Private primary schools - advice for admissions

[PinkyOfPie]

We're booked to go looking round our local private primary for DD who'll start in September 2017. I understand she'll have to take a test to gain admission. Has anyone had experience of this, or sending their child to private school in general? I'm in two minds as our area has excellent primary schools and I'm torn between saving money and just sending her for secondary school, and thinking it may actually be worth the money as she'll stay with friends from early on? Is there a real difference in the education they receive?

Fwiw I've done state primary and then private in year 7 and it worked very well. Dd was in no way behind academically. I love a good state primary they are ace and can teach resilience if you have a few difficult characters in the class. Ime, you get just as many tricky ones at private but they don't get disciplined enough - teachers nervous parenys will take their kids out

Hi OP

My son goes to a private primary. I was in a very similar position to you, as our local state primary is Ofsted outstanding and has people desperate to get their kids in. It was a really hard decision but I am very happy with the school that we went with.

I assume that your child will be in Reception next year. In that case, I wouldn't worry too much about the assessments. It should be a reasonably fun hour - I'm not convinced that my son ever realised that he was being assessed. One thing to bear in mind is that you are being assessed as much as your child is - so if they say something like "Please dress your child in loose, comfortable clothes that they can do a range of activities in" and you send them in a blazer and tie, that may count against you.

Whether it is worth the money is difficult to say. It may depend on where you live and how hard it is to get into the private secondary. A state primary will not prepare your child for entrance into a private secondary so you may need to get a tutor if the private secondary is oversubscribed.

I just wanted to add that, while, broadly speaking, state and private teach to the same National Curriculum, there is still a difference.

The main point of the prep schools is to get the kids ready for transition exams. So in the last year before the exams - they focus both on the curriculum and exam taking prep. And often - private secondary's expectations are much above the National Curriculum.

It all, of course, also depends on the level of competitiveness at the 7/11/13+ exams... I live in Cental London - and here it is quite brutal.

So - if I were you - I'd find out how easy/difficult it is to get into private secondary from the state.

And, of course, people would tell you - you can just get a tutor, or prepare yourself. True. But it would mean that after school your kid would be spending lots of extra hours to get something that she/he could have gotten during school hours at the prep.

My DD has just started in Reception at an independent school. For us the main deciding factor was class-size (18) compared to our local state school (30). We also felt the amazing facilities and extra-curricular activities were worth the money, and so far haven't regretted our decision once.

She didn't have to take a test to get in, but she was invited to come in and spend a morning in their pre-school (with me present) and there was some subtle testing (they did some baking & asked her to read the numbers on the scales etc).

But there are some shit private schools and some fantastic state schools, so it really comes down to the individual schools.

We've started our dd in the nursery of a private school because of many of the reasons people have stated here. At this age the assessments are very low key- putting toys into groups I.e splitting farm animals into groups, looking to see what/if they can write their name/words etc, drawing a pic.The teacher told us it was mainly about seeing if they could focus but also that they can move tasks and not be distracted. Also to see how they would fit in I.e confidence levels. Before doing it I felt uncomfortable with the idea but it was low key. I actually love state primaries and would have liked my dd to go there but the secondaries are terrible (special measures) and competition for private places at that age is fierce so we started early. I must say my daughter is very, very happy

We put a deposit in for a lovely independent, accepting an offered place initially but then decided to see if we could get our DD into outstanding small (=heavily oversubscribed) state school. We'd had a look around both and decided that we preferred the state school, due to a slightly more varied social and ethnic mix, coeducation with SEN kids, being academic but not overly pushy, and most importantly being our local walking-distance school, so that after school everyone hangs out together at the playground, we share pickups etc, and you can bump into your friends at the shops, at swimming lessons etc. Fortunately got a space but if we hadn't we'd have sent her independent rather than any state choices further down the list. Very happen with our choice and putting the money to one side for extracurricular and possibly independent education later on.

Private all the way! We experienced both sectors and realised how much better holistically our DS is now.
Qualifications of staff, teaching, resources and the school's budget for extending learning are far better @ Independent here.
Pupils pretty much similar academically, they are very close friends sharing similar interests, eager to learn and competitive.
Parents very supportive of school & involved in ensuring good governing body keeps up the high standards.
All good! After so many years, not a bad thing to say about private education.

Tests @ DS's Independent school take place in the classroom environment during the 'Taster Day' so the child doesn't know is being assessed. The interview also can take place anytime during the 'Taster Day' in an informal way. DS didn't know he was being interviewed or assessed on the day.

