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?

Mum

Just trying to work out what burglary has to do with what school you send your to, or the thread topic of separate boards?
Yes, burglary is wrong so is picking your nose socially unacceptable.

I'm interested in schools that insist on 11+, I haven't heard of this before.
are all the parents happy about this in your experience, or do some object?

Lurkedforever1 - yes 25% academic selection, google SW Herts Consortium

NewLife4Me are all the parents happy about this in your experience, or do some object? Feel free to do your own research. If you're in an 11 plus area, you will come across plenty of parents to ask.

Quite happy to take your word for the 25% mum. I just wanted to clarify whether all your local comprehensives do this, and whether in all the other 75% is entirely filled by siblings, Sen & lac?

There's another thread running today. OP asked the question if parents or the dd should choose the school for secondary (apparently there were 2 good options).... various people offered their thoughts, then the OP's second post started talking about getting them to Saturday School, and other things that are obviously part of the choice she is making, but are outside the experience of people who had replied to her OP on the assumption she was choosing between 2 schools of the type thy might have experience of.

Had the OP put (Private schools) in the title, or there were a 'Private School' section, then I wouldn't have bothered opening it, or offering my own humble opinion, as I know nothing about what is a big part of what she is posting about. That sort of post happens a lot. I have absolutely no problem with there being a zillion threads about any topic I know nothing about, but, if it's not a topic relevant to me (eg the TTC ones or the breast feeding ones) then I can filter them out, and not waste time opening them and offering my thoughts, when it's no use to the OP or informative to me. Obviously, if I wanted to find out more, I could still read, but when it's something that just isn't part of my life, I also have the option not to.

Lurkedforever1 In the interests of accuracy 7 out of 10 schools in the area require the 11 plus. Of the 3 schools that do not require the 11 plus, only one is close enough for us to consider (based on distance cut offs for the last two years). the One non ranked school that we are closest to is far from a sure thing.. Expansion plans will not make an impact until next year, so we had no option but to do the 11 plus.

I will also add that two ranked (11 plus) schools have added a bulge class as there is an anticipated shortfall of school places.

You only get a single state secondary offer, so anyone choosing between more than one (especially a couple of weeks before state secondary offer day) has to be considering private schools.

Lots of threads have incomplete or inadvertent mildly misleading titles.

And if one school is expected (or in a couple of weeks, actual) state offer, and the other private, then it wouldn't fit tidily anywhere other than a general 'secondary' topic.

mum that's not what I asked.

Lurkedforever1 Should also add that there are 10% music places at each of the schools (DC got a high academic score so more likely but music place is a possibe too fortunately).

At one school there are 10 sports aptitude places DC did not do the sports aptitude test as does not play for county).

One school offers 19 technology places (school quite a distance from our house so was not one of our 4 preferences).

Lurkedforever1 Have I answered your question yet?

Btw I also looked into MT and Habs but decided against them.

mum, no. Setting aside any of those 10 schools that are purely 11+ selection (so full grammar schools) , are you honestly saying that all of the none selective places in all of those schools go to siblings, Sen & lac?

mum

We have no grammar in our borough, I was asking for your experience to gain some knowledge, it's not worth doing my own research as it doesn't apply to me.

This is why we should not have separate boards for things, how would we have enough? How would anyone learn about what's available?

We all have so many different experiences and types of school. Some of us are interested and wished we'd topped up to M.Ed from our PgCE, because we are into education.

Lurkedforever1 mum, no. Setting aside any of those 10 schools that are purely 11+ selection (so full grammar schools) , are you honestly saying that all of the none selective places in all of those schools go to siblings, Sen & lac?

Sorry you are quite right. My nearest secondary school offers 19 distance places too but the cut off is less than 300 meters and we live 385 meters from the school.

Non of the schools are classed as grammar schools as they are only semil-selective and offer sibling priority as with Dame Alice Owens.

NewLife4Me We have no grammar in our borough, ... it's not worth doing my own research as it doesn't apply to me.

Why are you asking then?

Mum-so what happens to children who don't get selective places and don't have a sibling and aren't LAC? It sounds as if you are saying that there are no school places for them- which can't be right.

"Mum-so what happens to children who don't get selective places and don't have a sibling and aren't LAC? It sounds as if you are saying that there are no school places for them- which can't be right."

The LEA has to find school places, but they might be some distance away (transport provided, if over 3 miles for secondary).

It's more common at primary level, because that's where the demographic bulge is biting hardest (and schools are usually smaller, but of course do not have a proportion of selective places), but we'll probably see more of it as the large cohort years move through the system.

