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Original poster

"The great private school rip-off"

126 replies

CountessDracula · 07/09/2004 15:37

Interesting article here

OP posts:
bundle · 08/09/2004 16:09

blucoat=poncey, i think

hmb · 08/09/2004 16:10

Bluecoat is normaly C of E, at least in its origins. Does that make it 'poncy'? Would you be cross if I said state school= rough? I bet it would.

Jimjams · 08/09/2004 16:11

ut Oldiemum the differences will always be there in league tables because private schools are selective. Selective state secondary schools always perform very well in league tables. Look up St Olave's in Orpington for an example.

League tables tell you very little. For example my son will have to take SATS next year- he has the language development of a 15-18 month old. He can't hold a pencil. You can't do SATS with PECS. The league tables will show him as failing (and not do the school any favours either) but in fact he's doing well at school (see a question for hmb thread) and the school are putting in a lot of effort with him- their achievement with him will never be recognised though.

Some state schools do a good job with dyslexia etc- my son's is an example- you'll never get a statement for dyslexia (well it would be very difficult) but if the school employs its resources properly it shouldn't be necessary anyway.

coddychops · 08/09/2004 16:14

ys it was a poncy school
ridiculous uniform
there are some rough kids at a s school
good for his social skills imo

TurnAgainCat · 08/09/2004 16:16

I think that woman is a ridiculous sort of mother. She obviously never bothered to go round and visit her local schools, or she would not be suddenly being surprised about lack of classroom hooks, fancy blazers, the syllabus itself, and grumbling and feeling disappointed. Must confess I avoided a very popular private school because of meeting some parents of that variety. I feel that you can never understand or criticize someone else's choice of school unless you live on their street and know their household income and expenses, because there is such a huge variation in the quality of local state and private schools in different places. Ds has just started at a private school that I am very happy with (having contacted 10 local schools, and visited 7 including 3 state schools) and I like it because I am very impressed by the teachers, the facilities, the ethos, we are walking to school on my way to work, they give a hot healthy lunch so I won't have to do sandwiches, and I appreciate the uniform which is cheap, easy to wash and includes a polyester sweatshirt!

Angeliz · 08/09/2004 16:16

Thankyou hmb! That is what i tryed to say further down this thred. (But you put it so much better.
I found the atricle patronisisng however, i also hate the comments about
"poncy-twatty uniforms for little Tarquin!!!!!!"

It's reverse snobbery !
I think it's great to have debates about it all but it annoys me when people revert to those saying again!!

Azure · 08/09/2004 16:18

I am planning to send DS to private school, despite DH and myself doing very well at comprehensives. Why? Because where I live the local secondary school is in a catchment area with massive social problems and appalling results. The only decent state schools in my London borough are Catholic or girls, neither of which DS is. This leaves the local private school, which is actually the closest of them all to our house. Realistically the only way DS will get into that school is by going to one of the good private primary schools. Would I prefer him to have a good state education - yes I would. Do I realise that we are lucky to be able to send him private given the choices available - yes.

aloha · 08/09/2004 16:18

Well, at least she seems to realise that her own motivation was snobbery and that she probably made a stupid choice. I actually prefer that to the 'oh, I just love the state system... but my kids are so different, and precious and gifted that they need private education' spiel that a lot of hacks write (and Diane Abbott, spit).

OldieMum · 08/09/2004 16:20

Sorry, I was responsible for 'Little Tarquin'. I was feeling playful. One of those moments when talking on the net smothers your tone, I'm afraid. I think this is a serious topic and have been trying to show why the system puts people in a position where they have to make these difficult decisions.

Jimjams - of course the tables are highly misleading. My point was more that people are making decisions on the information they have.

bundle · 08/09/2004 16:21

hmb, my state school was definitely rough

aloha · 08/09/2004 16:21

Agree with Jimjams too - selective schools will always have better results. They are selective! They don't have children with special needs or illiterate drug addict parents 'dragging down' their league table position.

hmb · 08/09/2004 16:22

Sorry Aloha, bit we all try to get our kids into schools that suit them.(for whatever reason) The local school would not have been suitable for my children. Full stop, end of story. I know this because I have the information. You don't know this. This is not self justification but fact. I don't have to absolve myself of 'guilt' I do more than enough in work each day to help the state sector and the kids within it. I will not sacrifice my kids for idiology.

bundle · 08/09/2004 16:22

aloha, she's my mp

needless to say she won't be getting my vote at the next election, even if she doesn't stand down because she's now totally humiliated herself

soapbox · 08/09/2004 16:23

Hmmmm - my DD and DS go to a private school - so I guess that makes them trainee 'self-indulgent, status obsessed muppets with money but no sense'...

On the other hand they wear polyester sweatshirts but maybe the are 'expensive' polyester, specially woven for the muppets amongst us.

I too went to a dismal comprehensive and did very well for myself, however don't at all feel the need to inflict my expereinces on my children.

We all make different choices based on what we think will be the best for our children. Its hard to say more than that really...

hmb · 08/09/2004 16:23

So was mine!! I was hit on the head with an iron bar for being a 'boff'. That realy helped my education....learned to duck if nothing else

hercules · 08/09/2004 16:24

I have recently changed my mind about schooling. I teach in a state school and ds will not be going to a selective secondary but a state school. I'd like him to have an all round education.

Jimjams · 08/09/2004 16:26

I suppose I did OldieMum thinking about it. I avoided our catchment school as it is top of the league tables! (and has a reputation for kicking out SN children who would affect their standing- so they definitely wouldn't have coped with ds1).

bundle · 08/09/2004 16:27

i was bullied in the 6th form by some 4th year girls because i was a bit too swotty for them, i think. it was grim Up North...

hmb · 08/09/2004 16:28

Interestingly our local 'comprehensive' only has 1.5% of their kids on the SN regester. They don't accept SN kids at 11 and tell them not to appeal if they are rejected. They also have a volentary entrense exam, but if you don't sit it you don't get in. Dd's school, although private has no exam and has 15% on the SN reg which is about the same are the 'real' comp I work in.

hmb · 08/09/2004 16:29

And in Wales Bundle!

hercules · 08/09/2004 16:29

My sister went to a private school and was bullied as they didnt like her name. I went to a standard comp and never experienced bullying.
I don't think you can be sure either way.

Northerner · 08/09/2004 16:29

I agree with Uhu in the fact that children with interested and motivated parents will do well at any school. I grew up on Teesside in the North East, and went to a very rough state school that had lots of problem pupils whose parent's didn't give a s*t. I was lucky that my parents did give a s*t and left with 10 GCSE's grade C and above. Not all kids are so lucky to have parents who were as involved as mine. Most of the people I went to school with are drug addicts, criminals or in jail

Kids at a private school will have parents who do give a s**t, and that makes all the difference. Some parents think education stops the minute their kids come home from school, and expect teachers to work miracles.

bundle · 08/09/2004 16:29

oh i went to university in cardiff, so it was out of the frying pan...
(I loved it really )

bundle · 08/09/2004 16:30

jimjams, that's really interesting about the school near you. hadn't thought of that.

hmb · 08/09/2004 16:35

I would agree with you 100% that parental imput is vital, no question about it. You can almost bet that the parents you need to see in the parent teacher meetings are the ones that never turn up. You get to see all the interested parents of the hard working kids who are doing fine and are a pleasure to teach. It makes it a nice evening, as I get to tell parents how nice their kids are, but not realy what I need for the kids who have probelms!