PinkyOfPie are you able to say where in the country you are? If your local schools assess at 4, then I'm guessing the 11+ is a big deal for access to private secondary. If that is the case, and you have the money, then private primary is 100% worth it your daughter would go through to 18 and therefore not need to do the 11+, which is hideous and getting worse year after year as the population expands and school places stay the same.

ada my daughter is at a private school, one which assesses at 4 and is very academic - she's had some issues, words like dyspraxia and sensory processing are being banded about. The school has been amazing and there has been no suggestion that she leave. Please don't tar all schools with the same brush.

A school with only 13 in a year group can present its own challenges, small number of children to make friends with etc, think you said the village school was very small with 13 in the year. Can also impact in the range of things they can do at school. If our school with 700 children has a theatre group in for the day or an artist or author or drama company or science event, per head it's a lot less expensive than for a school of 13 children X 7 years. So science weeks and art weeks and all that may be more difficult it to fund in a tiny school.

We sent our DD from a state school to a (GDST) private girls high school thinking it would be better, eg better teachers more caring, but the opposite was true. The class size was smaller, but not by much. We had to appeal to the council to return her to a state school as all the schools were full after she left.

The entrance exam getting into a reception/primary private school was not hard for an average intelligence child, in my area anyway.

I heard private schools only have to give you one terms notice to reject your child, for any reason, eg falling behind or bad bahaviour. Also, we found most girls in our DD's ex-private school also had private tuitions. I also went to a private school, and I was always bottom of the class because my parents couldn't afford to hire private tutors, and only at my late teens when I realised I wasn't stupid after all, and now I have a fantastic career to prove it.

Our DC is in their final year of primary prep, and will hopefully go onto senior private too. Our local state school was (and still is, I hear from other parents) struggling - more "crowd control" than education. Our quiet, academic DC would have been utterly lost in that environment.

IME our private school has smaller classes, fantastic teachers, better facilities and a wealth of extra curricular activities and experiences - much more so than our state option. The senior school also offers the same, but has a much larger intake of children - so more classes, and more chances to make lots of friends.

HOWEVER - if our state school had been much better our DC would have gone there (we practically live next door to it so I assume we'd have got a place). Everyone is different, and looking for different things. Agree with everyone else that says that you need to visit a school and get a feel for it. Only you will know what will best suit your DD. Good luck with your decision.

We had planned for DD to go to a Private Primary but then found out we were having DS. We applied for and got an excellent out of catchment State .primary for her instead and DS joined her there too when he was old enough. It meant we could save the money and DD has just started at the original Private school in year 7 ( they do 3-16). DS will also go there when he is old enough.
You need to consider other children and also what the state Primary is like - if the one we had been offered was our catchment school DD would have gone Private earlier and we would have had to make it work.
One thing we have noticed is that DD is much more " streetwise" than a lot of her classmates. Her Primary was quite mixed and large so she has spent the last 7 years with a variety of people whereas the children who have been at the school since age 4 haven't had that and there is certainly a difference in terms of maturity and resilience.

I have experience of both, started all three in the local state school and was very happy with my experience there for a few years. Many reasons why we chose to move however and we moved all three girls at different times for different reasons to two different schools between them.

So much will depend on the schools that you have around you to be honest. Visit them all and get a feel for things and let this guide you. Not every school will suit every child and what you start with may not be right for the longer term. I don't regret starting at the local state school but I do feel that the private schools offer them far more support as individuals.

It depends on the schools but, having taught in both state and independent schools, there's no way I'd put my DCs into a poorly resourced, behind-the-times independent school instead of a brilliant, local state school. If the independent school is very small, there will be a small pool of children from which your DC will draw school friends. As anyone can set up an independent school and there's no obligation to follow the National Curriculum, it's entirely possible that the owner of the school will seek to put distance between his/her school and the state ones, perhaps by deciding not to update their school curriculum to reflect the increasing demands of the NC...these are both aspects of teaching in an independent school that I was disappointed by. I was also disappointed by the complete lack of computers for the pupils to use (so no computing was taught and there was no opportunity to use any IT) and the generally poor resources.

It would be worth looking at the Y7 destinations of the schools you're considering as you may find that not everyone transfers to the senior school from the prep. Likewise, ask about mobility; if your child makes friends with a child whose family relocates, your child won't have the stable friendships that you're hoping for. Personally, I consider it to be a positive that my eldest DD has just started secondary school with no one from her primary school as I think it's an excellent opportunity to follow new interests and to broaden friendships.

