Calling all teachers.....

[GirlySwot]

....if money was no object would you send your kids state or private? (and why?!)

mummymagic yes of course it could - I was refering really to the fact of your children attending the same school that you teach at - and you having 'insider' information

Private definately- smaller classes/ total intolerace of bad behaviour/ better discipline, freedom to ignore national curriculium if they want to. My dds school also doesn't do ks3 SATs- say they have better things to do than spend a year teaching to a test.(sorry- I'm on my orange box again )

State. DH and I both teach - currently in state, though we both have experience of private too. There can be both good and poor in both sectors. At the private school I taught at a while ago there were some really mediocre teachers. I would say the main difference though is that mediocre teaching is LESS tolerated in the state sector. Ofsted is far more rigorous than the private school inspection system (it's called an inspection but it's basically nice middle class inspectors popping in and patting you on the back. I've ecperienced both types of inspection and Ofsted is far more thorough and professional). A good private school CAN have the advantages of better buildings/resources/funding, but the most important resource is the teaching staff, and beautiful surroundings don't necessarily make better teachers. Also, I know some private schools specialise in sport, music etc, and I can see that if you have a child with a specific talent, then they may need a specialist environement to nurture that talent. But I think that's a very specific scenario, and the child is getting a good deal because they will have the top teachers in the country and will come into contact with other children with their specific talent. But outside of that, in the general classroom, no way are they worth the money. I realise we're fortunate because our children are bright, and our local comp is good. I'm sure my kids will ultimately have the advantage over out local private school kids because they'll have good exam results plus a more rounded experience. If I lived in an area with only poor state schools to choose from, I might think differently. But why anyone would choose private over state if their state school is good or outstanding is beyond me.

Also like the small school school mentality where dd1 is known by everyone. They regularly have assemblies with the whole school from the 3 year olds to the 16 year olds all in together which I think creates a real feeling of caring and community- don't often get that in a large high school wth 1500 pupils

Message withdrawn

Keep taking the tartan tablets, gutter.

Lucycat - ah, yes, I see. I could never send dd to a school I teach in - would hate for her to get all the 'oh god, mummymagic is such a bitch' comments to deal with

ExplosiveScienceT - huh?? Don't get your post... Do you mean you never get terrible teachers in private schools?

I went to private myself from 7 to 18

i teach in special ed which is actually part of a charity ... do i count ??

my children go to state local primary, but it is one of the best in the country and the head has recently been made a national leader in education

dyslexic DS1 has had the best support ever invented; alarmingly bright DS2 is being stretched to meet his potential. DD defo going to go there!
Have had offers of grandparents funding private secondary, the jury is still out but i think DS1 will get better support in state schools!

...never... terrible...

well, I suppose it sometimes, very occasionally, happens.

OK, so can someone who is not 3 glasses of wine along please do the maths as to what % of us teachers would opt 4 private over state? Bit of an indictment if private wins, don't you think?

well known fact that a high proportion of teachers choose private. Proportion of mnetters bound to be much higher again.

High proportion of female obstetricians (i know that sp is pprob rubbish) would choose ceasarian.

Too much insider info

obstetricians: perfectly spelt.
Caesareans or caesarians are their birth of choice.

What do people mean by "traditional values" in schools? I am not sure what sort of values are different in the private sector.

MB your first post was very thought provoking for me. My ds (5) also has dyspraxia. It's interesting that your ds is getting ten hours of 1 to 1. I shall bear that in mind when we have our next meeting to see what the school (local state infants) will be offering

I'm so glad to hear that pastorally your kids school is so supportive of them - must be a weight off your mind at the moment.

the 10 hours is funded by the RAF, who will put their hands in their pockets if ds is in private school but not state

Nvere the less the school is flexible enough to take this on board. I'm not sure what would have heppened in the local state school. In reality I know that he would have had next to nothing in the state sector and he is very well behaved, and is no 'trouble'

Lucycat good point re weaker teachers on their TT! As someone else has said, they are pretty bright anyway, so will do well no matter where, so long as we support them. I think support at home has a massive amount more to do with success at school than people assume and one of the (many) reasons that state schools underperform is down to lack of parental support

I have to say that it irks me that there is an assumption that state schools do not provide 'traditional values' (whatever they are) or better discipline.

