What are the main reasons for choosing a private school?

[beelegal]

My sister-in-law and I were chatting over tea this afternoon about private schools for my nephew, who’s coming up to secondary age.
She’s been to a few open days earlier this year and was particularly taken with one school nearby. However, during the headteacher’s speech, he said: “The teaching is the same in all schools — what we offer is more outside the classroom.”He then went on to highlight the school’s pastoral care, facilities, and wide range of sports and activities.

Perhaps we’re being a little naïve, but we’d always assumed the teaching itself would be better in a private school. For example, my daughter once had Maths taught by a PE teacher at her state school. We thought that in the independent sector you’d have subject specialists — a highly qualified Maths teacher for Maths, for instance.

We also imagined class sizes would be much smaller, with more opportunities for a child who isn’t particularly sporty but enjoys academic study. Yet the average class size was around 25, which isn’t especially small.

Pastoral care is so vague that schools all seem to determine themselves if theirs is good. All the private schools claim excellence.

So it does raise the question: if the teaching really is no different, why not choose a state school and simply join a local hockey or swimming club at the weekend — which would be far more affordable?

Given fees of around £25,000 a year, what are the real advantages of private education, and what justifies that cost?

Our reason was mainly that the state school we were in the catchment for is the one no one, across all demographics, wants their kids to go to. And at that time it was cheaper for us to go private than move house.

If we’d been in the catchment of the other excellent state schools we wouldn’t have bothered.

Otherwise, what wep paying for is less disruption, better facilities, and more co-curricular.

To be honest, it’s been a bit of a waste of money for DD. But I really didn’t want her to go to this local school and I stand by that.

A friend is a PE teacher at a nearby private school and she often ends up teaching other subjects due to staffing levels.

There are lots of reason to choose the right school and that school might be private or it might be stage. Plenty of people would choose a state school over a private school whereas some would always opt for private purely because it’s private. It comes down to what you want and what the options are. Just remember that some state schools are better than some private school although a lot of private schools are better than state schools.

Reasons:
#1 (and the main one) - shit local state secondary ie only 20% of Yr 11s come out with 5 x 5 GCSEs

Then in no particular order:

• DDs personality
• her independent school focus on producing well rounded children
• opportunities for: MFL, drama, music, art, Classics which don't exist in our local state
• small class sizes ie Yr 8 + 9 approx 15 - 20. Yr 9-11 approx 12-16
• the relationship between staff, teachers + pupils ie respectful, supportive and non-combative
• less low level disruption so teachers can teach instead of being behaviour managers
• PE + Games 5 days per week so lots of physical outdoor activity
• wider range of subjects at GCSE

Not everyone has access to good state secondary schools.

Is it worth it? Hell yes!

We thought that in the independent sector you’d have subject specialists — a highly qualified Maths teacher for Maths, for instance.

You don't need to hold Qualified Teacher Status / be a qualified teacher to be employed as a teacher in a private school, so in fact the teaching could be worse.

You're paying for facilities, resources, and opportunities they wouldn't otherwise experience in state sector with budget cuts.

My SIL is on the leadership team of a big private school and has worked at lots of others and she says the same as the Head you mentioned - what you're paying for are the facilities and extra curriculars.

You dont have to be qualified to teach in state schools either.

All the other parents value education. It’s the single biggest advantage.

Well, teachers move from state to private and back again, so in that way the HT was right that the teaching itself is the same i.e. the content of the lessons, the material being taught. But yes, class size is a huge one and is a big reason why many parents choose private school.

In terms of extra-curricular, well every school is different and some state schools have excellent facilities, all-weather sports pitches, indoor swimming pools, theatres, etc, and some private schools have pretty poor facilities - at one my DC attended the playground doubled up as a carpark, but in general I would say that private schools have a lot more sport as part of the curriculum and some private schools have truly fabulous facilities and opportunities to excel in sport, music, drama, whatever. Ultimately, it's about finding the right school with the right facilities and opportunities for your DC.

What you are paying for will be different for every family and every child. For us it was definitely smaller class sizes (average of 15 in his), but also more opportunities for him. He would be invisible in a state school, he’s quiet, well behaved and inclined to be a wallflower. No chance of that in his school! So his confidence has flourished, he’s played in the sports teams, he takes part in the musical they perform every year, he’s in the debating team, and most importantly he’s happy. That’s what we wanted and what we paid for.

I would also add that you’re paying for the ‘culture’ of the school; the values it drums into the children and the sense of belonging to a community. There’s is no ‘us and them’ between teachers and pupils, but a shared sense of purpose. And healthy relationships between adults and children which gives the pupils the confidence to walk into a room and hold their own.

Definitely!

It depends on the school. We went private for diversity, which always surprises people. The state schools (at primary level) around us are very white, and we are not. The independents are very ethnically mixed (and also very good schools).

For secondary, hopefully they get into a grammar. If not, we’ll go private again.

Aspiration and high expectations for the pupils. Instilling confidence by encouraging pupils to take part in whatever way suits them. And a very robust attitude to parents and pupils who don’t follow the rules!!

