Private schools??

[nikki81]

Hi everyone. Our DD is due to start the local primary school in september but we are now very reluctant to send her there and would like her to go to private school. Our nearest one is 30 mins drive for me so I have make sure this is the right decision. I do not even know if she would get a place there now as it's probably too late. I am also worried about what the parents will be like there. Does anyone have any advice. I am going to phone them on tuesday but they probably wont be there as it's half term. Thanks.

It is quite late for entry into private schol, but there may be the chance of places depending on popularity or late drop outs. Best way is to phone up and ask.

DD is a private school and the parents are primarily all normal!

have a look at the good schools guide website and/or book. is by parents and so an independent source of info on schools.

i too know nothing of independent schools (went to state schools) and it does feel a bit strange and you do feel, um, out of your comfort zone a bit. but you just need to look at a few. in fact, look at all the ones you can, even if you prob wont send them there, just to have something to compare them against.

mine are all going to private school (2 of them in nursery class now) just b/c we have the money to afford them the opportunities it offers... and i doubt ill ever be in the inner circle of the poshest mummies, but who gives a monkeys?? so long as my kids are happy, im happy.

I agree! Most mums at private school are just like you; broke as all our money goes on ensuring our kids have a good and, more importantly, enjoyable education!!
Ring them up and ask if there are any places available, and ask to have a look round during lesson time. If no places are available, be put on the waiing list.
Both our children go to private school and I am a state school teacher so I see both sides and know it has been the right decision for us.

I have to say that I really don't understand the idea of sending kids to private primary schools. I do understand private secondary, but it really is quite hard to go wrong at primary level imo (well, before the age of about 9 anyway, or when their natural enthusiasm for learning starts to fade). what's wrong with the local school?

This years intake is lower than usual, well it is here in the SE, so you may still get a place at the private school.

The parents will probably be a mixed bunch but all quite normal!

Incidentally, next years intake (Sept 2008) is going to be HUGE so if anyone has DCs going independent next year, get their names down now!

senora - i think the idea of private education from the start is to take that natural entusiasm and really give its due.
build foundations for a thirst for knowledge and study skills and the sense of achievement from doing thingsotherwise not offered and.....

theres a lot.

in fact theres a lot to suggest that going for the first half of education and then going to state secondary school is actually a better way round, if youre going to mix it up. get the foundations right and the rest will follow, so to speak.

of course, im speaking entirely from hypothesis as mine are 1, 2 and 3 - and i went to state school - so what do i know really??

boysontoast - I also had 3 DCs in 3 years and organising extra-curricular activities is very hard work - watching my eldest at her swimming lesson whilst trying to keep 2 & 3yo toddlers happy is something I only did once! A private school that privides after school swimming, all the usual team sports, fencing, ballet etc, means your DCs can all do what they want, when they want and without you having to take the rest of the family along.

Lots of those intake places for primary intake 2008 may already have been nabbed by those in nurseries attached to private schools though who may have joined at rising 3 and so it depends how schools are responding to the changing birth rates.

Birth rates in England and Wales fell from 648k in 1994 to a low of 594k in 2001 and have since risen again to 646k (2005).

A private school near us seems to be increasing its primary provision at the moment but decreasing its secondary provision. Overall there will be roughly the same number of pupils on site. There also seem to be moves afoot in other local private schools to react to the birth rates changes (rumours of extra reception classes, one school being bought by another, etc).

To the OP - always worth contacting - you never know when a place may become available.

Hi everyone. I am going to ring the school tomorrow but they probably wont be there as it's half term. We did a trial run last night and it was 14 miles there and 14 miles back! Bearing in mind I will be doing this 4 times a day! Seem alot but it's for her education.
Weare doing it because we can afford it now and the local school is not that brilliant and we believe this will be the best education for our child, there is nothing wrong with that is there? I just know people are going to ask me why we are doing it.
I am also hoping that there might be someone at the school in the same area as us where we can possibly share the journeys!

gawd norks, aint that the truth! baby swim classes were a pits to start with, got nigh on impossible with number 2 around and a total non-starter with poor deprived number 3 lol.
yes, them being able to do all those #extra curricular' activities without the associated logistical/organisational nightmares is a BIG plus.
and the extra long holidays rock! 4 weeks for easter - i feel a regular week or fortnight in the sun at springtime coming on!

good luck nikkie.
there may well be someone there at half term btw. seems to be at ds' school.
and there may well be a conveniently located fellow parent you can share lifts with. at ds' school theres a parent rep who makes a list of parents (who agree) with addresses and phone no.s which makes that process easier.

The school is MUCH too far away to be a long term thing for both your dd & yourself IMO
I did what you are considering for half a school year, I drove 19 miles to school, worked there during the day, then 19 miles back again. On a good day it took 40 minutes, but on a bad day the best part of an hour Imagine how tired & ratty you & your dd will both be by the time you get home. I used to have to hang around the streets if dd ever got invited to tea, & used to drive another half hour away from school to parties in playcentres, hang around then drive well over an hour before I got home.
Taking on a nightmare school run like this is not something that I would advise any sane person to contemplate doing long term. This is not a good idea for either yourself or your dd. If your local school is that bad perhaps you need to consider moving, either nearer to the private school, or better state schools.

