To consider private education for GCSE years only?

[DragonMama3]

Has anyone done this? How did it go? I'm aware it may get 20 pc more expensive in the future.

This would be for 2 children.

@Stringerbellspayphones I agree. You don’t quite know at 6 what dc will need.

@doglover90 You are slightly missing the point. Academics will be ok there. You just probably don’t have all dc at the same high academic level. Quite frankly, it doesn’t matter. They will get dc to achieve well and deliver a broad education at the same time. My DDs didn’t go to a hugely academic school but you get far more than the bare academics. However if dc is bright, a prep might be worth considering now.

I am assuming if op wants it as a day option, they are local. Otherwise £200,000 is needed for 5 years boarding. At least.

@TizerorFizz the OP mentioned being dissatisfied with their son's biology classes and said that their daughter has taught herself her times tables. No mention of music, drama, sport etc. So I can only assume that their motivation for wanting private school is academic? Is paying all that money worth it for a school with average results if their children are already bright and motivated? Spending the money on private tutors and individual music tuition seems to make more sense.

@doglover90 At 6, which I think younger dc is, they might not know what this dc might like. Opportunity to have everything under one roof is valuable to working parents. Certainly made my life easier. I’m not sure tutors is a way to go. Good teaching at school is better. Not all schools, private or state, provide this. If OP really can afford it, then it’s a good idea. If they are scrimping, it’s not. Parents can be one dimensional - only looking at academics. When they visit a top private school, they find a lot more is on offer that dc might enjoy and benefit from.

I agree the teaching is just one element. The obsession with academic results is also a nonsense. Schools that select, effectively get the results by kicking out the poor results. Value added is so much harder to express.

OP you mentioned Sedbergh, which starts at year 9. Their feeder prep goes up to year 8 so if looking to start at Y7 it would involve 2 years of prep school first. Sedbergh do not prep for the common entrance, their prep school pupils are automatically accepted to senior school, something to be aware of if your DC turns out to be better suited to a more academic/artsy less sporty environment or you decided to move for other reasons to somewhere which does require CE/13+. Sedbergh only has 3 senior girls houses and they fill up for y9, so you may struggle to gain a place for your DD at year 10.

Many schools want the most academic dc they can get but many also recognise drama, sport, art and music and even dance. The breadth offered to pupils matters. I’ve used independent schools and not seen dc asked to leave due to poor academics. The child that struggled most at DCs school was the head’s child. If they were able to bring other talents to the school the academics were tolerated! Generally I think schools like this really can suit everyone. There’s only an issue if a very bright child isn’t stretched. I’ve seen that too and it can lead to a disruptive child. It’s simply the wrong fit.

@TizerorFizz I’ve definitely seen students ‘weeded out’ because of unlikely exam success. It does happen sadly.

@Stringerbellspayphones I am sure it does. However some schools are far less likely to do this as they accept a broader range of pupils. Often these schools are dismissed by MN, as the school mentioned by the OP has been, for not being academic enough. They can really be great schools though where dc thrive and it’s not a failure to get a B at A level.