is private REALLY better?

[ChuppaChups]

just out of interest, i would appreciate some OPINIONS on this area as i am seriously considering the move to private from state. The main reason being is we are now financially able to do so.

So, is it better and why?

Thanks

Re. the national curriculum - I went to a selective independent girls' school but my A-level history teacher was a nightmare. Only four of us in her class (most chose Modern, we opted for Stuart) yet she didn't cover the whole curriculum. Preferred to spout racist nonsense about apartheid (she used to get so worked up she actually spat). Out of the four of us, only ONE got a decent grade - and she stopped coming to lessons, just read the textbooks herself.

No idea how that teacher survived or what happened after we'd left. But I suspect the national curriculum had it been around and applied to private schools might have helped to avoid that scenario.

Wish I'd had the nous and confidence at that age to say, hey, can I change to the other class?

Yes, my junior school days would rather have benefited from a spot of national curriculum.

Oh, and before you write me off as Sacrificing My Children To Political Correctness Gorn Mad I should point out that I'm one of the many posters on MN who have picked up an Oxford degree via the state system, and do have reasonably high standards for my own dear Inferiorettes.

MI, am going to email you...

(Nothing to do with this thread or MN, btw.)

Yes my Comp could have done with the NC as my O-Level Physics teacher missed out a third of the exam syllabus!!!

I agree that the state system still doesn't cater for the really bright child. My son has been in a state school since Feb half term, he left last week and I had the chance to look at all the work he had been doing (minus his maths and english which for some reason his school has kept ), he's done a total of 6 pieces of work. He's a very bright boy who has the ability to work a few years ahead of his age group (and then some), his report commented that he was capable of achieving alot more then he has done so I fail to see how any school has allowed him to produce so little.

By pieces I mean pieces of paper by the way.

But that's just one school, Fluffy, I'm sure there are some private schools that aren't too hot as well.

Ds has just finished year One, so I can't claim to be an expert on state schools of today, but I have been very impressed by the way teaching has changed from my day.

In Maths, they are taught that there are different methods you can use to solve problems, and encouraged to try out all the different methods. Unlike in my day when I just had to copy out pages of the same ruddy sum over and over using the ONE method that was OK.

In English, ds has already been taught what a simile is and can actually use it correctly. Was very surprised - am sure I didn't learn about them until secondary, despite being very advanced in English.

His school is very well run, with enthusiastic, lovely teachers, who seem to cope with pushy parents, bright kids and those who struggle with a particular topic or behaviour.

It is just one school but what do you do about this besides move him??

It's not reasonable to extrapolate from one experience at a state school that state cannot cater for the really bright child. Just as I couldn't say, oh my bf went to state schools in a deprived estate area, and went on to balliol & a stellar career, therefore state does cater for g&t.

Fine, move him but why turn it into a state v. private thing rather than a 'this particular school is crap' thing?

My two girls went to state primary and are now in state secondary. They are typical 'bright' girls and I feel that both schools (except for a couple of duff teachers, which you find anywhere, not just in state schools) have been stretched fully in both schools. If anything, my experience has been that teaching is much more innovative in state schools than it is in private or grammar schools, because it needs to be to ensure that pupils make progress: coasting just won't cut it.

I think that all the VAK stuff has actually been discredited quite a bit tbh, so don't be swayed by a school that says it offers that. Good teaching works for everybody!

They are all different, the same as private schools, it's down to luck. Once your child is there you are so reluctant to move them if things go wrong, ds has been at a dire private school aswell and I know there's no way of knowing. They all make promises to get you to sign up but in reality it doesn't always work out the way you planned. There is a stigma attached to moving a child about, it's unsettling to them aswell but if it's really not working out what else are you to do? You can read the Ofsted report/chat to other parents/talk to the head/go in and visit but more often then not you are told what they want you to hear, not what the school is really like. What school will openly admit to having a bullying problem or not being able to support a bright child? My son has aspergers, he finds relationships and working out why others behave the way the way they do really difficult so school life is hard for him, even without the academic side being far too easy. I'd give anything to find somewhere that can cater and support him, the teachers at his current school say they can support him but there's no evidence to suggest this. They talk about meetings (which don't happen), allowing ds to join clubs to help him feel more of the school community (which has not happened) etc. You have to draw the line somewhere and say this isn't working. At least with a private school they have to do as they say, it's part of the contract that you have with them. The extra curricular activities that a private school has on offer far exceed a chess and a cricket club they have in his current school, there's a specialist team to support him with the aspergers side, It's just a shame that the state school is unable to offer this.

