Private vrs State

[michellez]

We are considering to send our first daughter to do the International Baccalaureate to a day coed private school. However we also are very lucky to have a state school that also offers the same course. The average grade in the state school is better than the private school, so what would the benefit of a private school?
I noticed that none show the average grades that includes both private and state schools together. Is this then a social network reason? Is it to give our child a boost in confidence that all people from state schools said private educated children come out with?

You are really fortunate to have a great state school offering similar academic results, I would do some research around the ethos of the school - culture, music, sport, drama etc before making a final decision. Good luck!

People choose Private schools for a variety of reasons, for us it was that the only State provision available wasn’t suitable for DD.
So in your position we wouldn’t have gone Private but your choice needs to be based on your own circumstances/child

Are you in a grammar area OP? In some grammar areas I know the independent schools are places where children who missed out on the state grammar 11+ end up but parents who can afford fees choose private over a worse alternative.

Also careful that you are comparing apples with apples. One independent I know does IB at Sixth form but has iGCSEs so they do badly in league tables as IGCSEs aren’t counted in the same way. Also if comparing sixth forms, how much movement is there between schools? I know of more that one sixth form that does amazingly well but takes a good number from other schools so the foundations and good education were not all from the sixth form.

In general some of the reasons people choose private over state are: smaller class sizes, more outside space, sporting opportunities/ regularity - most private schools do some sport every day in lesson time - in state this is not the case. As op said due to a child’s needs not being met in state provision, because they can afford to do it, social mobility etc

Why would you go private if your state school has better results? Also universities are looking for good state school candidates. If you send your kids to a private 6form they may have higher expectations placed upon them by admissions tutors.

With the IB particularly need to be sure the school is committed to the IB and has the full structure in place. If for example the state school just does IB and the private school does A level and IB I would think the state school will be better set-up for IB.

Generally private schools will have smaller class sizes and more teacher support but not necessarily the case in sixth form with IB. Of course private school will generally have more resources for sports, music etc but not necessarily and if doing the IB likely not a much time for those anyway! :)

Other things to consider is support for university applications including Oxbridge if that is a possibility. Private probably more support but for Oxbridge all other things equal coming from a state school might make things easier.

My dd got in to a SS grammar that does the IB, so she wasn’t put in private because she ‘failed’. I wasn’t happy with the pastoral care at the grammar and my dd needs a high level of pastoral support, I moved her because of that.

Other thing to consider is the range of subject options available for IB at each school. There could well be a big difference depending on the number of students taking IB and no school will offer the full range.

Thank you all for your answers!

Would you mind saying what are you're in? I would love to find a maintained school that offers IB!

I don’t know the area that OP is im but in Kent there are a number of state grammar schools that so IB at sixth form: Dartford Grammar & Tonbridge Grammar are the ones I know of, both are co-Ed at sixth form. In Bexley one of the boys grammars (co-ed at sixth form) also does IB. I don’t know any which do MYP though in state sector.

Hockerill is completely IB for 6th form. Up to 16 all state schools have to offer GCSEs but Hockerill sort of offers MYP alongside GCSEs

Varndean in Brighton. varndean.ac.uk/exams

Thank you, people, sadly they're all too far away (we're Midlands)