Would you go private for your dd/ds if a family member offered to pay?

[Megglevache]

For primary private?

possibly from about year 5/6, but not before then and I currently have children in both state and private schools.

Probaby would for secondary.

Yes without a moments hestiation. We struggle a lot to send ours and it's worth every penny. They are different children just 6 weeks into term.

No because hand on heart I am completely happy with the state school my children go to at the moment and don't believe that they would gain anything extra from a private school. We can afford private and I still feel that it's everything we want in a primary school.

Hmm, maybe you don't have a great deal of experience of some state secondaries, quatt

NO WAY. But again even if I could afford it I wouldn't.

I teach undergrads. It shreiks when they walk in the room, tbh.

Emphatically no.

No we could afford private but are sending state as we have good schools locally

yes, I would

No. If you take the money, you are indebted, the donor has (or will assume) rights over your child/its education and will be able to raise eyebrows every time you spend money on something they disapprove of ("If you can afford XXX, then why am I paying for DC's schooling").

And as Apprentice said, they can (and will)comment on DCs performance or lack of it, and you will all be under constant pressure to show your gratitude by high levels of school success.

Either pay yourself or don't go.

YES i def would, but im not to fond of the schools where i live so i would enjoy being able to choose a school i liked

We have had quite a few offers to pay for dd education. We did consider it, more to be honest as a back up plan if something went wrong and we could not afford the fees. I was very unhappy though at using the independent sector and perhaps having to rely on other people. We moved and the schools are better. we still have the offers though and the odd glossy prospectus gets sent in the post

Not around here. Because DD1's friend goes to the only private primary school within walking distance and I don't like what I hear from her mum about their approach. E.g. too much boring, repetitive homework, pushing kids into rigid academic learning when they are IMO too young, ridiculously nit-picking uniform rules etc etc. The local state primary schools, on the other hand, are much more in line with my general approach to life. And I place a high value on being able to walk to school and be part of a local community, so wouldn't consider driving to get to a different school.

I might consider it at secondary level, though - and there's no way we could pay for that ourselves.

this would be only for primary- we have four excellent secondary schools all within 3 miles that are outstanding (OFSTED) Primary on the other hand it stinks.

No....But then no one was ever likely to stump up for all 6 were they! Wouldn't have accepted anyway.

not for primary no, but possibly for secondary, which I don't say lightly, as a die hard state sector teacher

Yes, yes, yes.............why not?

YES

yes. (not very likely in my case, though!)

if someone else paid, yes i would. there is no way i could pay. though it would depend which private school vs which state...

Relatives paid for my private primary education and I am very grateful to them for it to this day. They didn't have to, but at the time my local schools were rubbish and they believed I'd benefit from it. If family offered to do the same for DS then I would definitely accept the offer because I suppose I still think that a private education is better than a state one - flame away!

.......would you really turn down the chance to give them a good start?

Absolutely not. See the apprentice's post. Plus I am idealogically opposed to private education.

How do you know that the person offering to pay the fees will expect you to be beholding to them?

Even if parents are paying the fees some will think nothing of it and others will be pleased if the child does well and others maywell expect great things regardless.

It is an education choice and that doesn't just mean academicly there are others things to gain from an education other than exam results at the end.

I would also like to alter my answer - the answer from me would be yes - but as my dd is now 10 of someone asked to pay for her to go to private school - then we would go and visit and then decide along with the other schools we have visitied this term. The choice would be a joint one.

Interesting that almost everyone is making their decision based on the quality of the available state schools. Errr ... The quality of private schools varies enormously too. I know of one near me that has incredibly lazy teaching, sits children in class in order of attainment and does not differentiate work to suit children of different abilities. The children are very polite to teachers, standing when they enter the room etc., but slam the door in the faces of cleaners and kitchen staff. No child of mine would EVER go there.

Definitely would for Secondary - for primary? Probably Yes but only if funding for Secondary is definitely in place. If not then would focus more on extra curricular activities like riding/ballet/piano lessons etc