If it is the right school for your child, then a long school run is, of course, worth it! I did the same for the first 2 terms my son was at his current school, until we moved closer. See it as an opportunity for you and dd to have some time together; practise spellings, talk about the day, plan what to do over the weekend. Don't see it as a hurdle; turn the negative into a positive!
If your local primary is poor, there are bound to be parents locally who you may be able to share the school run with.
Talk to the school, they will be able to help as well... there are bound to be parents who travel just as far, if not further!
Of course, this is all dependent on tomorrow's phonecall to the school, but PLEASE do not think that distance is a barrier, for a small sacrifice on your part, you are providing your daughter with one of the most important things in her life; a good education

the only downside i can see is the distance

rush hour traffic outside of easter hol is the only time to see what it is really like - you just have to try it at 8.15 on a busy winter tuesday so see what it is really like!

also factor in just how tired they get in their first two-three years - by the end of term my energetic enthusiastic five year old is in bits

also, distance is a problem for social stuff eg having children for tea who might live 10 miles the other way from school - you get to the point where you just don't do it very often which is a shame

Hi just wondering why didn't you like the local primary school? And is there another independent option nearer?

Hi. Thanks everyone. NELL12, that's exactly how I see it with the travelling, if it's the best option available then I am prepared to travel. The local school has very big classes and they are now mixing reception and year 1 as of september which we are not keen on.
As for her not making friends, that doesn't bother me as we don't really mix in our small town and all my friends are based about 10 miles away from me so used to travelling out. One school is the opostie direction, 14 miles away and there are 2 schools in Colchester which is the other direction where all my friends are based, we are in the middle. I know a couple of friends' friends' who travel 40 mins plus to school. It's a difficult decision as there is so much travelling involved.

My daughters prep school has been full for September 2007 intake since September 2006! We were sent a letter during this hols asking for us to confirm if dd will require a place in the pre prep in Sept 2008 as she is in the nursery at the moment and the main school give priority of places to those moving up from the nursery. They have done this is they have had so many enquries for next years entry that they need to know now who will be moving up!

We are doing our private education the other way round, with both of mine going to private senior school. Our local state primary (2 min walk from us) is superb, excellent results etc and my son is there at the moment, but he will move to private at year 7. Likewise my daughter will go to the state primary then also transfer to the private school I went to at year 7.

If you are unhappy about the state school your dd will go to then certainly make contact with the private school.

I do however think that your journey will be very long and tiring for such a young child and although education is very important so is restful time at home after a day at school. My ds was nearly 5 when he started and the whole school environment tired him enormously at first and he would often be in bed around 5.30!! Travelling can be just as tiring, even if just sitting in a car.

Have you considered perhaps leaving her at the local school but moving at 7+ for a prep school if the local school does not work out?

Best of luck with whatever you choose

CGM xx

I know you only want to do your best for your dd, & yes, it was worth it for me doing the marathon nightmare school run for 6 months, but to do it indefinitely just isnt fair on the child or you. Please dont underestimate how tired you both will be with all that traveling, & think of the petrol bills I actually chose to get a job in the area because it didnt seem worth going home for a few hours & it paid my petrol costs.
On a good day we left the house at 745am & got home at 430pm, on bad days it was much later. My 4 & 6 year olds were climbing the walls with exhaustion. Its just not something little ones can do long term.
I advise you to give the school run a practice once everyones back at school, then you`ll see what its really like.

We were regularly doing a school run of 6 miles each way , taking up to 25 minutes (1 hour and a half in snow !!), until a month ago and tbh I would not recommend it long term. We have now moved 2 minutes drive away and it is bliss in comparison. Socially it has an impact because you may find that classmates are spread equally distant in the opposite direction, making play dates hard. Also if you have any other children juggling the after school activities and perhaps different start/finish times can be frustrating. My round trip might have only been 50 minutes but I would have to wait for 20 minutes or more from ds' start before dropping dd and similar at pick up.

Ours has a diverse mix of parents so don;t worry too much on that score unless it feels very elitist.

It is worth enquiring now but prepare for disappointment or perhaps a last minute decision in the summer holidays should someone drop out (and it can happen very late on). Otherwise how about getting her name down for 7+ entry when class sizes may increase, so extra places come up, and trying the state in the meantime ? You may well find someone in the office tomorrow, admin staff tend to cover holiday periods, so nothing to lose by phoning.

You are all so full of useful info! The school here is until age 7, I think, then she will go to the juniors next door but I don't know any schools around here that take them at that age, I thought it was just from age 4? It does worry me about the driving backwards and forwards and hanging around if need be. It's so hard to make a decision but I guess I can't do anything until tomorrow and maybe have a look around them. Thanks.

So could she do the infant years (Reception to year 2) in the state and then transfer to the private one at 7+ if needs be ? Several of ds' year group have done that.

That sounds like a good idea. I wasn't sure if our independant schools will allow then to enter at age 7? I have just e mailed the schools admissions also to try and change my choice of school but it's probably too late!

Private school entry often at 4+, 7+ and 11+, 13+.

At DD's school, classes are 16 pupils, then increase to 20, then 22 as they progress so there is the expectation of picking up extras along the way!

Also IME lots of people 'drop out' - often because parents choosing private schools tend to be in jobs which require them to move from time to time. I would say 2-3 pupils a year move out of DD's year group (now 44 pupils). All but a couple went elsehwere in the country because of a work-forced move as opposed to elsewhere locally.

There were 12 ish entering ds' year at 7+ (Year 3) out of 60 total, including him, and at least 2 have joined in the 18 months since. So after Reception that is often a good natural entry point.