Too late to send DD(3) to private school?

[AliyyaJann]

DP and I have decided to spend the money from our investments on DD's education.

Neither of us went to great schools growing up so we don't know where to start. From what I've read, we should have put her name down whilst I was pregnant but we didn't have access to anything back then.

What options do we have with what we have so she can get the best education throughout her school years?

You need to visit your local schools. Private schools range from academic and able to increase your chances of top grades and Oxbridge through to happy to take anyone's money.

You also need to factor in:

• are you stopping at 1 child
• education gets more expensive the older the child (i.e. fees at infants are way less than fees at secondary)
• school fees rise on average at a rate faster than inflation

You might find you have great state options at primary and not so much at secondary, or the other way round, and therefore consider mix and match approach.

Where are you?
Outside London you should be able to find a food Private School that you don’t need to reserve when the child is still in the womb

It depends where you are. It wouldn't matter where I live. Even the excellent schools need as many students as possible. Ring and find out

Well ...

Can't help with London, if that's where you are. School entry there sounds like madness.

Anywhere else - I'd suggest seeing how she develops academically at any reasonably good state primary school until she's about 7 years old. At which stage you may feel she's thriving and doesn't need anything to change. Or you might perceive that she's coasting/ bored/ whatever. Then you look around for a different school (state or independent) that might suit her better.

Selective schools select through entrance exams, reports and interviews. Putting down names at birth really isn't relevant now (outside a few London pre-preps.)

Definitely not too late. Some schools may be full, others not. Kids move around so even if she starts reception at a local school she could move to private in yr 1/2 etc. I moved my eldest DD partway through reception to private. Only way you'll find out is by calling and visiting schools. Also depends greatly where in the country you are.

save you money at least up until year 3, or even high school.

Private schools range from academic and able to increase your chances of top grades and Oxbridge through to happy to take anyone's money

Absolutely this ^^

People who haven't been involved in private education seem to assume 'Private' automatically means 'better than state schools' whereas nothing could be further from the truth.
Some private schools are much better than some state schools is closer to the truth.

You must visit every one and see if it's the sort of place where your child will fit in and be happy, with the proviso that they give the type of education you want for your child.

We are in SW London close to central.

We would consider grammar school and will try to give DD the best chance to develop intellectually in the home. Is there a thread on that, I've tried to search but can't find anything.

She's read to everyday. Many, many books and she loves playing outdoors. Pretend play is her favourite activity. I'm not concerned about her cognitive development but she could just be average.

If anything, we would try to get her up to a standard that's higher than expected to save on paying school fees.

For 4+ assessed places many won’t start until autumn a full year before entry so (assuming she’s not due to start reception this year) you would have time

For everyone saying wait until Secondary ( what we did) I think it’s a bit different in London and some schools might be hard for State educated dc to access age 11 unfortunately
Also, a lot of Private schools help prepare dc for Grammar where as State schools generally don’t if that’s the route OP wants to take

AliyyaJann - SW London is blessed with a plethora of great primary schools. Depending on where (exactly) you are based I would check out the local schools' open days, call admissions people, get advice from other parents at your current nursery etc.

I know I am repeating myself, but with primaries (state or private) being so abundant in Wandsworth - and the area having few good secondaries - I personally would save my cash for the journey from 11+ onwards, but that's just because of where you are.

That isn’t a thing in the UK anymore. Some less popular schools do operate a wait list but selection based on testing is more common.

Plenty of people from our SW London state primary have gone to some of the top private schools in this area. One friend sent their eldest to an amazing and exceedingly expensive private school with a royal connection and their child got exactly the same private secondary interviews as another friend who went to another great local primary.

My advice at primary level is look at as many private and state schools as you possibly can. Then make a choice about where your child will thrive.

Gone on to top private secondary that should say.

Are you close enough to get into Ashmole in Lambeth is has a very good reputation.
There are others as well that are small and nurturing, which in some ways is what Broomwood types offer you.
Of course if your investment income is significant I believe all the private’s in the area from Allen’s to Newton are very good.

Is your DD due to start reception in 2019 or 2020?

If it's 2019, then you are probably too late for a Reception place. If 2020, then it's just the right time for selective-entry schools, and you might also still get her into some of the 'waiting list' ones (there's often movement).

But don't delay - now is the time to do loads of research into all the different schools near you, both state and private.

• Look up everything within commutable distance in The Good School Guide
• Check your council website for all the state ones in your area, and check their 'last distance offered' to see if you have a chance
• visit all the schools you think are possibilities. There will be set open days, which you may need to put your name down for (often limited spaces at the open day)
• Read Ofsted reports and ISI reports (for the private schools) (But use your own judgement to interpret them)
• Search mumsnet for information about all the schools you are interested in
• Think really hard about what you want: whether you can pay for both primary and secondary, whether you'd prioritise private secondary or prep then hope for state grammar (be wary of aiming for entry at 7+: it's limited at girls schools - apart from LEH which only starts then), whether you prefer religious/single-sex/through-to-18 etc

If you decide that private primary is the right thing for your family, then make sure you understand the entry process for the school(s) you have chosen and get your DDs name down in plenty of time. It costs to register with a school, but you may choose to register with a couple if your first choice(s) are selective (ie have entrance tests - yes, even at 4 years old!)

We’re probably a bit far out for you, but our reception classes,, which we thought was full, now have a couple of spaces as families have moved away etc... It’s always worth ringing Schools you are interested in to see if they have spaces, even if their official entry round has finished.

It’s never too late. Save your money up. Take the time to decide what you want from school. Search for information about the schools in the area. Get as much information as you can find. Shopkeepers are another good source of information. Often you will find things out if you talk to them.
Look at the school website, talk to the parents, read the OFSTED report etc. The Good School Guide has lots of useful tips and recommendations to help you make a decision.
Pay attention to your gut feeling about the school too. Highlight any weaknesses within the OFSTED report. Obtain a copy of the curriculum booklets and also download a copy of the prospectus.
If you are interested in a special needs school this website will help you narrow down your list- www.specialneedsuk.org/findaschool.asp
Visit the school with your child in tow. Preferably when it’s not a open day. That way you can figure out if she is going to enjoy the school or not.
Have a list of questions to ask them.

Would she be starting reception in 2019 or 2020?

We have a DS so I don't know about girls' schools, but the co-ed schools ranged from those where you needed to apply at birth to stand a chance of getting interviewed (we applied to Thomas's when he was about a year old and didn't even make it onto the reserve waiting list), to those where you could apply up to a year before starting.

Are you near Newton Prep in Battersea? DS is currently at nursery there and we are really happy with it. For a 2020 reception place there you can apply at any point until 9 September this year.

Ashmole is on our doorstep I've actually considered putting in an application for September.

I'm aware of Allen, someone recommended them to us. Newton as well, always driving past that school.

DD would start reception in 2020 yes.

Will have another look at Newton it's quite close.

Thanks for all the site recommendations as well

If you can't get into a popular school in central SW London, would you consider moving out of London? There are many amazing schools in Surrey, Berkshire, Herfortshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, well all the home counties, where getting a place is much easier than in London. Dozens of these country preps send their children on to top secondaries, whether private or grammar, but are non-selective at nursery/reception entry point. Fees are slightly below London rates, too. Read the good school guide for inspiration. I also personally think that Tatler's school guide is pretty good, but opinion is divided on that. My personal belief is also that the younger the child, the more the quality of the education matters and that any investment in nursery and primary education will have a greater impact on dc life than secondary school.

Go for good state schools at the beginning then go private for secondary.

Madness to pay for private education at the very beginning of you have good state primaries on offer, which you do in SW London.