Why would anyone consider going to Rugby school better than the mixed local comp?

[Charis2]

I read this article in the standard earleir, and just thought what is this headmaster on? Why is this scholarship presented as such a huge honour for the boy, when in fact it is a way of the school paying to improve its results by taking in some of the best sixth form students without fees.

What "lifechanging" opportunities does he expect he can offer, which Hassenbrook acadamy can't?

www.standard.co.uk/news/london/needs-pic-teenage-footballer-wins-70000-scholarship-to-boarding-school-that-invented-rugby-a2953791.html

Headmaster Peter Green said he hoped Michael and other Arnold Foundation scholars would have a “ripple effect” on their communities when they return home.

He said: “We might be able to be transformative and transform their lives. Then when they go to university, and after, they can start to transform their own local communities. It’s not about parachuting someone out of that. We want to keep their association with where they are from.”

What a snob. Does he think the staff at Hassenbrook only teach poor peoples maths and physics, and the maths at Rugby is somehow a better class of maths? perhaps he thinks the laws of physics perform better there too?

I hope this lad has fun, but I don't think for a moment his life is going to be in any way better because he spent two years mixing with rich snobs rather than normal people.

Longtimelurker - are you going to answer my question?

Absolutely, I agree. Privilege attracts privilege.

What a lot of people don't accept is that the sort of children do well at private school will do well anywhere. It wil, be easier for them and probably pleasanter at private school and there are millions of extras but they would still get the grades practically anywhere.

You see, all going over my head now.
What's an exhibition? Please don't say art work.

"Is it only on mums net that those opposed to private education also manage to have fantastic comps that have amazing facilities on their doorsteps?"

I don't have any comprehensives on my doorstep and my ds goes to a school many mumsnetters would get a fit of the vapours at the thought of sending their child there. Best ever results this year- nearly 5O% A*-C.

Bertrand, I actually disagree there, BRIGHT children with parents who care about education will do well anywhere.

The evidence suggests that actually state educted childen do better at university level. There are lots of students who struggle once at uni because of the amount of support they got at their private school. Anecdotally from my own experience at uni, and that of people lecturing at top universities this is the case.

Asimov, I'm not sure if you're aware but when you come on here spouting about stables and fencing sounding smug and condecending, it does tend to raise the hackles a bit. Sorry.

Bertrand that is categorically not true.
Dd1 would probably have done ok at our local comp. But the sports opportunities she's been given at her private school have given her so much confidence. They have made learning very very easy for her. She will do well in her gcses - I don't think she would have done as well at the comp.

Bertrand

I usually agree with you but I'm sorry I disagree now.
No way would a privileged toff for want of a better description get anywhere near their best grades at my ds1 olds school.
You say any school? They wouldn't have survived the first day, they wouldn't have learned anything and probably wet their pants if they'd met my ds peers.
You can't have any idea, honestly.
I'm pretty sure the reverse would be likewise.

Our school doesn't have stables or fencing salles. It was a reference to what someone else said earlier.

Sorry Bertrand, missed your last post. Please blame the low IQ

Newlife- sorry. An Exhibition is a sort of scholarship. In Cameron's case to Oxford.

well accept my apologies then.

I do however object to schools like Rugby being given tax free status as charities, when the scholarships they offer are benefical to themselves as well.

Go private, fine, but treat it like any other business.

So, can you get a scholarship from just having connections or are they all earned?

It can actually work both ways New... its suprising who sometimes gets them, but mostly on ability.

kids from state schools do better than those from private at uni has been repeated a lot on this thread. There was a thread on this a couple of weeks ago here with more discussion.

Essentially the research shows that for the students with the highest A-level grades the school that they went to does not make a difference as to the percentage that come out with a 'good' degree. For other students with the same grades then a higher percentage of state school students get a good grade. IF you look at the detail the difference is very slight. So on the example give on that thread - a state school student with CCC has the same chance as getting a 2:1 or 1st as an independent school student with BCC. Similarly state school students with ABB have the same outcome as independent with AAB.

So 'state school students do better' is probably simplistic. Essentially state school students perform at the same level as independent school students with one or two higher A-level grades. That might be because the independent school was better at getting higher grades for its students but the academic advantage didn't last/diminished at university.

longtime

Aren't all scholarships beneficial to schools, irrespective of charity status?
I didn't quite know what you meant.

I think its that when asked about what they do for their charity status they point to scholarships when there aren't a great many available and are in the interest of the school to offer them to the most able students.

In essence, their main business isn't that of a charity, but of a business and they should be taxed as such.

Ah ok, that's not on, I agree.
I think dd school is better as all parents are assessed for financial assistance.
No scholarships though.

newlife- you really really can't compare your dd's school to most private schools. It is designed for very talented children in a particular area, and LEAs provide funding because they can't offer an appropriate education for those children. There are a couple of other schools like that. But that is not how 99.99% of private schools work.

Apart from the fact it's more complicated than just stopping charity status, what possible benefit is there to anyone? Apart from satisfying the sense of sour grapes about able kids who get a chance at private. All that would happen is nobody from a less wealthy background would have a chance at an independent.

"All that would happen is nobody from a less wealthy background would have a chance at an independent"

Well that's all right- they don't now.

And the schools would pay proper tax- and not be effectively subsidised from the public purse.

They don't have enough chance, no. There's far more able kids that don't get them than those who do. However some do get that chance which is better than none.

I doubt it would make much difference tax wise. Fees would go up, and you'd get more private children taking up their state place, which costs. And don't forget private parents are paying into the state system without using it at present which is a fair amount to set off any increased revenue from banning charity status.

"And don't forget private parents are paying into the state system without using it at present which is a fair amount to set off any increased revenue from banning charity status."

Well, unless they never avail themselves of any public service provided by state educated people they are using it..............

Bertrand

i know, it's completely different but was interested in the bursaries/ scholarships and especially as lurked had mentioned the charity status.
I did a PGCE a few years back and wish I'd taken it further, to M.ED rather than tried to teach