A state school that is like/close to a private school

[HungryDam]

Hi,

Do you know of a state school that is like or similar to a private school? Maybe one that offers plenty of extra curricular activities like a debating society for example for a fee after school hours?

I don't personally but maybe some of the outstanding leafy comps we hear about so often on here, might.
You mention something like that in our local state schools and you'd get
We do have one high school in the borough that allows the bright linguistics to take Latin.

Your post is very random. Hundreds of state primaries offer a wealth of after school clubs. Others offer none. I'm sure some do offer clubs that include debating at a basic level although not much call for it at primary level.
You need to be more specific in what you are looking for. Are clubs more important that academics to you? Is wraparound care important? Where do you live? (This one is fairly crucial if you are looking for recommendations) or are you willing to move anywhere in the country?

This mythical state primary which is high achieving academically and also offers a wealth if different sporting and arts type clubs is likely to be vastly oversubscribed with a tiny catchment of houses calling 1m+ though. If it exists at all. Oh and not all private schools are the bees knees and I say that as a fee paying parent.

Morethan, I assumed the OP was looking for a primary school as she's posted in primary ed. I'm sure quite a few good state secondaries have debating clubs.

Do you mean primary (you've posted in primary) or secondary?

I imagine there'll be loads of schools very similar to what you want. What part of the country, age, size etc?

How bizarre. Plenty of good primary schools offer extra curricular activities

Any particular area?

Sorry I should have made clear the area: London (not central) or outer London area (willing to move).

Looking for an excellent state primary that is as close to a fee paying school as possible (the ones that people on MN are constantly talking about!)

A Surrey or Herts village school? That's a bit further out admittedly.

I almost said, or are you a Londoner doing as Londoners do on here and assuming that everyone will know you are talking about London.

Have you visited your local primaries? Have you checked ofsted or value added scores? Can you not opt for a school you like and top up with extra curricular stuff in the evenings or weekends? This is what thousands if parents do.

It's an odd question - they're completely different things.

At a private school you are a customer, and you can shop around and find the school that best fits your DC. The ethos and approach of schools can be incredibly widely different from each other as they don't have the follow the National Curriculum. Some are very focused on getting their pupils through a particular exam at age 11 or 13 and moving on to prestigious secondary schools, some are more about holistic child development and pastoral care. In any private school, children who don't fit the ethos/behaviour/results can be asked to leave.

A state school exists to serve its community and children can only be asked to leave under extreme circumstances. The government dictates what can and can't be taught, and what policies are in place (to a certain extent, even if it's an academy). Parents are not customers, although they are part of the school community.

What is it about private schools that you find appealing and want to replicate in a state school? The out of school clubs? The wrap-around care? The small classes? The preparation of pupils for prestigious secondary schools? There are many and varied reasons for people choosing private over state (although clearly 93% of parents don't) and only you know what is important to you.

The best primaries won't be identical to a private school as they have different aims. A really good primary will want to take all children of a wide mix of abilities and stretch each and every one of them to their potential. It will have a mix of ethnic groups, economic groups, academic abilities. Its strength will be in this breadth of experience.

You won't get that in a private or at least a lot of parents paying for private don't particularly want that.

London has a disproportionately high number of exceptionally good schools. But they aren't like privates.

Saying you want a brilliant state primary that is the same as a private school is like saying you want an apple that tastes like a pear. The best apples are the most appley!

Look at the Tatler state schools guide - though many of these are super selective or have peculiar banding admissions that make it harder to get in than just moving close by

You need to be more clear - tons of schools, probably the majority, offer after school clubs if that's all you're interested in. If it's academics you're interested in just look at league tables and work your way down. But 'something like a private school' is too unspecific and suggests you yourself don't really know what you want.

I think the main difference between state and private schools is the latter doesn't have to follow the examination system dictated by the government of the day. Despite not having to follow the national curriculum , etc all state schools including academies and free schools have to do stage 2 sats and the public exam system laid down by the Secretary of State for education.

The "close to a fee paying one" is irrelevant.

You need to decide what you want from a school. Small classes? Good extra curricular activities? Pastoral care? Sports bias?

State schools in London and SE won't have small class sizes like private schools. They have to teach national curriculum, have SATs etc.

If you mean state primary schools with outstanding ofsted reports, SATs results or a certain (eg wealthy, CofE) intake, there are plenty of those, eg in my area of Surrey there's a school like this with a catchment distance of about 500metres and £100k+ house price premium! (Sky high rental prices too).

Our primary school has lots of clubs, sports, orchestra, choirs, etcBut not debating. But neither do the two local independent schools.
local comp has good debating society.
My inner city crap comp won every year the debating cup against all the private schools, thanks to one very dedicated and inspirational teacher. But it was still a generally poor school!
I wouldn't select a school based on its debating society at primary level or indeed at senior level based in my own experience.

If you want small class sizes then free schools may be your thing

Or just go to a private school?

Even then it depends what you want from the school though. Fee paying or not is somewhat irrelevant until you work out what you actually want.

Canary Wharf College Free School.
Set up by the headmistress of Faraday in London
www.ibtimes.co.uk/gamechangers-canary-wharf-free-schools-founder-sarah-counter-education-outside-stifling-local-1484408

There is only 1 thing that separates ALL private schools and ALL state schools and that is that you have to pay to go to Private schools so unless you say where you are and what exactly you want from the school it's pretty impossible to advise you I'm afraid.

It's a rather random question but I would agree with arsenic - my DCs go to a village CoE infant school. Small catchment, by and large wealthy parents, small class sizes by state standards with a FT teacher and TA in each class. Was marked down by Ofsted for not addressing diversity (there is no diversity to address). Having said that, most children go on to private in Y3 or 4.

It has its own problems though - friendship groups are very strained (if your kids weren't born here they will struggle as most friendship groups are established in the local toddler group), once the children go on to the junior school there is a history of bullying (we are seen as the "posh" kids and even "posher" parents). Be careful what you wish for....