowed to avail themselves of these measures and are being forced to deal with some very choppy water on significantly less cash. Ridiculous!

Dealing with pressures by raising the school fees wouldn't be great for some private school parents, though...

Of course.

But there are other measures they can use that are cost neutral. Could even save money. Measures not open to state schools.

And if a private school deals with it by reducing subjects offered, increasing class sizes, selling off land, increasing the time before equipment is updated or replaced, etc, then that's a lot of money for a parent to pay for it. Might as well give the money to a state school which is already getting half of its costs paid by the state, if you want to throw all your money at education. (Cynical face)

There doesn't appear to be much evidence of independent schools doing that.
There are far more obvious solutions.

There is plenty of evidence of private schools doing exactly that.

Making it an excellent idea to question everything you are told by any school you consider.

Not as a general trend there isn't. The sector has in fact been significantly investing in equipment/building works for example ( some might say unnecessarily so).
Keeping classes small has also remained static.

But any one can check an individual school. It's relatively easy to see where and how money is being spent, class sizes and subjects offered.

Yeah - it's easy to seemwhere state school costs are being spent, too. You won't see, yet, what will be happening in the next few years in private or state schools, though, when the squeeze actually happens. Private schools are going to have to do something about that, too. If you think private schools will carry on as they are without doing any of the above or raising fees, you're relying on a fantasy.

It depends on the specific schools in question ESA rather than "private" versus "state", surely? I returned to the UK and found that my local (excellent) state primary school had a long waiting list so went private for DD's primary years. I didn't feel that she was encouraged sufficiently to excel, because there was an assumption that if children didn't pass the eleven plus, they could continue in the private sector. I'm a sole parent (no contact/maintenance) and that wasn't an option.

DD ended up at a grammar and did very well and is now at a RG university so all fine. Many of her friends went to a supposedly highly rated private school and basically dropped out with drug problems - rife in the school, I learned afterwards. I actually felt guilty at the time that I couldn't offer her that opportunity. Obviously it's not as simple as that and I am unfairly looking at these as examples and am aware that many children do brilliantly at private schools. It's such an individual decision.

I agree many independent schools are struggling to cover their costs. You should read the accounts of any school your considering (ours were sent all parents every year, they make interesting reading staff wages were the majority of the costs), if the schools you're looking at have charitable status which most do, then they're accounts are published on line, Think on the charities commission website, if they are not charities but limited companies then again their accounts are published on the companies house website, or ask to see them they should be willing to show them to you and if necessary explain them.
Most independent schools raise fees every year often by more than the rate of inflation this thread is worth reading, some have experienced a massive hike in fees, again ask the bursar how much fees have gone up in the last five years

I can only speak from my own experience.

My teens go to our local (outstanding) secondary school, they are thriving academically and very very happy. Have a wide circle of friends and lots a varied friendships. They are predicted and achieving excellent grades.

Friends' children attend private schools nearby aren't getting any better grades or achieving more than my children are.

I think it's a no brainier, if you are in the catchment for an outstanding school that is achieving good results then that's the obvious choice.

If he isn't thriving currently why do you think that will change? He's doing OK. He's not thriving.