'Why I send my child to a private school' Guardian piece...

[PollyParanoia]

Is there no thread on it? Surely there must be.
www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/jul/23/why-send-child-to-private-school here
It's just so badly written with lots of fatuous unsupported statements. She's been so suckered by that clever thing that private nurseries do to encourage parents to sign up until 11. Our local one makes the nursery children buy and wear the uniform in the pre-reception year. Especially if the uniform has an expensive boater as hers does (I always notice that the most prestigious schools around us have the least pretentious uniform).
And as for 'Katy's exceeding national expectations', well, a good section of children in a state school will do the same, doh, as you'd know if you really were an educational expert.
And that bit about how lots of children would thrive in a non-academic environment/technical school. But not her child of course.
Oh and she lives in Kent so I think we know the answer to her point about her going private if she's not happy with the secondary school provision.

If a school was the best school for my dds, I wouldn't care whether they were wearing trainers and tracksuits, or no uniform, or boaters. I might a bit about those sort of details, and challenge them if they bothered me enough, but it certainly wouldn't be a deal breaker.

Good teachers, grounded adults, happy kids, an atmosphere that encourages creativity and learning - yes.

For us, the best at all that was one of the local state primaries. We think we are very lucky. But the bit that baffles me is that a LOT of local people raised eyebrows and threw up horrified hands that we were sending dd1 there - because it isn't private, and has a mix of families. A few years later, its been a whole different matter with dd2 - they nod politely and say 'oh I hear its really quite good now' (it always was, IMO). Interesting.

Private schools - like many successful institutions - like to foster a strong ethos and sense of identity and a smart, distinctive uniform is often part of that. I find it very strange that anyone would object to this. It may not be something you want for your own children, but why on earth should it bother you that others do?

It doesn't bother me if anyone likes straw hats.

Like your post pasmoi.

Is anyone bothered by smart uniforms?

I thought people were bothered by the journalist going on about people judging her dd's boater...

It's not really a boater though, is it?

Thank you elibean.

I am all for smart uniforms - but age appropriate.
If the journalist was secure in her choice she wouldn't bother writing about it - she seems very insecure and far too worried about what people think.

I do think people are disingenuous about private school uniforms. There can be no other purpose for the more...outré..ones than to underline the exclusivity. And to make the socially insecure parent feel more confident. Oh, and to make sure, as grammar schools used to, that even if a poor and or working class person managed by some freak chance to get in, they couldn't actually go because they couldn't afford the boaters or spongebag trousers!

I don't recognise the small class sizes. We looked extensively at all private schools in our area and none of them had class sizes smaller than 22. Some had 26 children, especially the ultra-selective and very popular ones.

If there was a school around with 11 children I would be a bit nervous as to their financial viability, but that's just me beng paranoid. But as there aren't any it is a mute point.

As for wraparound care, all state schools where I live make provision for it (not within the school, but there are companies that work with the school to provide it). Also there are childminders on top who offer a similar service.

So having said all the above, I feel I can't relate to the OP's experience at all - oh and there are no boater hats to be seen, but then again we're UP NORTH so maybe not posh enough to wear them!!!

As for the comment of being above average, frankly as another poster said, if your child is in a decent state school with decent parental support and no special needs then they will be likely to be above average, no need to fork out £10,000 per year in that respect.

Having said that, we have had to supplement/support at home more than I would have liked, but I guess private school parents will be doing that in the guise of homework. One of the criticism of our school is that it sends home no homework thus leaving you with the false sense of security that all is well, when often it isn't. But then every school is different and no school is perfect.

What are spongebag trousers? Must google.

You should do what you think is best for your children, nothing else matters. If that is sending them to private school then do it, there is nothing to be gained by pontificating about it.

A Pre-Prep with 11 in a class will not be covering its costs unless the fees are phenomenally high or subidised by bigger classes further up the school.

Many private schools are struggling orangeberries-it seems to be overlooked on here that there is a recession and they will be forced into bigger class sizes to be viable.

Indies with uniforms that belong to a bygone era are quite rare so I don't understand why so much MN Time is being spent on the subject.

Could it be some of you are grasping at straw (boaters) just so that you can bash Indies?

True-but I wasn't bashing private schools-I might well have sent my DCs to one. Luckily the 5 yr olds weighed down with outdated clothing are rare. Most independent schools have moved with the times.

Re class sizes at Indies, a form size of 24-25 is quite common in year 7. In year 8 streaming kicks in for subjects like maths and class sizes for those subjects are about 10. As for subjects like art, where 1-2-1 isn't an issue, the class will remain at the form size

There can be no other purpose for the more...outré..ones than to underline the exclusivity.

I do so agree, seeker; the hat looks like something that was withdrawn from the uniform requirements about 50 years ago, from the grammar school I attended.

I live in London surrounded by state and private schools big and small, grammar and comprehensive selective and non selective, boarding and day. I can't remember ever seeing a boater. All I see around town are rather scruffy teenagers from all the schools hanging round at bus stops or walking to and from school. All cultures, religions, economic backgrounds hanging out together. Where do mnetters get their ideas from? Or is it just cosmopolitan Londoners who have less of an issue with state/private school provision?

" All cultures, religions, economic backgrounds hanging out together. Where do mnetters get their ideas from? Or is it just cosmopolitan Londoners who have less of an issue with state/private school provision". As opposed to the rest of us country bumpkins?

I would love to think your rose tinted view reflected reality, but sadly, I don't think it does. Certainly not in my experience. Which, it may surprise you to know, is quite cosmopolitan!

Alas, mirry2, to us country bumpkins, it looks like the Londoners have the problem - I've never heard someone from London say they didn't find getting their child into a reasonable school a hugely stressful experience. Also interested that you know the economic backgrounds of the children, if they all just look like scruffy teenagers to you (and interested that all London children love bus stops - are they catching buses together or just hanging around?). You write like someone who doesn't actually have anything to do with children, but who occasionally observes strangers walking in the street...

Also interested to know what scruffy teenagers who have started making their own choices when it comes to clothes have to do with young children whose schools and parents can dictate their dress code in and out of school... Where are all the young children in London? Are they too scared to be out and about, mirry?!

Well you are all very fortunate to have state schools that get better/equal results to independent schools, that private children are pitied for apparently not getting into a state school.

Would love to know which areas these are in as here in Kent we do not have financially strained private schools with classes of 25 ..... We have financially strained rural schools with so few in junior years they are mixing classes and having over 30 pupils in classrooms barely able to contain them.

Pupils are leaving in droves to go to one of the 10 independent schools in the surrounding 7 miles. None of these appear to be feeling the pressure as much as the state schools here all of which are if fearing terribly.

*suffering terribly!