Dilema Private or State secondary school

[Riney]

My son is in year 5 and decision time for secondary school is nearly upon us.
He is more artistic than academic - he doesn't test particularely well, but has great imagination.

The following are the schools we are considering:

Private - Salesians School in Farnborough

State - All Hallows Catholic School in Farnham - feeder school from his current school
Wavell School in Farnborough

All have good ofsted reports.
State schools are much bigger and concerned he will get lost in the system and will not achieve his potential.
Private school if he does get through the entrance exam will it be too academic and he'll struggle to keep up and not achieve his potential there either.

Any advise/thoughts/experiences would be very welcome.

Many thanks

My experience of good big schools is that you do not get lost in the system - they work very hard on their pastoral care (and if he's at a feeder school he won't be going there alone). Big schools have more teachers and often more choice of subjects, so it's not as if big school translates into a few teachers just having too many children to keep track of. I think for a child to reach their potential in a mixed ability state school, they do probably need more self-discipline and self-motivation than in a small academic private school where all parents, teachers and other students are likely to be pushing each other to perform better, but children can certainly achieve their potential in a big state school, and a good school ought to be encouraging them to do so.

Are the results broadly similar? Have you and your son visited either school? There is a lot to be said for going to a school where your son will have lots of friends from primary however a smaller number of pupils in the classroom will give your son more one to one. Are you only looking at Catholic schools as your son might find a better fit in a non denominational school.

If I were you, I would first send my child to the state school and if he struggled then investigate the alternatives.

I think state schools have the advantage that kids learn to deal with people from all walks of life, and wouldn't worry about your son's ability to cope in a big school particularly. The vast majority of children cope well, and there is a lot of support these days for those that struggle (eg my sixth form daughter is a mentor for some children lower down the school who struggled to settle in).

Private schools, of course, have the advantage of smaller class sizes. Though esearch shows (personally I find it hard to believe) that class size has no relation to children's learning.

I've no idea what the two schools you mention are like, but I think that the very best private schools are probably worth the money - if you can afford them - but that a very good state school is probably better than a second rate private school.

If the only reason that you are considering going private is that the state school is big, I really wouldn't worry about that. Are there any other reasons why you'd consider a private school?

You don't need to make a definite decision yet because the application process for state and private schools is totally separate. You can apply to both types of school. Fill in the LEA form with your preferences for state schools (usually 3 preferences) - you don't list private schools on this form. For private schools you apply directly to the school and there usually is an entrance exam. So if your ds doesn't "pass" the entrance exam there is still a state option (and vice-versa if you don't get allocated your preferred state school).

I would echo apply for both. IF you can afford the fees at Salesian. All Hallows is a good school, at least from what I have heard from a friend who is a peripatetic music teacher. Salesian is good, but getting more competetive as a fall back for RGS.

Have you visited both? What does your son want? Does he have a realistic chance of passing the exam for Salesian? (I assume you don't want him too stressed or in tears at the exam, as I have heard some boys were at another school.)

"Private school if he does get through the entrance exam will it be too academic and he'll struggle to keep up and not achieve his potential there either."
IMO there is nothing worse than struggling to keep up or to be at the bottom of the intake. Most independent schools are very results dominated and children are pushed hard because most people are ultimately paying for better results and this probably applies more if there is a good local state school(s); they've really got to justify their fees. I know I wouldn't want my DS to banging along the bottom.
I believe in independent ed. and have DS's in both. The one at a large state school went into yr 9 from a tiny he has never got lost.

Thank you all for your very helpfull comments.
You have aleviated my fears realting to large state schools. And as you say I can apply to all and if he gets past the entrance exam then it's a good indication that he will be able to keep up!!

I am surprised that Wavell is a feeder for All Hallows. I hadn't realised it was a Catholic school, but what do I know? I would ask at both schools how many students leave to join the other. If a state school is doing well, you often get students transferring from private, and vice versa.
Both schools are quite traditional in approach, and both get good results. It's horses for courses; some children would prefer a smaller, more nurturing environment. I have never heard anyone say that Salesian is too academic. Equally, All Hallows prides itself on its caring ethos, and well motivated students do very well there.

Hello
I wonder if you have looked slightly further afield - there an independent school which seems very creative, near Farnham. Frensham Heights.

I wouldn't make a decision based on state or private, but on what the school's strengths are and how well each school suits your child, both in terms of his strengths and interests and his personality.
Visit them several times, talk with teachers and pupils. Ask pupils what they like most and what they find most frustrating about the school. Ask parents at the schools what they think of them.

We had a bewildering list of indies, grammars and state schools which has now been whittled down to three schools we feel are right. We got to that decision by visiting them all several times.