Has this board always been dominated by questions about private schools?

[minifingerz]

... and the Education board?

I'm sure I remember this board being relevant to most parents even as recently as last year.

Wouldn't it make sense to have a separate board for private education, rather than having these ones silted up with queries about fee paying schools, given that it's of no relevance to 93% of UK parents?

Erm ... the issue was a child not wanting to progress to their next school without their friends - and I've seen what seems like hundreds of similar threads started by parents either looking exclusively at state schools or choosining between the two sectors.

It would be utterly ridiculous for MNHQ to hide this particular thread in a tiny subset of education and deprive the OP of a wider response. And she'd be lost if she was in fact considering the local comp as well - would she have to start two separate threads?

MumTryingHerBest

Of course you can have a choice of State Schools - I've applied out of cachment. The kids from my kids primary are going on with to quite a few different high schools.

Gruach Erm ... the issue was a child not wanting to progress to their next school without their friends

I do believe the issue was that the parent was unsure if they should choose a more academic private school closer to where they live over a more expensive private school, further from where they live that some DCs friends had got into. Interestingly the OP made no mention of considering the state school that her DDs other friends were going to.

How many parents with DCs in state schools will have been faced with that choice?

Are you really suggesting that if the thread had been posted in a "indie/private education" section the responses would have been completely different. Are you suggesting that parents with DCs in indie/private education are less insightful or supportive.

Bambambini

MumTryingHerBest

Of course you can have a choice of State Schools - I've applied out of cachment. The kids from my kids primary are going on with to quite a few different high schools.

I can assure you that you are one of the the lucky few. Where do you live?

Not in London

Bambambini Not in London well that narrows it down a bit I suppose.

I'm not in London either. However, there is a big shortage of secondary school places. Two local secondary schools have added bulge classes this year and at primary level three Free schools were opened this year and are fully subscribed. Obviously the squeeze on state school places only exist where I live.

Don't forget that (in London anyway) parents clam up when it comes to competitive school places - whether its private or a 'outstanding' state or crammer. Other parents are 'the competition' and information doesn't get shared.

I worked within a nursery and it was dog eat dog when it came to school places. Schools locally are brilliant or poor or private. Because of the area lots of families were moving in from abroad and were shocked how uncooperative and secretive people were!

Maybe that's why there is more threads, plus if you are looking at private you may well have fewer people in real life to consult.

The vast majority in the state sector don't have a choice of a grammar, shall we keep those in a different topic too? What about learning/ achievement? Is the alphabet or the periodic table or any other basic concept different between the sectors so nobody could possibly offer any tips to the other group? What about friendships or bullying? Or dyslexia or mobility problems, do they manifest differently if the parents pay fees?

Should those with access to excellent or very good state schools have their own topic too, because not everyone does? Not to mention some of the best state schools are closer to private than they are average or bad state schools.

Lurkedforever1 The vast majority in the state sector don't have a choice of a grammar, shall we keep those in a different topic too?

I wouldn't have a problem with that as I already use the elevenplus website. Interestingly the elevenplus website does have a seperate section for posts on indie/private schools.

Is the alphabet or the periodic table or any other basic concept different between the sectors so nobody could possibly offer any tips to the other group? perhaps if there were many posts regarding these topics it could be a serious considering.

Lurkedforever1 - bullying?:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/bullying

*Lurkedforever1 - dyslexia or mobility problems:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_educational_needs
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs_education
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs_wheelchairs_and_mobility_aids

But Mumtrying, what if you have got a child with a range of problems, can shall we pick only one.
And I am not arrogant enough to think that only parents with kids in the same sector as my children can offer help and insight.

DSClarke But Mumtrying, what if you have got a child with a range of problems, can shall we pick only one.

Perhaps you can give an example?

DSClarke And I am not arrogant enough to think that only parents with kids in the same sector as my children can offer help and insight.

Niether am I. However, I don't feel the suggestion in the OP is as ridiculous as is being suggested in this thread.

www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/11plus/index.php?sid=074de7e4518fb86d41bc3834d5a72f75

www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/11plus/viewforum.php?f=31

And the 11+ forum also has regional boards for the grammars, and general topics because they realise most threads are relevant to either sector.

There's nearly always a post asking for tips/ help on explaining or supporting a child to learn or understand something, so I think that is relevant to both sectors.

