Private school reception children - what are yours doing?

[wheelsonthebus]

My dc is in a (middling to v average) state school and I am keen to know whether there is a significant difference at this stage in reading, writing and numeracy between the school and a more academic/private school which I would like to aspire to at 7+. What are yours doing now and what more could I be doing at home?

The small village school my children attended certainly hit the target year in and year out and also for KS2 level 5s

It's a selective school, and if a child does need improvement in an area then they are 'hothoused' if that's what you want to call it, I see it as more focus on that child's individual needs.

The class sizes are small, with teachers and 2 TAs, the school days are longer. Basically, more time is spent and more focused energy is spent.

This may not be right for you or your child, but it works for us as a family, and I am glad the option is there for us to choose it as that's what I would like.

I have looked round Steiner schools etc where the 'teaching' is play related. It doesn't sit comfortably with me, but I wouldn't diss anyone for choosing to send their child to that time of place.

The OP specifically asked what would be happening in a more academic school, I answered that.

mrz, that's brilliant you get them all there, but are there never some that don't? Surely you can't have only above average kids in your school.

My post was only really going on things teachers under pressure have said to me. My SIL included. Am sure most schools expect the best for the children they teach for all the right reasons, but it's pretty obvious some schools push kids beyond what they should too to achieve good publishable results. And I'm including state and private in that.

kola, there's nothing wrong at all with helping kids that need it. I'd love that for DS, but all I meant is which way round is it? Is it that the child's ready to be pushed, or that the school needs them to be at a certain level. Sounds like your school does it the right way, but still a lot don't. Or as RollaCoasta says they're fiddling the results!

Personally if I didn't think a school that I was paying for was getting absolute potential out of my child, I would not continue to pay, and nor do I think a lot of other parents. Hence why private schools are more likely to be like this than majority of state schools.

But I also think that's the reason that ofsted rated schools with outstanding are so popular with parents, because it's not just achieving the target, it's about value added and being pushed further than average.

Kola I agree - we all want our children to make the most of their potential. But I'm not talking about that, more commenting that maybe some schools push kids to reach attainment levels which they're not ready to reach simply to make their SATs levels look good. I think that's sad as it can put kids off learning and stress them out. It's really not unknown in either sector.

Children getting 3s in Y2 would not be very likely to give a very good value added score, as they would be expected to get L5 in Y6.

How on earth do you know what the 'absolute potential' of your child is? If this potential is not reached, do you stop paying the fees?

If parents believe the 'absolute potential' is a L3 and the child gets a 2B, are they wrong about their child's potential, or has the school failed?

How can anyone tell in a child who is 6 or 7 years old what his/her 'absolute potential' is?

Ah agree with that smee if the child is not happy.

I was lucky that my parents never followed the school of thought of one school fits all approach, i.e. the educational path that my sisters led was very different to what they did with me, and this wasn't due to money, this was due to personality.

My sisters are ultra competitive and would succeed anywhere in life, because not only do they compete against their peers but they also compete against themselves always aiming for personal bests, therefore for them, any school would of got their full potential, so they were sent to standard schools. All 3 passed the 11+, 2 went to local comps because they wanted to, and didn't want the pressure of grammar as were putting enough pressure on themselves, the other one went to grammar, because she wanted to be the best of the best.

I on the other hand was so uncompetitive and undriven, my parents knew I would be lost in school, so therefore I was sent to independent to have my attention focused, it worked for me.

Now I take the same approach with my children, they are all at different schools, because they have different needs. But I ensure that all of them are driven, but only at the rate and appropriateness for them. If I didn't think my children could cope with a school's style they would be moved.

smee very rarely but there are only 10 children per year group!

IME SATS results simply reflect the social status of the school's intake.very little to do with the school.

Oldandgreynow - I see that as being the case for league tables. But not for individual child, also value added.

Rollacosta - yes potential is subjective, but, for example, if my child is struggling due to english ability, whilst flying in mathematics, then I want this addressed by the school, if this isn't addressed, then I will find a school that does.

When I say struggling I mean due to a difficulty that although according to the government targets they are performing within the 'average' bounds, but their English and Maths are on very different levels, I want the English bought up to the Maths standard.

But what if your child isn't capable of that intellectually?

This makes me feel very uneasy (particularly for your child!). How many adults do you know who are good at everything?

I have a boy in my Y2 class who excels in maths (a very secure 3B), but finds reading more difficult. If this were the case with your child, would you feel compelled to 'force' your child to excel at reading? How would you do that? Would you assume the school was failing your child and change schools?

Yes and have done so, one of my children had a English ability 2 years below their age, and a Mathematical ability 2 years above their age. I was adament that there was dyslexia. School wouldn't see it.

