Oh God private or state????

[topsi]

Our local state primary is OK. It is within walking distance, lots of children there live in our road, its Ofstead is OK, it has a swimming pool, class sizes are about 30.

However only 2 out of 27 children passes 11 plus this year. We live in an area with some very good grammar schools.

Our local day private primary school would cost us about £650 ponds a month if I spread the fees across the year, its class size is 20. 80% of its pupils go on to grammar school! To afford the fees would be a real stretch for us. It is fairly local.

Feel in a huge dilema.

Any idea about how to choose what to do?

Have been through a similar dilemma recently, but came down on the state school side.

Like others have said, we felt we'd be better saving the money for fab holidays, tutoring and possible private secondary than spending every spare penny each month on private primary school.

As well as looking at results and Ofsted and facilities (but OMG a pool? Not even the indie schools have pools round here!) have you asked yourself the following?

What did you think of each of the schools when you visited? Did you like the head? the ethos? the atmosphere? Which school do you think your DS would make more friends in? Be happier in? Where do you feel more comfortable as a parent?

I find it a bit odd that 80% of DCs from the prep school opt out of private education at the end of Y6. OP, I think you need to find out why this happens - don't just assume that it's because the grammars are so amazing.

Here, if DCs are going to move from one sector to another, they go from state primary to private secondary.

I should have thought it depends on the individual DC. How do you know at this stage that your DC is even going to be suited to selective education? Grammar schools suit the top of the ability range, most DCs (even on mumsnet!)are average(that is what it means).
I would look at your DCs, look at the school and see which suits them now-rather than decide which hoops your DC needs to jump through and force them through them.

When I lived in a grammar school area the state schools did not practise. One of the private schools did nothing else-needless to say they had a high pass rate but many of those DCs struggled once they got to the end of year 7-I felt sorry for them. The 11+ exam is merely the start , if they can't get their through their own merits, and a few papers to get the idea, I would question whether they should be there in the first place.

topsi are you sure the grammars this 80% go on to are actually state schools? A fair few private schools have "Grammar" in their name, which could be confusing. (38 here

Mrs S - can't know for sure, (btw - their state primary is outstabding) but with DS1, the academic level of the boys at the indie is incredible and he thrives on being with kids to spark off and if he had been there from the beginning - ie 7+ would have saved him a few years of boredom in class.
DS2, later starter academically (couldn't even WRITE a coherent sentence until Y5, and socially the state primary has been fine, but he suddenly had a burst of maturity beginning Y5, needing more challenging environment and Y5 state just not academically stimulating enough.

My dds school has a swimming pool. And it's an unpopular state primary. (children considered a bit common) Boy - since you know where I live, you probably know the one I mean!

It's a bit grim! (Although very warm compared to the two local private school pools and not as grim as the public pool)

Should grimness or warmth influence choice of schools?

I find it hard to believe that there are any common children within a five mile radius of our manky municipal pool, Builde

if the private school is a stretch financially i'd go for the state school. how would you feel if the 11+ got scrapped between now and then, or if he didn't get a place, or you still needed to tutor him at the private school?

I will say this again - certainly where I live the vast majority of kids at the private schools also have private tutors for the 11+.

Save your money and go state (plus 11+ tutor later).

I can't think why you would pay out for private if the teaching is such that you have to have a tutor on top!

going private is no guarantee that your child will pass 11+ (as a friend of mine found out). Save your money and get a tutor for 11+ when the time comes. Plus your child will benefit from having all their school pals round and about.

That's not the reason, pisces - it's because it is a nuclear arms race around here. People are afraid to leave it to the school in case their kids don't get in so the tutor is a sort of comfort blanket rather than a necessity.

When you have 1,500 kids going for 100 odd places every little helps.............

It makes me laugh when people then defend the 11+ as being a wonderful way for the bright DC from the socially disadvantaged home to work their way up and out! What chance do they stand? There isn't a parent with money who would stand back and say 'that DC is brilliant without any help-they must have my DCs place because they have only got it through being drilled for the last 2 years!!' It is very sad and shouldn't be used in defence. People 'buy' their place. It should be a level playing field-everyone gets to do a couple of papers to get the idea and then they do the exam. That would be a fair distribution of places.

I never understand why only the bright, socially disadvantaged DC deserves a way out-obviously the average and below average should know their place and stay in poverty!!!

PM - indeed! Have never understood why the 'bright' poor deserve a good education but the rest, presumably 'dim' poor can go hang...

I'd look at the individual schools and see which is the best match for your child. If they both seem fine, I'd choose private myself - but not because of the 11+ success rate. I'd choose it because of the all-round experience. I'd rate 'fab holidays' as well below the overall experience my children are currently having at prep schools.

It is always stated as fact-'the bright deserve to be given opportunity. Obviously the rest are supposed to get dead end jobs and be satisfied! The fact that they may have other talents seems to pass people by and be unimportant. We don't seem to have got past the Victorians with the 'rich man at the castle, the poor man at the gate'.

I always feel like shouting when people spout drivel about grammar schools and the poor! People buy the place-or most people do.