Both dss go to our local state comprehensive and discipline is very good - from our experience, anyway.

Communication with the school is excellent. Teachers write to us to let us know how the boys are progressing, or phone/e-mail if it's more appropriate.

When ds1 started, 4 years ago now, the school had been given £9million by the government to build new facilities.

All year 7 boys (i.e. the first year entrance) are appointed mentors, who are a team chosen from year 11 boys.

There are all manner of clubs and after school activities we could choose from, if we wished, including after school homework clubs.

And I'm not talking about a smaller/rural school, this is a London state school.

I was a teacher, still in education now. DD goes to a private school for several different reasons: small class sizes, small school, very good pastoral side, varied curriculum, no SATs, great wrap around care, and lots more.

I left teaching after 9 years, following a really tough 3 years in a failing school. Put me off for good. However, that wasn't the reason why I chose private for my DD.

I visited lots of schools for DD - private and state, and read/asked around. Chose the school we felt best suited DD, and our own needs. She's in her second year and loving it.

I very much think there are good and bad schools in both sectors. As a parent, and in the fortunate position of where I can make the choice, I just went with the bext one for us.

I was a teacher, still in education now. DD goes to a private school for several different reasons: small class sizes, small school, very good pastoral side, varied curriculum, no SATs, great wrap around care, and lots more.

I left teaching after 9 years, following a really tough 3 years in a failing school. Put me off for good. However, that wasn't the reason why I chose private for my DD.

I visited lots of schools for DD - private and state, and read/asked around. Chose the school we felt best suited DD, and our own needs. She's in her second year and loving it.

I very much think there are good and bad schools in both sectors. As a parent, and in the fortunate position of where I can make the choice, I just went with the bext one for us.

I have a very good state school nearby, our catchment, which DD did get a place at. But when Dh and I visitied it we just didn't like the feel of it and came away very disheartened - especially as we had moved to this area partially to be in a good catchment.

quite, becauseimworthit. The school I teach in is in the worst place in the country to live (according to phil and kirstie!) and in the top 30 comps in the country

Becausei'mWorthIt - good point about home/school communication and pastoral care being excellent in your dc's state school. In my experience of both sectors, state schools win hands down for basic things like informing parents of progress/achievement, target setting for individual pupils etc. When we write reports on children in the state school I teach in, we have to be rigorous about their attainment levels, what the child needs to do to improve etc. A friend of mine whose daughter goes to private school showed me her latest report and it was meaningless: basically 'XXX is a lovely girl and should do well'!!!
I suppose the biggest difference between the sectors is that private school's are usually selective, so you have very few below average kids, and you have smaller classes. This is what parents pay for: social engineering. They are NOT necessarily paying for a better quality of education. When I taught in private, I could see that there were some children who benfited from the environment - usually they were average/slightly above average ability, hard working but not very confident. That kind of child perhaps wouldn't cope so well in the state system. But bright, enquriring kids tend to do well wherever.

We have ours in excellent state schools. Had we not got the schools of our choice then we would have gone privately rather then entertain any school other than our first choice.

There was another thread on this not so long ago...we go private for the small class sizes, facilites, sports, music, drama etc...

however if I had a child with SEN I would not be sending them to any of the private schools where we live

While state schools are obsessed with NC levels, I wouldn't say their quality is automatically better than private schools. You might get an impressive report, but how do you know how accurate it is?

The key thing of providing quality reports is knowing the child in question, and the best way to know a child is to not has as many that you have to keep track of!

Inthegutter, the difference that you highlight between the standard of the reposts reflects the difference between a good school and a substandard school.

My kids go to a private school and their reports are very good. They list targets and sho what progress has been made.

You cannot damn all private schools because one give poor reports, and more than all state schools should be damned because some are substandard.

I would tend to agree that bright children do well wherever. That said the local state primary school is very poor with able children. they are not allowed to progress until the bulk of the class catch up with them. A firend sent her very able dd there and the child literally ground down her milk teeth in frustration! She was left with stumps where her teeth should have been! So I have not chosen to send my children there. But that is one bad state school. I fully reaise that all state primaries are not so short sighted