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Original poster

Is independent from Y5 worth it?

55 replies

Lolaandbehold · 12/03/2023 23:51

As the title suggests, really.

For context we are in London. ie demand for private secondary schools outstrips supply. The plan has always been to target the independent secondary sector.

My daughter is in a well regarded, highly over subscribed, outstanding state primary. She’s a bright girl but not particularly self motivated so in a class of 30, she’s cruising along nicely. I don’t think she’s getting pushed to do her best.

I’m now thinking of moving her to a prep school for Y5 and 6.
There are so many opportunities outside of the national curriculum, they learn 3 languages, coding, science, DT, cookery etc etc. They also prep them for 11+ which her state primary doesn’t do. I worry that she will have a better chance of getting her into a good private secondary from an independent prep than her state primary.

Does anyone have any thoughts? Especially if you have moved from state to prep and also to those with children that have always been in the private sector, do you feel like is it actually worth it?

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SamPoodle123 · 23/03/2023 12:45

TizerorFizz · 23/03/2023 12:39

Weekly boarding is maybe 40 mins twice a week! Hardly a big issue! Saves the anxiety. I do think some people like the frisson of it all though. The dinner talk and chatter.

Yea and isn't weekly boarding 10K or more a year? Not everyone has the luxury to afford that for all their dc (esp if they have 3 or more dc). And also, perhaps some people do not want their dc going to weekly boarding. I prefer to have mine at home. And also, some dc want to go to a more academic school. You can find a few London private schools that take anyone of course. But it would be a different learning environment compared to the more academic schools.

TizerorFizz · 23/03/2023 12:58

@SamPoodle123 £8,000- 11,500 a term plus. However professional parents find it. If you are scraping fees, it’s not a good idea. It just seems to be day school and awful anxiety in London. I’m just suggesting a middle way which works for some.

TizerorFizz · 23/03/2023 12:59

Also lots of schools have London coaches so parents don’t even travel.

Wenfy · 23/03/2023 16:49

SamPoodle123 · 22/03/2023 10:00

I think it depends on the dc and what prep is required. My dd spent 6 months prepping (only started end of year 5 bc we did not know she was going to do the 11+. It was a last minute decision and in fact we did not even view the schools she got into until after she got the offers). She had a tutor once a week and did some atom learning. That is it. So we did not spend much on tutoring her. She kept all of her extra curricular activities on top, as she did not want to drop anything - debate, ballet, choir, gymnastics, netball 3-4 times a week and Art. She had no pressure and enjoyed the 11+ process (unlike me, I was slightly freaked out about it all). Anyway, in the end she is going to G&L. Going to a state school does not mean you need to be tutored like crazy in order to do well in the 11+ (my dd got offers to all schools she applied to). However, again it depends on the dc. And if she wanted to go to our local state secondary, we would have been fine with that as well. It was her choice to go for it.

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It is highly unusual for any child to pass 11+ with near perfect marks in their county on just 6 months prep. Most children would not be able to do that and certainly not middle class parents like my husband and I who came from very working class immigrant backgrounds and so don’t know the system (and don’t always get the support either).

I also think it’s a bit weird that the same wealthy parents who play the system by buying their way into outstanding school catchments then try to play the moral high ground by claiming they saved money by tutoring or that it’s ‘better value’.

In some areas with lots of grammars and higher populations competition is fierce not just for 11+ places but also for 11+ tutors. In my area the cost is 4-6k a year and the best ones insist on 3 hours a week from year 4, don’t take dyslexic or SEN students, and also recommend Kumon + test prep on top. This is all on top of State Primary homework.

If 11+ is your aim from age 3/4 and you can afford it just seems crazy not to go for a good private primary / prep rather than risk your child’s mental health.

SamPoodle123 · 23/03/2023 17:08

Wenfy · 23/03/2023 16:49

It is highly unusual for any child to pass 11+ with near perfect marks in their county on just 6 months prep. Most children would not be able to do that and certainly not middle class parents like my husband and I who came from very working class immigrant backgrounds and so don’t know the system (and don’t always get the support either).

I also think it’s a bit weird that the same wealthy parents who play the system by buying their way into outstanding school catchments then try to play the moral high ground by claiming they saved money by tutoring or that it’s ‘better value’.

In some areas with lots of grammars and higher populations competition is fierce not just for 11+ places but also for 11+ tutors. In my area the cost is 4-6k a year and the best ones insist on 3 hours a week from year 4, don’t take dyslexic or SEN students, and also recommend Kumon + test prep on top. This is all on top of State Primary homework.

If 11+ is your aim from age 3/4 and you can afford it just seems crazy not to go for a good private primary / prep rather than risk your child’s mental health.

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I never said she had near perfect marks. I have no idea what her marks were, just that she got into all the schools she applied to and will be going to Godolphin and Latymer, which is an academically competitive school in London. It is not a grammer school. The good grammer schools I heard are super competitive, but we did not try for it as it is an hour away so we would never send her there. And just so you know, my dh and I are not from here either. So we had no idea at all about how the 11+ works. I literally learned as I went. Searched on mumsnet and googled it.

Also, how is buying a house in a good area playing the system? Playing the system is when you rent a house by an outstanding state school just to get in and then move way far away. Now THAT is playing the system. If you downright own your house, that is in no way playing the system.

And you are talking about grammer schools. I am talking about my experience with British private secondary schools. I know nothing about getting into Grammer schools. Just that it sounds even more competitive to get into then the top British private schools. I have no interest in grammer schools, as we live in Lonon and the closest grammer school to us is one hour away, which is too far. So perhaps some children feel pressure if they must get into these grammer schools and need to prep from such a young age.

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