Outstanding state school vs independent school

[CocoE]

I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, as DS is only 5 months, but would like any comments on whether it is worth spending the money on prep schools. We can afford the cost, but just barely and plan to have one or two more children follow the same path and would rather save the money to pay for secondary school. My goal is to get him into one of the top independent secondaries like Westminster, City of London, UCS or St Pauls (if he's clever enough). However I understand that even if he did well at a really good state school (cross fingers he gets in Fox primary), the state schools do not prepare the children for the independent school entrance exams. So I am debating whether to send him to Hill House which seems to be one of the cheapest primary school alternatives with good exit results. Thoughts?

Our local school was outstanding then the head retired. Within two years it was in special measures.

I would have thought that the state school you send him to must be very good indeed and your ds to be very bright to get into the schools you are considering.

The general responses I've read seem to be save your money and spend on secondary if you need to.

I'm not near London but trying to choose between an outstanding state and prep school. Our decision will probably be based on what will give our kids the best chance at getting into the best secondary, and for me that is the private prep. It's partly a lazy option because I know I won't have to do as much tutoring after school and any extra curricular activities will be during the school day or at least on school premises.

To get into one of those schools, he will need preparing. Prep schools will do this as a matter of course. Some outstanding state schools may well if you tell them your intentions. But it may be that you have to get a tutor.

Hill House, because it is an international school, always has a high churn rate of arriving and departing children. It is one where you can have a reasonable chance of getting a place at 7+, 8+ or even 11+ to gain the benefits of prep school with a lower price tag. One word of caution, the more selective secondaries do a pre test at 11+, so you may want to think about the run up to that, as well as the CE entry point.

It is quite difficult to get into Westminster from a state school as they insist on Latin. But if you stay in state, you can apply for the various schemes some have for taking at 11+, with 2 years at prep before entering the main school.

You do need to look at the schools (I suggest a few from each sector) to get your eye in, and to see what they actually offer. Remember too that with state schools, you need to fit the entrance criteria well (which often comes down to distance from the school gate), so be realistic about which one's you are likely to be able to secure a place at.

Reputations and entrance footprints can change a lot in the time frame you are looking at. It may be worth your putting him down for independent schools, so you have the option, but only deciding whether to take a place (if offered) much nearer the time.

UCS and City take lots of boys from state schools at 11, up to about 50%, so if you have a decent state school I would start off there. Don't kid yourself that by going private from the start you will avoid tutoring for 11+ to these schools, the prep school kids are just as a heavily tutored from these schools as the state school kids.

Either option will, presumably, provide a good education for your children. Other secondary options, besides those you appear to covet, will, presumably, provide a good education for your children, particularly if you can afford to pay to avoid bad state options. And regardless of whether you pay at primary level or not, you may have to take up other secondary options, anyway. So - what's all the worry about? Either you are quite happy to make the ridiculous financial sacrifices to pay to avoid the state sector from the beginning or you aren't.

It depends entirely on the schools concerned.

I think it's best to put the foundations in first personally, but I would choose the best school for my child state/fee-paying is by-the-by.

If you're in/near London you'll need to get his name down for schools NOW though!

You can make decisions closer the time.