Whitehall “braced for private schools collapse” 4

[ICouldBeVioletSky]

Continuing the discussion about the impact of VAT on independent schools…

I'm saying that the schools results suggest that they have no business using their higher ability students as mentors as their higher ability students aren't even making expected progress.

I'm glad your son got excellent results. These kids don't and it was a big part of why I put so much effort into not having to send my child there.

This is it. I’m not sure why pp are dictating for others when one has superselective and good results and the other too.

The schools ours went to are actually harder to get into than the majority of our local independents. There was no particular effort in accessing them other than applying and sitting the entrance exams. They were the obvious choice for each of my DC as the fit was very good for them. They were not tutored to get in nor did they need any tutoring while they were there. They were challenged and happy, did lots of sports, music and extra/supra curriculars. They also made great friends. None of them felt pressurised. I think it can be different if the fit is not so good but parents decide that's where they want their DC to go.

Great results actually.

Isn't it always the case.

Those who wish to dictate to others have children with excellent results, super-selective grammars, Oxbridge and medicine places.

They're never the ones who have fought hard to avoid the terrible schools, or the ones with SEN kids.

This and the other post isn’t supporting your earlier claim about weaker students. As I said it’s going to be different to a comp. If it’s harder to get in then of course the cohort is different.

And in @CurlewKateset up your dc wouldn’t have the choice they’d be in comps too.

I’m arguing for choice for parents. Whether it’s private or state. I’m against VAT.

It’s bizarre.

You can take me out of the “I’m all right Jack” team. By straight results my ds’s school is terrible!

Well obviously it's fine to go to an excellent school which most people can't access IF taxpayers are paying for it. Just not fine if you're paying for it yourself.

If you're paying for it yourself, you have to also pay a punishment tax on top.

Makes sense...

I'm not at all surprised @KendricksGin and @CurlewKate have been dripping sanctimony throughout, holier than thou attitudes and sneering at those who choose private or alternate provision for their children, wanting to take it away for others. Actually - saying it's lovely really that children should be so very altruistic and accommodating of others needs, never mind their own. It looks like their DC are almost done with education (already at university!) - they have absolutely no skin in the current game and what's it's like for current parents of young children in TODAY'S school environment. They have no idea. They have their heartfelt ideology, and a deep desire to take away choice for others when they themselves benefitted from choice of good comps or a super selective (!) grammar under a very different global/political/economic climate. I'm really really angry actually. I've lurked on these threads and I have been moved to post from sheer rage at the sanctimony on display.

I hear you. How do people get to that point.

Your posts are a classic example of ‘I’m alright Jack’ . Not big on self awareness though.

I don’t mind the sanctimonious lot where it works for their kids who are very bright and they clearly also provide a very supportive home environment, often also rich in cultural capital. If they are happy and it works for them and their DCs then that is great. But what you cannot do is be sure it will work for others.

I have plenty of principled friends who would never send their DCs to a private school or a grammar or even a church school. But in some cases their kids are dyslexic or have ADHD or similar, and are really struggling, and these are rich selfish parents putting their own wallets and ideology above the needs of their own children. And that is where I have lost respect. Some of them are also fighting the system politically, thinking they are doing someone a favour somehow. They are not. It’s pure stinginess and stubbornness.

I know a lot of kids who don't do GCSE drama because their own grades can be negatively affected if they are grouped with weaker or lazy students.

Oh boy. Wait until your DC get group projects at university. Because that is exactly what happens, and DC will have to be able to deal with it.

I have never said I am against private education nor supportive of VAT. I went to one of the top independent schools in the county myself. Are you perhaps mixing me up with someone else in the course of your general lurking?

Well, I certainly thought "It certainly doesn’t apply to my DS-who is the only test case on this thread!" was rather telling.

Very much Bridget Phillipson's and Rachel Reeves' attitude - Kids in state schools count. Kids in private schools? Fuck 'em - they and their parents are snobs and deserve what's coming to them. And if everyone made the same decisions as me then everything would be wonderful and society would be fair.

No awareness that if everyone made the same decision and used state schools, then the national spend on education would drop by 8 billion, the government would have to find billions more for an extra 0.6 million state places, and the already-overwhelmed SEN system would break down catastrophically under the weight of an extra 100,000 students with SEN.

As a point of information. My ds’s school has appalling results. And although he has left, I am still a governor, and because I have adult children, I am even more invested in education than I would be if I was just an aware concerned citizen. And I said that my DS was the only example on the thread because he was, as far as I know, the only child who had been involved in one of the peer mentoring schemes in a state school that we were talking about. I hope that is all clear. Oh, and I have 2 nephews very happily at private school -one with significant SEN.

What, are we not a socialist country where everyone must be working in a labour camp for the common good??

Depends what course you are doing.

I had no group projects ever at university.

DD’s course has no group work that I can see looking at the modules.

In any case, you would expect on a degree course that the other student are of a certain level and want to be there. They haven’t picked what looks like an easy option because they have to pick 3 options from the list.

I do remember there were posts (either this thread or the one before) where you were quite dismissive of the effects of VAT on school closures and were challenging a PP on the veracity of claims. You definitely seemed pro VAT. Apologies if that wasn't you.

@KendricksGinProbably mixed you up with me!

Your DS is not the only test case on this thread, @KendricksGin is also advertising things people do to get their DC into Oxbridge.

They also pretend not to notice that the initial example was about quiet girls and children with non-disruptive SEND being used as spacers. "Oh but my grammar/med/Oxbridge high flyer was also a mentor, isn't that marvellous!"

Embarrassing tone deafness.

I think it’s an easy conclusion given posts as they were dismissive over impact.

I didn't do anything to get my DC into Oxbridge. It may be a novel concept on here but they did it themselves without me pushing them.