the great divide is already very great at the age of 9

[thegreatdivide]

just dropped off dc to a fun run after school last week
hosted at a prep school for all schools in the area
my first exposure of a prep school
I was quite surprised at the turnout and how vocal the parents were
(puts the touchline football parents to shame)
there were parents running from one part of the course to the other cheering on their dcs
the great divide is so wide even at the age of 9

How do you know the "vocal" parents were from the prep school itself and not one of the others schools in the area?

Not sure what point you're making to be honest.. What divide? Parental expectations? Speed of running??!!

it wasn't the speed of running
what stood out was the parental support, (which is great of course) and many other things too
it was a reality check

What were the other things?

(I'm sure that in a couple of year's time those pupils, like all others, will be mortified by parents doing anything as embarrassing as running along loudly in a children's fun run).

What else? (genuinely want to know!)

that is true
the other things are obvious

mm.. not sure of your point re embarrassing parents on sidelines. Not seen prep parents but had misfortune to watch vocal, over involved, bullying parents on sidelines of a weekend football game/ supposed to be fun club... ha, ha...[in a village. Local school clubs].
I guess what you might get with prep parents is more of a management of what goes on with their children due to culture of having to pay for everything? Also, maybe more obsession with how things go generally due to stress of getting child into 'right' school to avoid state?
Oh I don't no!!
What sort of running op. Obsessive over involvement or football parent type support? Or just cheering? Interested.. .

Also probably have parents that know the difference between 'no' and 'know' .

So you were the only non-prep parent there to support a child?

"the other things are obvious"

Not to us - we weren't there and didn't see what you saw.

I'm one of those parents....mine don't go to private schools.

I've no idea whether there is a great divide re state and private parents and sporting events because I don't think they meet all that often.

I live in a rural area where the vast majority (even the very rich) send their DC to the local primary and then the comprehensive. It is a proper comp with no grammar in the county or within reasonable travelling distance.

There is a very selective private 4-18 school in a market town, and a much less selective/sporty private both of which occasionally compete with local state schools.

The worst behaviour I have seen was at an inter schools secondary cross country was when parents of the state school pupils actually booed the private school DC. Cheering your own son and his school friends on is one thing but jeering/swearing and yelling don't let the XXXXX school get past was awful to listen to. I don't know if any of the private school parents were there to here it.

One of my sons did play football at the sporty private in year 7 and beat them 11-0. State school football team were never invited back and private school parents were not pleased. They did give us all tea, coffee, squash and biscuits in their very nice dining hall though.
There was a regular swimming gala between the schools too. The state school always won the girls competition and the private always won the boys competition. The sate school could never host it because they don't have a pool. We got free coffee and biscuits again.

DD played the private school at netball and tennis in the primary years. There were lots of state primaries taking part and the private school were the host school. DD school came last in the netball but there were only 7 girls in her year so team selection was easy! They did better in the tennis.

Normally state school compete against other state schools.

and your point is?

That some parents are more encouraging than others?

You seem to be rushing to attach labels and wearing 2 pairs of judgy pants, to boot.

I am confused as I don't really understand the OP.

DS1 was at a state infant school and for sports stuff there was always a huge turn out by parents, both my dcs are now at a pre prep and it doesn't really seem to be any different.

I don't think it is obvious - there are lots of differences I can see within the school but I don't think there would be anything outwardly obvious in a sports competition but the dcs school is a very family orientated school rather than academic or ridiculously competitive in sports.

I think this is a case of inverted snobbery disguised as something else.

Absolutely, I am intrigued as to what these things are though.

I do understand that some pre preps may be 'posher' than others but most of the parents I have met all seem the same to me. You still get similar parents in state schools IMO.

I really don't think the level of support is particularly different, in fact it seemed more at the state school as at my dcs school most of the parents, certainly in their classes, work so can't always go to these things. I think the number of working parents increases by junior school at most schools anyway.

I do think many people seem to believe that if you have dcs at pre prep you are rich and the mums are all 'ladies that lunch'.

Where's OP?

Still hoping to find out what other things she witnessed.

Me too . . .