What Annoys You About Independent Schools?

[zanzibarmum]

Me? Independent schools who:

• tell applicants not to tutor their children when the entire prep school set up is precisely about cramming for common entrance exams;
• refuse to explain content of common entrance exam, again which discriminates against state school applicants;
• entrance exam papers which are clearly biased - Latymer's practice paper asks a question about the size of a hockey stick;
• poo poo league tables when their whole raison d'etre is to churn out As and A*;
• promote all the sport they do but in practice do very little for most children;
• who do not standardise entrance exam scores for age - selecting therefore the oldest not necessarily the brightest (cf churning out As and A*;.

Clearly, there are lots of good things about some independent schools but generally they have an easy life and probably coast on the back of the intelligence (innate or prepped) on their students.

Since I'm very very busy not writing my latest book for my publisher I may as well be writing something for someone .

Well, I'm going round in circles- I will only repeat myself or refer to previous answers in response to any of this. This point is reached by a lot of threads... this one earlier than most.

I'm sorry, UQD; I am not as thorough as I could be when reading reams of posts (if only I had the time...)

I would actually be interested to know what the answers would be to my first two questions (and, ideally, the third as well - but maybe that's not quite so easy to answer). I shall try to read my way through all this to find out!

I think everyone ends up going round in circles on this one. It's bound to happen when people feel really strongly about something that doesn't have any one "right" answer.

Litchick - that makes two of us, only I'm not even writing other people's posts for them!!

What an interesting thread..... Started reading it with hope to get some valuable insight into the weaker points of the public school system, but finished with an absolute, rock hard conviction that I will send my kids to the independent school, even if I had to sell my organs...
We do have a lovely little community primary next to us, with class sizes anywhere between 8-12 pupils, supposedly an outstanding school. We planned to send the boys there and then off to an independent, but now I'm not so sure...

The badly thought out and made uniforms sold at prices that make your eyes water!

My ds's uniform was cheaper than the state school one. Difference being local shop sold it rather than only being available from the school. Style and colour good too - shorts rather than trousers so they last longer and grey shirt rather than white. Easier to keep a grey shirt grey than a white shirt white!

In the book 'freakonomics' it is mooted that it is mainly children's parents' level of academic and monetary achievements that determine the child's success.

I don't really know if the 'middle class' kids that go to independent schools would help improve state schools - if you consider that the money per capita spent on education would remain the same, then in fact resources would be spread more thinly.

I think the bottom line is smaller/more local schools;Money spent wisely on staff and equipment instead of the insane overemphasis on expensive technologies for ICT, and brand new school buildings; And, finally...better parenting...but let's face it - this is a perennial issue that will never be eradicated.

These are just my suspicions though...not read any studies to back them up!!

Hi Everyone - can anyone give me some advice?

We are re-locating from Glasgow to london tthis summer. Our kids are at very good independent schools hee and having made many phone calls to schools, they have been assessed and offered place at Radlett Prep, which we and they loved.
However, several friends and family members (I am originally from london) say that i should write and/or continue to phone schools , ie HABS, NLCS, as it will be better to try and get them in now rather than face the pressures of 11+.
If anyone can give me some good advice about what to do and also if you have kids at or have been at Radlett Prep?

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Quattrocento Sun 11-Jan-09 15:01:10
Ah UQD has mounted his hobby horse.

"The fact that people think they have to send their children to an "Independent" (also known by normal people as private) school." I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU FIND THIS ANNOYING.

"The fact that a lot of said people think they are a cut above the rest of humanity for doing so." THAT IS ALL IN YOUR HEAD

"The lack of realisation that being able to afford something doesn't make you better than people who can't." THAT IS STILL ALL IN YOUR HEAD

"The people who say "oh, yarse, we're sending Tarquin to St Cuthbert's because he's so bright, don' you know." What am I supposed to answer to that? "We 'chose' a state school because mine are a bit thick?" MORE STUFF THAT IS ALL IN YOUR HEAD

"The bubble that "independent" parents seem to live in." COCOONED BY WEALTH? WE ALL LIVE IN OUR OWN LITTLE COCOONS YOU KNOW.

"The endlessly manufactured debates about the subject." TO WHICH YOU CONTRIBUTE NON-STOP WHICH IS SLIGHTLY SURPRISING GIVEN THAT YOUR DCS ARE IN THE STATE SECTOR

"The post-credit-crunch fashion for hand-wringing over the "nightmare" of having to send one's children to the state schools one had previously spurned, because one can no longer afford the fees. (Although that can be quite funny in a "welcome to the real world, love" kind of way.)" I DON'T KNOW ANYONE WHO HAS DONE THIS - SO I IMAGINE THIS IS ALL IN YOUR HEAD AS WELL. IT TAKES SOME OBSESSIONAL THINKING TO DEVELOP AN IMAGINARY GRUDGE JUST TO ENJOY SOME IMAGINARY SCHADENFREUDE.

