Moving from state to private school - any question you would want to ask the private school?

[Trafalgarxxx]

Dc is in Y9, bored and unhappy with his school.
Albeit very able, he is starting to looose interest in learning as well as his curiosity for the subjects that used to really excite him. Not where I want to see him.

So we are thinking about looking at private schools.

What sort of questions do you think are worth asking?
I’m thinking

• how do they give feedback to children so they can progress
• are the children set in all subjects
• cost pov, other cost involved (lunch, after school activities etc)
• any test to go in

Anything else you can think about?

I'm not convinced either. Extra curricular activities that stimulate you intellectually definitely help if you go to a school where the ethos among your peers is that learning is uncool and lessons for mucking around in. but they will never replace an environment where it is cool to learn, cool to work hard and possible to be super bright, nerdy and popular. I went to a school where learning was sneered at and survived despite it because of extra curricular. But my DC go to a selective private where they are thriving. Thriving not surviving - big difference.

Dont assume private school per say will fix the problem. So many parents seem to think whatever school problems they have will be magically fixed just because youre paying for an education.

Private schools vary enormously, some really arent that good at all, some have a precarious financial position, and some just wont be suitable for your child, you should get prospectus from all possibilities in your area and visit several of them, more than once for any real contenders.

Good Luck, it really is distressing when you feel your childs at the wrong school.