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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Private/State

14 replies

nextchapter · 07/12/2010 01:57

I am just interested in everyone's opinions on this. I attended private/public school my whole life and am a big advocate of it. My husband however teaches in the State sector and would prefer our children to remain within it.

DS1 is coming up to Junior School age and I feel we need to make a decision as to move him to private (my wish) or keep him where it is, which is admittedly a fab school.

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ben5 · 07/12/2010 03:55

if you are happy with the school at the moment and he's happy keep him where he is. put the money in a savings account for when and if you need to move him to private school.
my dh went to private school and i went to state. at the moment we are happy with state primary school but will probably move ds's when the reach secondary school age
not very helpful sorry!

GiddyPickle · 07/12/2010 08:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GrimmaTheNome · 07/12/2010 09:05

As Giddy says, it depends exactly what is available to you. Not just the primaries, but consider the secondary options and how moving up works.

If you've a fab state primary and are sure of an excellent state secondary then save your money for them to benefit from in other ways.

If the state secondary options are poor and there's a good private school, you might want to check if state primary pupils are likely to be able to get in.

pagwatch · 07/12/2010 09:09

It depends entirely on the individual schools.

Wanting to send a child to private school simply because it is a private school makes no sense to me.
Do a simple pros and cons analysis based upon the things that are important to both of you and the decision may become much easier.

GrimmaTheNome · 07/12/2010 09:12

Wanting to send a child to private school simply because it is a private school makes no sense to me.

Nor to my DH, who was sent to a mediocre private school despite living in a town with multiple grammar schools - he thinks his parents made a big mistake.

pagwatch · 07/12/2010 09:17

It always amazes me Grimm.

When we were looking for schools for ds1 we looked at a couple of truly bad fee paying school. He ended up at a private school so I am not anti, but people seem happy to pay for some really mediocre schools.

If there is a good state that met my main criteria, especially that my dc liked, I would jump at it.

Catnao · 07/12/2010 21:48

I was educated privately as were my brothers. Has just reinforced my belief in state education.

Catnao · 07/12/2010 21:50

I now choose to always educate my son in state education also.

jonicomelately · 07/12/2010 21:52

Many other people feel exactly the opposite though Catnao.
A lot depends upon personal experience. That's why it's such an emotive and complex issue.

basildonbond · 07/12/2010 22:10

If it's a fab school and you and your ds are happy with it then it's a no-brainer really ...

however, if your ds isn't happy then there's no harm in looking around and seeing what the alternatives are

just because you pay for education doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be better than what you've got or will suit your child better

we've just moved dd from state to private primary because she wasn't happy - her new school suits her down to the ground and she's flourishing, so for us, right now, it's worth the expense

however of our secondary options, one is an excellent comprehensive with a grammar stream which is just round the corner, another is a private girls' school which is frankly underwhelming and I can't understand why anyone would choose the latter if they're in the catchment for the former

but if you're in the situation my dsis finds herself in, with absolutely zero chance of getting offered anything other than a sink secondary school for her dd, then private, pretty much any private, suddenly becomes much more attractive

rabbitstew · 07/12/2010 22:38

I don't quite understand the dilemma, to be honest. If your ds1 is happy and in a fab school, why move him out of it???? What are you leaving unexpressed that makes you favour sending him to an untried and untested private school? (Or do you wish to send him to the "alma mater"?).

Talkinpeace · 07/12/2010 22:45

I went to private. DH went to state.
We met at University, both doing BSc courses.

Kids are at State. They get to do trips and activities music and sport.
My catchment school is dire. So we go over the boundary to one of the many excellent Hampshire Comps. Friends have their kids at private because their catchment school is nearly as dire but there are no good state school places around.

Some of the local private primaries seem OK. Others seem to churn out spoilt little brats.
You have to look at it on a very individual basis

BUT up to age 9 or 10, happiness and security is everything.
Academic learning can be piled onto solid foundations later.

Litchick · 08/12/2010 10:53

Difficult one.

Depends upon which two schools you are comparing of course. Outstanding state school versus underfunded indie, may be a no brainer.

That said, if you pay you get choice, so you can avoid said undefunded indie. Whereas choice withinh the state sector is illusory. You may want the outstanding school but you may have no chance of getting a place.

Also, the stark truth is that privately schooled pupils are incredibly over represented in RG unis.
They are also hugely over represented in many professions - law, finance, politics, media, arts, academe, business, publishing etc.

rabbitstew · 08/12/2010 11:52

Litchick - Over represented, maybe, but not out there on their own.

You aren't guaranteeing your child's happiness or future prosperity by sending him to private school (however good the school), nor are you increasing the chances of either by moving him over to the private sector if you already have him in an excellent state school, imo. There may be less choice in the State sector, but who needs choice if what you've been lumped with is "fab"? Make the choice to move your ds when what you have is not at all fab, rather than perpetuating the myth that an excellent private education is always going to be "better" than an excellent state education. At their best, they are merely different - one is in no way better than the other.

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