Being in a 'black hole' where you qualify for no state school first round offer at all is unfortunately a fact of life in an increasing number of areas, predominantly in high population density cities.

I have never been in favour of a Private Education board. I agree with others that the boards are cyclical. Next month it will be state secondary school entry. Part of the reason there are more private school threads than you might expect is the higher degree of choice in the private sector. In the state sector, especially if you live in an area with catchments or oversubscription, you don't have a choice; you can only express a preference. You might post about your possible preferences but many people know that the choice is illusory. In the private sector, you are actively choosing a number of schools who all produce nice glossy brochures and have sparkly facilities (paid for by another above inflation fee hike) and you want to know what is behind the gloss. Actual knowledge of people who have had children in the school is invaluable at that point.

However, there are plenty of topics that cross over, that are of interest to all parents.

"Part of the reason there are more private school threads than you might expect is the higher degree of choice in the private sector. In the state sector, especially if you live in an area with catchments or oversubscription, you don't have a choice;"

Exactly, which is why as one of the majority of state educating parents who simply have to suck it up and get on with addressing the educational needs of a child at a school which may well be socially challenging and beset by staffing issues (as so many state schools are), to click on this board when you're looking for a discussion about education which will be of interest, and find it's bloody silted up with threads about which fabulously expensive, high performing and exclusive private school out of a choice of three or four the OP should send her dd to if she wants to maximise her chance of a place at Cambridge. It's like being slapped around the face with a wet kipper. Galling. It's like someone who's trying to feed a family on a budget of £40 a week being directed to a food board where all the discussions about which brand of foie gras is the most delicious.

I agree with Chazs that there are more posts because of the degree of choice in the private sector where a bright child could have 4 or 5 offers whereas he or she will only have one in the state sector. In addition the private/state divide is always being exaggerated in that many MC parents (particularly in London) send their DC to state schools for primary and then private for secondary unless they get into the state school of their choice. In some areas of London like ours (Kensington & Chelsea) over 50% of children attend private schools so that when you add those like myself who are currently state but may go private depending on the state secondary option to those definitely going private you could find maybe 70% of parents interested in posts about local private schools.

You could always try the search function if there is something specific you are looking for mini. Or just wait a while till private school madness season is over?

Why are the boards silted up?

There isn't a quota of posts for education. New ones can be posted anytime about any issue.

Mini

I only have sons. So posts about girls schools, girls uniform requirements, girls cliquey behaviour in year 9 are not of interest to me. However, I accept they are of interest to other parents. Consequently, I just don't open them but I don't resent their existence.

I think your post above suggests a wider frustration with the position you find yourself in. None of the posters on the Secondary Education board are responsible for that. However, that doesn't mean you aren't allowed to find the private school posts annoying but you don't get to dictate where people post them.

It's only 'silted up' because of the cyclical nature of the school year. This is the peak of the private admissions round.

Give it a couple of weeks and it'll be 'silted up' with threads about state school appeals, which appear every year following allocations day.

I actually like the fact that the boards are not segregated by sector for a number of reasons. The main one is the fact that people do challenge lazy stereotypes or lame generalisations, which I see as a good thing in an area where few parents with the possible exception of Xenia are totally confident about their choices. There are not many posters on the eleven plus forum questioning the ethics or fairness of maintaining a sporadic and opt-in selective school system. Given the nature of some threads - especially the ones about eg Common Entrance or elite boarding schools - there is remarkably little hijacking. I've learned a lot about phases of education my kids aren't in yet and the need to plan ahead for entry to certain types of schools as well as how to interpret what DofE data actually means. I get a better idea of what some people I know think of the educational choices I've made.

Oh, and I love the Winchester/Eton/Harrow fight threads.

mini As someone whose state choice was dire, I do understand where your frustration is coming from. And I can see why it might make you feel envious. But I don't think that's a healthy way to view them.

I don't want sahm posts segregating because as an lp I'll never get that choice. And while I might wish I had that option too, I don't begrudge anyone in that position or read their posts through a veil of envy. I don't want seperate posts for couples only, or read posts from mums whose dps aren't pulling their weight from the angle 'well doing nothing more than earning and an hours childcare a week is more than I had so count yourself lucky'. I don't open threads about people who own their home and feel resentment cos I never will till long after dds an adult, if at all. I don't read threads about late or behind child maintenance through a cloud of envy that I get none. I don't want separate topics or harbour resentment towards posts about normal parents/ childhoods because they aren't applicable to me.

I bet there are only a very tiny number of posters who can't find topics which are about things they'll never have the choice of, that doesn't mean they should all be kept out of sight.

Beautifully put Lurked.