Elmgreen or public school?

[elizadoo]

If you had the choice of starting DC at Elmgreen, Lambeth, in Sept 2011, or going private all the way (finances permitting, which ours don't but let's leave that aside), what would you do? Are public schools really worth all that £££?
Any recent reports of Elmgreen? Middlingly bright child, good at art, music, sport.

thanks!

well it depends what your private alternative is, many would offer a better (different) education than Elmgreen, but others wouldn't

Does your dc already have a place at a private school for this September as if not you've left it a bit late

Ah - she has the option of going to an unselective prep school for 2 years, but obviously we then miss the 11+ entry to Elmgreen or any other state school, and places as we know are unlikely to be available after that. The public school starts at 13+ and I'm looking at Canford in Dorset in particular. Any thoughts, insight, anyone?

Any child can sit the 11+ regardless of whether they are in state primary or prep school - and plenty of prep school children go on to grammar schools.

But according to its website, Elmgreen is a comprehensive, with places are awarded on distance, rather than via 11+.

Why are you looking at Dorset rather than Alleyns / Jags which are much nearer? Are you planning to move or would she board?

With the pan-London applications, you can apply to up to 6 secondaries and there are other good state school options nearby.

Just a bit as there is a big difference between a local mixed comp and boarding miles away at a public school.

eliza do you mean you have a choice at 11: to attend Elmgreen (or possibly another state secondary, given the pan London form allows for six preferences) or transfer to a prep school for a further two years?

If so, I'd say depends on what your plans are post 13, and it's hard to take finances out of the decision. If private senior school - day or boarding - is out of your means, then it seems pointless to spend two years at a prep school preparing for something that's not going to happen. If she's bright, better option would be to concentrate on applying to good, or even selective, state secondaries in south London.

The social differences between a mixed London comp, however academically good, and a private boarding school (both with their advantages & disadvantages depending on your perspective) are going to be so huge, I guess this is what you will need to make your decision on.

So to "Are public schools really worth all that £££" I suppose it depends what you think the £££ are for...

Puzzled replies reflect my confusion. There are various reasons for the country move and others to stay in London, and I realise the 2 schools are poles apart. I'm just wondering if anyone had direct experience of either EG or Canford, or of moving from state to private, or vice versa, and had any extra insight to bring to my sets of pros and cons and don't knows! thanks