Depends on the individual schools. I went to a private prep, DD goes to a fantastic state primary in London. I am aware that I am very fortunate and her school is not the norm - they have very high levels of FSM, SEN and EAL and get a lot of extra money and resources as well as a fantastic HT which makes a big difference to what they can offer.

She has had a specialist French teacher (who is French) from Reception, art is taught by the Artist in Residence, they all learn a musical instrument with specialist staff, lots of sport including 2 full years of weekly swimming lessons and lots of after-school clubs. Academic standards are very high and the school is very supportive of children who are aiming for selective and private secondary options. Each class has a full-time qualified teacher, full-time TA and a NQT so even though there are 30 children, they get plenty of attention.

Turns out that DD is probably dyslexic - school have swung into action and having discussed it with them the first week of term, they arranged for an Ed Psych to come in last week and spend the afternoon assessing her. Meeting next week to discuss the plans they will be putting in place to help her. Hasn't cost me a penny.

A child has just joined DD's Y3 class this term having been in one of the local independent schools and is not ahead in any of the subjects.

We sadly don't have a great choice of secondaries in the state sector, so will be looking for the right independent school for DD once we have established what impact the dyslexia is going to have. If we had state secondary options as good as the primary one then I would be more than happy with that.

It's a good idea to go and look at both and see what is on offer. If you can only afford one then I would go with secondary over primary. If you can easily afford both, then there is a lot to be said for avoiding the stress of the 11+ and going straight through if that is what you want (straight through schools probably won't prepare kids for the 11+ which can be a problem if you want more choice or feel that the school may not be right for your child when they are older).

I have experience of both. Two kids went to local primary school- rural, nothing really wrong with it. Son very bright and not stretched. With the best will in the world, there aren't the resources at most state primaries to support bright kids. At the opposite end of the spectrum, those with learning disabilities got all the bells and whistles and 1 to 1 SEN teaching assistants.
He got a bursary to a top prep and the standards and the level of teaching is phenomenal- no comparison. He is not the top of his year- there are some seriously brainy kids, but he is near the top and being constantly pushed in a very positive way so that he is achieving his potential. Oh, and he loves it. We still pay, but a reduced fee. It is hard financially though but no regrets. Our daughter stayed at the primary. There was an issue with bullyjng which the school swept under the carpet. We took her out and put her in a different small prep. No fee reduction for her and it is incredibly difficult financially- my parents are currently paying. She is thriving though, and it was absolutely worth it. Very sad to say, but you get what you pay for, even in primary schools.

There are planty of state schools that can support seriously brainy children. My friend's schildren went to state primary and both ended up at Cambridge doing Maths. Also, the new primary curriculum is more challenging than the old curriculum so comparing the two is like comparing apples and pears. Unless you have excellent teaching and know what the new curriculum entails, it is easy to think prep schools are better. Some are, but some are not. You do not always get what you pay for!!!

I too have expereince of both. The local small prep my DD2 went to was, frankly, useless above Y1. Brilliant for Early Years and Y1. Non qualified teachers, poor sports facilities, full of over parented whinging children, poor music, and very few bright children. The reason for this? They were all in the much better state schools. Teaching was average to say the least and teachers could not control 15 children. This is why they were not teaching in the state system - just not good enough ! SEN provision was woeful.

DD then went to a top performing girls' prep school and that was brilliant. It did follow the national curriculum but it had specialist teachers and an amazing array of extra curricular opportunities and art and music that were brilliant. No other state school could match it, but it was expensive and took children to 13, not 11. It was full of pretty bright children despite there being no entrance test and every year children won academic scholarships to big name schools. I would therefore say, do not be swept away by a comfortable little school. It may be very average. Look at the destinations of the children. Where do they go afterwards? A small senior school is limiting and the same friends for many years is not particularly desirable. Changing at 11 or 13 is a lot more sensible.

My other DD stayed at the local primary school and thrived, but she could have achieved more there, had she been asked to. There were other schools that were possibly better, but we could not get into them! I think if you have excellent state schools nearby, you will find there is very little difference in the curriculum between state and private but less SEN and lower achieving children at the private school. If you have friends that are spread out over a larger geographic area, then you still make sure your child sees them. They just may not be able to walk down the road to them.

It is far better, in my view, not to use an average private primary. If you are paying, go for the very best school for your money. Secondary is the biggest problem. If you have truly awful ones nearby, then save your money for this. My state educated DD flew into an academic boarding school. She was in the top 4 re GCSE results and, she had never done a single MFL at primary school, but has a degree in two now. If you get the right senior school, your child will do very well and may well surprise you!