Re bullying and sn topics, I think you know as well as I do that when it comes to school, people often post in the primary/ secondary boards too, and it's quite often just a part of the ops post.

OK - I am probably going to regret this but - IMO some schools are good or bad or suit your DC regardless of sector. Some people have philosophical , political or financial reasons for not choosing private schools. Some don't . If you take all of that out of the equation, and if you take asking for comments about particular schools out of the equation, I think on a board about education it would diminish it if you did not have comments from all sectors. Once DC (s) are in a school I feel there are probably more things in common to discuss that those apart.

Lurkedforever1

regional boards for the grammars

general topics because they realise most threads are relevant to either sector.

So you think grammar schools are of no interest to those applying to indie/private schools but private schools are of interest to everyone (indepent schools is under the general heading), or do you think the elevenplus site owners think that?

There's nearly always a post asking for tips/ help on explaining or supporting a child to learn or understand something, so I think that is relevant to both sectors.

I understood the OPs post to suggest that posts regarding private schools should have their own section. I don't think they suggested all posts should have their own section.

Lurkedforever1 - Re bullying and sn topics, I think you know as well as I do that when it comes to school, people often post in the primary/ secondary boards too, and it's quite often just a part of the ops post.

I can't comment on the bullying as I've not used the bullying section. However, I completely disagree with your regarding the SEN. Can you see any threads re. SEN on the secondary education forum or the primary education forum for that matter? All the usful information I have gathered regarding SEN has come from the specific SEN boards. Whilst people may mention SEN issues within their post, the lack of any mention in the title makes such posts imposible to find. Do you actually read every single post on these forums?

mum I haven't got a clue what point you are trying to make in response to my basic opinion that 'many threads are equally relevant to both private and state'.

Lurkedforever1 I was responding to very specific comments you made such as:

The vast majority in the state sector don't have a choice of a grammar, shall we keep those in a different topic too?...

Those comments were not exactly "expressing my basic opinion that 'many threads are equally relevant to both private and state'." were they?

Oh and what Gruach said

Nope, still not got a clue what point you are trying to make mum with your responses.

It's a fairly free market on MN re threads. If a subject is of interest to a lot of users there will be a lot of posts - eg the SW London Girls one - if it's about a particular high school in a small town elsewhere it probably won't get many.

I enjoy the diversity of subjects on here and don't see the need for private school conversations to be put elsewhere. There are clearly plenty of people interested in private education on here and I don't have any problem with that.

I was very vociferous in the thread to have a separate sahp/wohp because I believed the two were different with different issues.
Yes, some issues were confined to one group or the other, but there were so many that were shared.
I do think there was an argument that it would allow each to discuss without the inevitable bun fight that usually happened.
Does anybody bother now, or is it just the same?

I have no idea where I'd belong in a split private/state board. But think it might enable some threads to continue and stick to the point without the opposite stance all the time.
Saying that, I started a boarding thread that had no ill feel.

People only tend to post at stress points so that is: private school entry tests, waiting for private school decisions, 11+ tests, appeals (11+ and others), state admissions day, "my child hasn't been offered a place", college or school for sixth form, GCSE choices, A'level choices, other qualifications, bullying, long term illness, school refusal etc.
Only a limited number are only relevant to private, but at present the private ones are most timely.
Really soon it will be options and school places. The second of which will tend to be London and SE centric, because this is where there is the most pressure on places (just as in Scotland, if in Edinburgh it's not as simple as sometimes portrayed).

I suppose that if you seperate independent ed and state ed. some very specific threads will benefit as they will not be hijacked by those who are vehemently opposed to the subject in general. On many occasions someone will start a very specific thread about boarding particularly for the younger children e.g. trying to decide between X and Y for it to be taken over by the very vociferous anti boarding brigade. If you've got to the point of trying to decide between X and Y I suspect you've thought very carefully about your options and the pros and cons of boarding. Frequently the very emotive comments posted by some drive away the OP, I'm frequently then PMd by them to ask for help or advise.

"they will not be hijacked by those who are vehemently opposed to the subject in general"

Wishful thinking.

"e.g. trying to decide between X and Y for it to be taken over by the very vociferous anti boarding brigade"

Given the existence of state boarding, which is mentioned pretty often, then separating state/private won't solve this one.

There is little if any state boarding for 7-11 year old and these are the threads that are most frequently hijacked a seperate section might help this. Also specific questions about big name boarding schools are also,less likely to be hijacked by those who oppose these schools.