I moved her to different school, on changing they only admitted due to the outstanding mathematical and reasoning ability, English in their words was atrocious. I said I wanted them tested. My child was tested was found to be severly dyslexic but due to ability was 'hiding' it, as the school were shocked at how dyslexic they are. It wasn't being hidden in my book bleeding obvious as far as I was concerned.

Now that child is at a highly academic school, but the English is being focused on in the appropriate manner, and they can now read, and due to being able to write the answers in exams now, is now in the top 5% of the year across the board.

That's what I mean about reaching potential!

And the child's opinion? So much happier they can communicate in written form what they want to, and they don't have to get someone else to read the information to them.

I think any homework is too much homework at primary age.

I watch my children when they get back from school and - after an initial argument - they settle down to play.

And they play and play, completely in their heads. To interrupt this to ask them to do some spellings would be wrong. It would be disrupting their development.

Now, it could be that we're lucky in that we are a naturally bright family but my year 1 dd has the most beautiful joined up writing, reads very well and - because she reads - can spell without the help of spelling tests.

She did have spellings in reception. I wasn't keen on this, so I just let her copy the words in glitter pens.

My siblings and I all went to Cambridge without working through primary school homework, so I will not impose it upon my children. Luckily our school's homework policy is no homework in infants, and then only once piece a week at junior age.

builde I agree with you in principle but what happens when a child isn't getting the appropriate support at state school? You then get the situation like my DD has where in order to actually get to the level she should be at with literacy she HAS to do homework with me as it's the only way she "gets" it; none of the work she does at school sinks in because of her learning difficulties, and so they are content to just send lots of work home in the hope that with one-to-one she gets it? Not fair, not right, and exhausting for DD which is why she is moving schools, but it has been the only source of progress thus far.

kolacubes your experience is very encouraging - we have same situation with DD and are moving her to a private school for similar reasons (except we already have our own ed psych assessment)

I don't know what you do if you have a child who is struggling...I would of thought that they are even more reluctant to sit down and do lots of homework to enable them to keep up.

I guess that you have to sit down with your child and help them learn, but try and not make a big thing of it so that their confidence isn't lost.

Before I'd even read this thread I could predict how it would go.

OP asks a reasonable question, but doesn't have to wait long before the anti independent schoolers come along and say either
a. don't believe the private schools are ahead. They are exactly the smae as state schools and you are wasting your money. My MIL's neighbour's brother went to Eton and is now a dustman.

or b. they are ahead but this results in children working as slaves who all end up cracking up and/or being rude and possibly taking crack.

And I did it wihtout a crstal ball.

Anhow - for what it's worth I can say that DC's prep is ahead academically of our local primary by quite a way. The standrads expected are high. But, I can hand on heart say that neither of my kids have ever been stressed or found it hard. They are not genuis children but have simply risen to the challenge. It is not a selective school either. I just think kids can do a lot more than you give them credit for.

This goes not just for academics, but music, art, sport and drama. Kids are capable of so much.

Ah but Litchick, you're doing it too!!

There is a c.

Just a nice, average school (good behaviour, enthusiastic staff, differentiated work, support for strugglers) but a good brain - you can do stunningly well, without your parents giving the whole education thing much thought!

and a d.

Just a nice, average school (good behaviour, enthusiastic staff, differentiated work, support for strugglers) but a good brain - you can do stunningly well with your parents with your parents worrying that they've made the wrong choice and should have gone state/private.

thirtysomething glad you found positive. The change in my dc was by mid of summer term of first year. Give the new school a year, but if change hasn't been made do reconsider options (i.e. different school) do not be fobbed off. Although like you say you already have ed psych statement.

I didn't know you could do this yourself, until final/current school had arranged it, and another parent told me.

This dc is at their fourth school and will now remain for their school career, I found the right one for them in the end.

'.....I can say that DC's prep is ahead academically of our local primary by quite a way. The standards expected are high.'

Grrrrr and double Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

What were you saying about 'you knew how it would go, Litchick???? A little hypocritical, methinks.

It isn't just the school I think much of the difference is the make up of the class. We have two faith primary schools near us one state and one private. Even to start with the children with academically keen parents tend to go to the private school.
Later on the children who are ahead of the class change to the private school and those who are struggling at the private school end up at the state school. Statistically the class averages will change.
Further up the school the private school is aiming to send the children to selective secondary schools so there is homework and tutors etc. The state school sends their children to a comprehensive (actually an excellent school) but no selection on academic grounds.
By the way the teachers are very similar in the two schools some of whom were together at primary school (state) originally and trained together.
The other difference is one headteacher aspires to excellence and achievement and praises it.

I suspect one big difference is the expectation put on the parents of privately educated kids to assist in their education. Certainly when DD was in reception we were expected to hear her read an ORT book every night and to help her learn her key words. I think all the parents now coach their children before their spelling and maths tests on Friday mornings.

Butkin, I think a lot of State School parents have to do that too. We have a book a night to read and key words to make sure they know.