This is the best answer to a poster that I have EVER read on mn.

Bows to Quattrocento

I went to a state school and my older brother went to a private school - he's bright but ended up with almost no qualifications (2 gcse's) and I got 10 and went on to do A Levels. Reason being that at his 'posh' school they didn't seem to know how to handle any children with problems (he was occasionally ill). They wanted to keep their exam stats high so wouldn't put children in for exams at all if they were worried about a bad mark (he did get good marks in the ones he was 'allowed' to take).

At my school, we were all thrown into our exams and I can't think of anyone who did as badly as my brother. My state school had a learning support centre for children with difficulties/his wasn't interested and didn't know how to deal with any children who either had problems or were underachieving.
On top of that, my parents spent so much money on his education, hoping it would help him, and it wasn't worth it/ has left him feeling guilty about the situation as they couldn't really afford it. He's more than made up for it in further education but this came years later.

So it's not always the case that you pay for a better education in my experience.

Thank You For your Post, 15yrsyoung -- can't believe that nobody even commented on it .

It's a pity that sending children to private school is seen (by some) as inherently elitist. Kids end up in private schools for all kinds of reasons.

I thought that this thread was going to be a light-hearted discussion (silly me). I echo what somebody else said about the changing sock colours in the seasonal uniform!

DD was browsing the brochure for Queen Ethelburga last week, they brag about 98% of their 6th formers going onto "the Best Universities, including Oxbridge!" they are bold enough to give numbers of pupils went to which Unis lots of ex-Polys on the list, to my amusement.

UQD please write a book about this subject

I was recently asked by my dds music teacher to make sure that she did not wear her state school uniform to exams.

My dd goes to the "sink" state secondary in our area. Her uniform is very distinctive. Whenever we go to exams she is the only child in that uniform. All the other children are wearing blazers. They even wear these uniforms to music competitions on the weekends My dd on the other hand has often worn football kit and bare feet to these events I try not to want to hide. Finally the teacher gave me a call and said "please bring her in jeans i think she is being judged by her uniform". I find that very sad. She still got a distinction

Good grief.

Football kit and bare feet is a very distinctive uniform!

A really interesting thread.
I am a teacher in an independent school and what annoys me about them is the reverse snobbery and assumptions people have about my job.
It is hard to move from independent into state as a teacher as your skills are not valued (even though they may be exactly the same) due to the fact you've had a smaller class and longer holidays. Those two things do not affect my ability to teach and do not reflect the passion I have for teaching.
I hope people can begin to realise that independent school is not "better" but different.

No, she will be judged on her performance in the music exam!!!

RedHelenB. Totally agree, she will be judged on musical ability. I think you should change your music teacher Kneazle, but like your style with the music events. DD always wears something simple, not footy kit, but never dresses up.

The superior air of parents who send their DSs there despite the fact that it's their grandparents who pay.

The utter cunts at the school gate, I know as I live it every cocking day.

• Not including myself, I am really not. -

ZOMBIE THREAD ALERT.

I assume resurrected to start yet another argument.

Private schools teach in a style more suited to the 19th century.

Oh yes, the parents who think that they care more about their kids education because they are prepared to make stupid sacifices and that somehow state school parents care less about their children.

I'd seen it was. Zombie thread; but it could all have been written freshly too.

As they are so successful - in terms of University admissions and later prestigious careers - perhaps more schools should be looking at the nineteenth century approach?

:o :o at the 19th C remark. DS is currently learning how to use Flash, how to develop a website and how to program. You obviously have no idea about the things you choose to post about so excuse me for not engadging you any further.

Ditto - I love the more old-fashioned way of learning and it is certainly working for my DS. Interestingly, his school was the first in our area to introduce interactive whiteboards and upgrade to i-macs, so perhaps not so 19th Century in all things.

There are an awful lot of ridiculous opinions here about independent schools - mostly made by people whose children don't attend them. Gross generalisations about the attitude of parents, silly nitpicking about children's voices and 19th century teaching....? The people making these excessive and ill-judged comments might like to reflect on their own bigotted and self righteous attitude. You are not doing yourself any favours.

Sports/PE Not negotiable in terms of health factors. Surely it is? Everyone cant [play rugger.