If you would like to go private but can’t afford it

[WhatdoIdoNo2]

What do you do to give your DC a bit of a “boost” in state . We would love to send her private but we really can’t afford it. What can we do out of school to boost her a bit ? DD is middling ability and well behaved and I definitely feel that she just gets left sometimes. She’s very happy at her school but I do worry the results aren’t brilliant but for childcare / logistical reasons we can’t really move her. Vast majority of kids are lovely but there are a small minority that take up a disproportionate amount of the teachers time and I feel the behaviour throughout the school (especially as you move up) isn’t great . Class sizes in juniors are up to 34. Teachers are massively overworked and TAs are being cut left right and centre. This is an ofsted rated “good” school ! I’m thinking of getting a tutor once a week for Maths as she struggles here and out of school she already does dance and riding which she loves and with work it’s a struggle to fit anything else in.

We could just about afford private but the state schools here good and we both state educated (dh got to Cambridge) so don’t feel the fees worth the outlay. Neither of ours wildly sporty. But get them into private sports clubs for their favourite sport that’s another one.

Dd mixes with the private school girls at her sports club there is frankly no difference between them. Most of the private school girls are very pleasant and friendly but sadly a small minority think they are superior which is rather pathetic. I would cringe if my dd were like that.

A HoD at a local independent primary once gave me three tips for what to supplement at home to help bridge the gap between independent and state primaries:

1. spelling
2. times tables
3. speech/drama