Yes, a pupil was caught vaping on school grounds = immediate and permanent exclusion. Zero tolerance for poor behaviour Inc bullying

We’ve educated both ways. For us the value of independent was:
smaller class sizes (14-18)
vast array of extra curriculars
listened to as parents (the example of a PE teacher teaching maths, if that happened we opulent be the only parents mailing in and the feedback would be taken seriously)
excellent SEN support for neurodiversity
focus on being well-rounded and encouraging extra curriculars
independence encouraged
networking opportunities - many informal work experience placements managed through other parents.
its 100% worth it.

We paid for DD1 for pre prep because the local schools were dire. We then moved locations and went with state. DD2 has been state all the way through.

Private primary was better in our experience, not just for the facilities and the extra curriculars, but they also learnt more, covered more stuff and were held to a higher academic standard than we’ve seen in state.

At the same time, state primary was far better on the pastoral side and on dealing with SEN.

DD1 would have hated state from primary. DD2 would not have lasted long in private primary.

Really, you should be matching the child to the school. There are differences in the offering, but precisely what will depend on the schools themselves.

Yes for me it’s this (first child starting prep next year) the expectations of behaviour and, at the school we have chosen so not speaking for all, no phones on school premises/no make up/ no smart watches. The ability to expel pupils who are disruptive and behave badly

It was definitely the extras for us. Better music and sport for a start- for example the school production is at a professional theatre with a live band, costumes hired in, proper set etc. They have multiple choirs, bands and orchestras. They do hours of sport a week as opposed to the absolute minimum in our local state schoos. And no SATs at prep level, so the children have had a more enjoyable time with less pressure.

The smaller class sizes are also excellent for my son who has some learning needs.

What's utterly depressing is that I had all of the above in my secondary state school. How have we sunk so low in such a short space of time?

I totally agree with the point that it depends on your local state school- that is the only reason.

So the reasons you listed here? ALL of these apply to my kids local state school except their classes for the lower years had abiut 25 and about 20 for GCSE for example. One of my kids classes has 14 due to the subject.

Their school has an Astro, full theatre including back stage areas, recording studio, gym with equipment, many trips including abroad and visits to unis (Cambridge was the last one to do a STEM day) etc etc. Local non fee paying state school. There are about 50 clubs, sports, activities to choose from so no private isn’t better here either. I know cause we get the sign up sheet each term.

Difference in the highest grades? 3%. So no I wouldn’t say the teaching is better. Mobile phones are out into locked pouches each day. Problems are dealt with swiftly, effectively and well.

I have been to both and wouldnt send my kids to private but then we don’t have to. But I do understand those that feel they do and I know we are lucky.

They aren’t better. They may just be better than a poorly performing local school. It really depends on the school but saying private is better is hugely generalising. Some privates aren’t great. We have a number close to us and one doesn’t even have a sports field big enough to have a track (yup we have this too) or 100m.

Yes you are lucky. Many of us don't have access to those types of state schools and it's terrible that it is postcode dependent! Those schools should be available to all children.
None of the schools in our area fit the description of your one sadly. So if you can't afford independent then you're stuck with schools which are dire. It's simply not right.

We moved to the private system because (a) our eldest child was in a class of 35 and getting lost in the crowd, and positively regressing academically; and (b) our younger child was repeatedly physically targeted by a bully who would make it his business to strangle/kick him at lunch and break, and would violently disrupt his classroom time - ripping up DS’s schoolwork, throwing chairs etc. The school simply didn’t have the resource to give the other child the one-on-one supervision he needed at all times.

Even if the teachers may be the same (although I do not necessarily scribe to that view) the environment is hugely different.

• The teachers are teaching a class of 15-20 instead of 30-35.
•Those students are (in our case) academically selected and can therefore be pushed further and faster, so that they get through the material quicker and eg have completely the GCSE curriculum a year early so that the final year is reserved for revision and exam prep, thereby yielding better results.
• The students are generally well behaved and motivated. Classroom disruption is much rarer.
• The facilities are much better and the kids therefore have better opportunities to do sport/music/art with better equipment.
• There’s a huge range of extra curricular activities baked in as standard.
• When they were in the juniors, the wraparound provision was cheap, easy to organise and ran until 6pm.

I think if you can afford it, it’s worth it. If you’re going to struggle, it’s not going to work. And your mental health family comfort is more important than worrying. Particularly as prices go up each year. Where my daughters are now, is now 10k a term. Absolutely bonkers. However they love it, we love it. They’re happy, we’re happy.

Up to GCSE’s I thought yes great teaching, facilities, extras and of course the xfactor of a quiet confidence. Then when GCSE’s started one came home and told me oh by the way we got our study’s today. Study’s what do you mean? Your time table? No I mean you know, our study, to study in! Eh? You mean part of the library? Noooo, I mean our STUDY. There are 4 of us, we chose who we want to share with.

Me [sink comprehensive and local college girl), couldn’t believe it. I had no idea, took me a few mins to digest; but it really helps/ed them. They decorate it etc, and can study there with their friends when no lessons etc. Αmazing really, I was so shocked. But it made me feel a little better about the fees.

In my experience, a really good state school is pretty much as good as a private school. But there are some terrible state schools around and that's when it's worth paying for private.

I’m assuming one factor is that your child will make influential contacts that will serve them all their lives and even for their own children. Doctors, lawyers, CEOs, politicians etc.

It's definitely not true that teaching is always better in privates schools and a lot of the time it's on par with the best states however facilities/opportunities for music & sport are generally better.