Why go private?

[lilyjen]

I just wanted some answers really, i've never really understood private schools. Why do you need money to be a better teacher and why shouldn't standards be as high in state schools? I understand that lack of funding might mean less resourses in some areas but otherwise why? I'd say i'm quite a fussy mum myself, that is I want the best level of education for my DD who's 6. She's in a state school in Windsor, which is a good school compared to a nursey she went to in a deprived area of Wales previously but i still have issues with their standards. I can't afford private education, i'm a student studying for my nvq 3 in childcare and as a future childcare practitioner with experience already in the feild of schools and nurseries I just don't understand why there's such a varying difference of standards in education and care.

so of course my bottom sets are only misbehaving because my lessons fail to engage them - are you SLT at my school?
nothing to do with the complete lack of consequences for poor behaviour and undone work

Oh, I used to live in Windsor. Big divide between the mummies who send thier children to state and private! It used to make me want to vomit, I found the snobbishness there to be appaling tbh. I know there will be people who disagree with that, but I grew up and and had a child there myself so I have seen both sides!

To alot of people there, the school your child goes to is the deciding factor to see if you are good enough to talk to. I got sucked into it all when ds was little and he went to a private school there for nursery class, one of the highest regarded schools in the area. He lasted a few weeks, it was appaling. Really terrible, but parents said the school name like it was a badge on honor. Sad really. It drove me so nuts that we moved away in the end.

I also went to the catholic grammar school in Slough that was mentioned futher up, don't have many good things to say about that either after having spent six years there myself.

I live in an area with good grammar schools and our local private school (primary) has an 80% rate of children passing 11 plus. It seems to me that the state schools are interested in sats results and not 11 plus results.
I have a very lively but I think fairly bright DS (3) and don't want him to be overlooked in a bigger class. I think boys may need a bit more attention at school at this age. Would like to go private for these reasons.
We are looking into bursaries but it seems to me that if you are a middle income family you loose out and we won't end up getting anything.

Topsi - my ds was very lively (and bright) too. Hence why he only lasted a few weeks. ime, (of ds during his breif time a a private school and havigng taught pre school classes at three private schoos myself) priavte schools don't tend to like the lively ones too much.

I think many parents spend a large amount of money paying for public Ed in the hope of getting them into the right unis, only to find that due to open access policies the public fast track no longer exists. Many of the public students were clueless and not well adjusted to life where they were not continually patted on their back and told how amazing they were, and people looked incredulously at them when they bragged about their pools and tennis courts.

I also find it funny that everyone seems to think on here that public schools are devoid of problems- in my experience at uni there are a range of abilities and behaviour, and work ethic just as there is from state sector.

And if you wanted cocaine, it was the rich kid from a v good school down the end of the corridor who was the dealer(disclaimer-never touched the stuff myself!

I think you pick the school to suit you child, their abilities and your budget, I would certainly not forfit a fun and varied family life because I was crippled by school fees.

Im fast reaching the conclusion bright children will be bright wherever they are.
Private schooling allows bright kids to thrive and average and less able children to receive attention in smaller classes; and in a very supportive learning environment achieving better than average than if they were left in a state system.
IMO this group benefits the most.
Teachers have less social issues with parents and children so have quality classroom time.
Parents mostly very pro education & supportive setting the benchmark higher.
Children majority well adjusted with positive goals outlook and ambition.

Dd is in private school but should we be in an area with a good grammer school I wouldnt dismiss it.
Likewise if one had a struggling child and could afford it then I would recommend private.

for us it's about small class sizes, the lack of government interfering and the excellent facilities.

the school we are looking at has a woodland school where they can learn to build dens/shelters, learn about mini beasts, do pond dipping, learn about weaving hurdles and woodland management etc.

it sounds like a great, fun school and isn't totally focused on ticking the right boxes.

we are not rich or posh and our descision to go private is not about keeping Tarquin away from the smelly oiks or joining an old boys club as so many anti private school people like to think.

Parents pay for private education because they believe that the conditions in private schools will enable their children to acquire more skills better and faster than in state schools.

But bamboobutton- they are all skills I entend to teach my ds myself with my dh and not pay 15-20k a year for someone else to do it. Den building needn't be private only.

I do not understand why people feel private schools are all fantastic- many are not, and they do not guarentee success. Some state schools are awful sinks, but many are not and mine certainly did me proud. It comes down to choice, and I just suggest that generalisations are made both sides of schooling, so check out all your local schools and make your own judgement.

But bamboobutton- they are all skills I entend to teach my ds myself with my dh and not pay 15-20k a year for someone else to do it. Den building needn't be private only.