It's your children OP, you need to decide what is fesable for you and your family. Everyone here has their own views and opinions, no one's right. You have to think about what's right for you and your children.

Can I ask what is your specialism karise?

and as you say the school has kept his literacy and maths books fluffybunnygonebad. We use concepts studied in other curriculum areas as information for writing in different genres history fits wonderfully with diary writing geography recounts and science reports for example so just because he has only brought 6 pieces of work home doesn't necessarily mean that is all he has done. Work is often recorded in other ways film, audio and photographs.

Well it does depend on the child and the school and what they really need.I object to private education on principle always have.But a lot of my friends kids are privately educated and are no different to ds that I can see.Academically or otherwise.There is no correlation between a happy interesting rounded person and how much their schooling cost and that is my definition of success tbh.It used to have certain kudos I think with social standing and uni entry but is now seen as rather nouveau .Agree that small class sizes are good though and the uniforms are to die for

our state school had a smaller class than private school(only by 1 !). it's a great school and i can walk to it( thus saving on petrol and the envioment). had a very good ofsted report. i can see sense in secondary private but not primary ( unless it's really bad). the thing that made me laugh was that our neighbour sent his primary school children to private was for one of the reasons being is that his children didn't have to mix with children whos parents who were out of jobs!!!!!!!! i could of hit him for 6!!!!!!

It always astonished me that people can extrapolate opinions on "the state system" from one school. Do they really think "the state system" is this great, monolithic, homogeneous block with no room for individuality? Or is that (more likely) what they want to think?

unquiet I am sitting on my hands for this one!Don't egg me on

Isn't it all about the state and private 'systems' that we know? Either through direct experience or via friends?

When I was looking at schools I looked at 5 - 2 private and 3 state. One of the state schools was in the top 20 in the country. Out of the three state schools I really liked one (not the top 20 one) and one was my worst nightmare realised. Out of the two private schools one was very pleased with itself (and I thought before I visited would be my favourite). The other one I saw more as an afterthought and was hugely impressed. In the end I was torn between one private and one state school. The deciding factor was not so much class size, methods of teaching etc but more to do with the wraparound care. Very good extended hours and holiday cover at the private school, practically non-existent at the state school (no demand apparently).

I have been pleased with ds's progress during this is first year but I am sure that he would have done equally well at the state school. The difference for me is immeasurable as I am able to take and collect from school (well the extended day facility) and therefore feel part of the school. Something I could never have done with the state school.

MollieO- sounds very very familiar , your story.

TBH, some private schools are not as 'good' (academically at least) as some state comps.

My high school (in Scotland, where all the state schools are comps) consistently out performed a number of the local private schools in the exam results tables (and still does even though they don't publish tables any more). However, those private schools did tend to have considerably smaller classes, better facilities and more extra-curricular activities.

All schools are very variable, and it really does depend upon what you want/what's best for your particular child.

UQD, you are extrapolating your opinions of independent schools based on one or two schools, by hearsay.

Why is your extrapolation relevent and other people's extrapolations (based on real evidence) irrelevent.

Double standard?

agree with much of what Fluffy and monkey posted above

Fluffy - if I remember correctly, you moved your ds from private to state because the private school wasn't giving him what he needed. So you have been equally dissatisfied by both sectors.

The important thing is the individual schools and whether they are any good or not.

It is also important to remember that it is a completely academic exercise for the vast majority of the country, who could no more afford private school fees than fly!

Mumsnet, I think, gives a distorted view of this - IIRC 56% of mumsnetter's children are privately educated as opposed to 7% of the population at large.