Sam Freedman wouldn't send his kids private

[noblegiraffe]

Because he went to a private school and had no idea that the world of working class people existed until he started working in education.

twitter.com/samfr/status/898845134028029952

I guess it helps that he lives in London where the state schools are great.

(Posting this because I've seen people speculate on here about where he will send his kids).

Yes he would if he wasn't able to move selectively to get a good school place, bet they won't going to a requires improvement failing comp

He would possibly be more the type to take over the failing comp and turn it around. That's what Teach First is about, getting good teachers into crap schools.

Quite a few public figures seem to take this viewpoint. Not surprisingly I've yet to hear of any that send their dc to crap comprehensives.

Crap comprehensives are in the minority, most people don't send their kids to one.

But if his aim with sending his kids to a state school is for them to mix with the working classes, he's not likely to get that from an exclusive comp.

Who is Sam Freedman when he's at home?

Used to be head of research at the Independent Schools Council, then worked for think tank Policy Exchange, then was senior policy adviser to Michael Gove. Now in charge of research at Teach First. Big fan of Free Schools, campaigned massively against grammar schools.

His dad is Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman.

For someone who used to work for the ISC to say they wouldn't send their kids to a private school, it's an interesting character development.

So, he has an agenda?

I don't think it's at all fair to characterise TF trainees as good teachers 'going into crap schools'

That's kind of the point of it though. Teach First is about addressing educational disadvantage. It takes the brightest graduates and gets them teaching for at least two years in schools that would normally struggle to attract good candidates. These schools are usually underperforming and have to be in areas of high deprivation. TBF calling them crap schools was wrong, I should have said challenging schools.

Bizzy I don't think he has an agenda, I think he has developed a social conscience.

Ok, not just crap schools, alsothose in deprived areas outside London with far less funding and less mixed intakes than on a city. Crap might not be a fair description for the dedicated staff of those schools doing their best in the circumstances but still not exactly desirable educationally. They don't tend to attract those with supposedly superior social morals either.

I blame his parents, not his education. It is perfectly possible to go to private school and still be worldly aware.

I would cynically guess that his kids will go to one of the best schools and he'll be able to pat himself on the back bigly.

Anyway I wouldn't let it influence my own decisions.

He's a governor of a secondary school in Tottenham, with well above national average levels of PP and EAL students.
It's Ofsted Outstanding and gets excellent results.
www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/137745

I assume he would be happy for his kids to go there? Would it then be slated as it's outstanding despite a challenging intake?

The school I worked in that was most involved with TF was an outstanding inner London school.

I don't know why anybody wouldn't send their child to a state school in London because they get a far better pupil premium than the rest of the UK as well as generously funded museums, theatres etc.

Just had peak at Woodside High School.
A very successful school which also has high number of children attracting pupil premium.

I'm not sure what to make of this (and had no idea who this guy was prior to this thread). A few things that come to mind:

I had the same experience as him at a (foreign) private school, and feel the same re my own children's education.

Like a lot of people in London I've ended up buying a home with an eye on the local schools, so there's a large element of selection by house price - where does this chap live?

My children will have (touch wood) two educated, engaged parents with the financial resources to support their education either with extra-curricular stuff or with additional tutoring etc (like this guy) - so even leaving aside the point just above, if they did end up at Grime Street Comp (Tottenham Edition), with poor teaching I expect they'd get the grades to reflect the added value that their parental background offers.

I'd be more impressed if he were involved with a school in the arse end of Ballygobackwards, rather than in London where they have far more money and engaged parents.

With a family background like his, his DC will do well wherever. Family background - not school sector- has always been the biggest determinant of academic success.

His kids will access a first class state school. They will get private tuition if/when required. They will live in a warm, comfortable home full of books, with engaged parents and interesting conversation. Their holidays will be full of enrichment activities. When they leave school family connections will ensure appropriate work experience etc.

Why on earth would he spend money on private schools?

Lots of people spend money on private schools even when excellent state schools are available.
David Cameron was going to whip his kids out of state the minute he quit as PM wasn't he?

@noblegiraffe - did he actually switch his daughter's school? I thought she was still there, along with Gove's daughter.

Don't know about his DD, but newspaper reports from last year suggested that his son would be going to a prep school this September once he finishes primary. Of course they don't need to worry about getting the girl into Eton!

I send my children to the best schools I can. For me, that is private.

SF's twitter account says he has 7yo twins and a toddler... is it out of date?

Never understood why public figures expect to get brownie points for sending their children to the school they think will be best for their children. If that's a state school (for whatever reason, including what you think it will teach them about other groups in society or what technology it will teach them or whatever) lucky you, you got it for free. If that's a private school, fine, whatever.

OTOH if they expect credit for sending their children to a school they think will not be the best for the children... just no. Either they're saying they think their children have some kind of magic fairy dust that's so powerful the advantage to other people's kids outweighs the disadvantage to their own (err, no, I don't think your kids have that superpower) or they're engaging in some bizarre "look I'm handicapping my kids" game. Either way, not a way I want someone I'm expected to trust to discharge public responsibilities to think.