I do not understand why people feel private schools are all fantastic- many are not, and they do not guarentee success. Some state schools are awful sinks, but many are not and mine certainly did me proud. It comes down to choice, and I just suggest that generalisations are made both sides of schooling, so check out all your local schools and make your own judgement.

we will do guff like that with ds too but i'm sure he would enjoy doing it more with friends, plus it's learning about woodland stuff all year round and no doubt my enthusiasm for bugs and twigs will wane in the winter

it's mainly about having fun at school rather than box ticking and getting into a frenzy about sats etc.

also its £9k a year so not outragously expensive. also he might learn better spelling and grammer(grammar??) than his mother did

Bamboobutton- too be fair, I think that's a better reason than many! Ds's nursery have a garden and rough outdoor area and he loves it.

It's such a shame the state sector is under funded, it can be so fab, but so bad too.

An average private school compared to an average stage school is usually better because class size is smaller, facilities are better, teachers are better and behaviour is better.

However, a very good state school is often much better than an average private school on those measures and even an average state school can be better than an average private school on those measures.

Paying money does not guarantee a better school expereince or educational attainment. Like any product or service - buyers of private school education have to be discerning and there are a lot of private schools that frankly are not worth the money.

I just want to ask, why people feel the state schools is just focusing into sATS which I am not saying is not true, but then, private schools their focus is just 11+ as if their students don't pass it, that doesn't look good either and a lot of them is their selling point, how many students got into grammar schools or other schools, and this probably takes away learning in other subjects and just learning for the exam.
But I guess that is why parents pay, so that is fine is the kids are overworked.

Pupils at private school are not just groomed for one end of year 6 exam though!
They have regular assessments at the end of each half term & know that they will never be in trouble for doing poorly & are generally very knowledgeable about the grade they are likely to get before they get it.
One exam does not your life dictate!- private school attitude
v
Drilling for months/years for one exam which is described as very important- at state.

I know which I would rather choose! National curriculum has given us a generation of people that think they can always get away with bare minimum standards through spoon-feeding for exams. I for one, wish to opt out of this culture!

know which I would rather choose! National curriculum has given us a generation of people that think they can always get away with bare minimum standards through spoon-feeding for exams. I for one, wish to opt out of this culture!

I agree with this entirely, however I would say this is not the case in all state schools. Some are like sats factories, but some aren't. My DD certainly isn't at one. Their ethos is very much ne of a creative curriculum, lots of art and fun activities. I think like the others said, it is very much dependent on the school, how they approach it.

No. I don't agree.
My children have not been crammed for exams. If anything the education they have seems broader than their peers at state school. Certainly they have much more PE and music and drama that their peers at state school.

I am not saying whether that is good or bad.And I am certainly not saying it would be true for all state schools or all private schools.

But the notion that my children are over worked and I don't care because that is what I pay for is frankly totally bizarre.

I honestly think that a lot depends on the child ..My ds for example is very bright - but has asd and is easily led ..For him the benefit of moving him to a private school where there are 8 children to a class has been huge..
He was in a comprehensive with better results than the next towns grammar school and was failed miserably - this comp wasone of the new breed of 'academies' and was completely focused on using tits resources to "buy" goid teachers..they all got apple laptops and had ridiculous amounts of tv and computers...but they would economise on class size.. with a boy with asd, thats just not gouing to work ..
(never mind the ethics of a school buying laptops over teachers !!)

My daughter is at a state school, shes not as bright as her brother but has health issues - so far the school has been great and she has thrived..however if we could afford it I would move her to private and Im currently considering home ed for her because she is not being challenged at school at all..she's bored and fed up ..
Because she is bright and will get good sats, school seem to be happy to just let her plod along.. I wish she was encouraged more to fulfil her potential, rather than just fulfil what the school require from her..

BUT - am a firm believer that there are great schools in both sectors...In my experience, its largely down to how good the HT is..
A good HT can make a school...

I think the issue of choice is what it boils down to.

The idea of choice in the state system is often illusory. So you can look around all the schools and fill in your form...and not get what you want. Check out all the threads on appeals etc at the mo.

With private, you have to pay for the priviledge, but you do get a choice.

For me like most it was the class sizes and the education/and the values of the parents at the school.
An awful lot of people at the state school we attended for a while were into keeping up with the jones, loosing houses and going bankrupt in the process. That simply wasn't the attitudes we wanted our children to grow up with.

why go private? because you have the money...

dd at private school
feel "the more you pay the less they go"
We hv really long holidays but with so much homework she may as well be at school!

I have no idea why people go private, its completely alien to me. I did well at a state school, teach in one and my children are doing really well at theirs. We could afford it but have never considered it.

Said it before and will say it 1000 times again. The teachers in private school are NOT better. Many are unqualified but have academic qualifications that make them sound better. I've worked in both sectors and worked with fab and rubbish teachers in both.
The really inspiring ones have mostly been in the state sector though. Do I suddenly become a worse teacher because I work in the state sector?