How do I compare independent schools to state schools?

[PersonAtHome]

I'm not sure how to properly compare the quality of independent schools against each other and also against local state schools.

I've used the government compare tool but a lot of the private schools don't have information available.

I'd hoped that I'd be able to find a ranking of all schools both state and private but can't find this for either. A while ago I found something on a local newspaper website that ranked the local state schools top to bottom but this has now been taken down.

Can anyone help?

This is why I wanted to ask the parents of Mumsnet - to find out how people had evaluated and compared what's on offer in state and private schools away from the sales pitches.

I would so go private due to my background.

Went to private from nursery til year 8 then went to 4x state secondary schools and ditched classes at every school... never even made it tp GCSE.. i loved my private schools. The teachers wer better, the students were kinder to me.

I never once came home crying but every state school i went to made me suicidal.

I know not every situation is the same but for me.. thats how it was

He doesn't sound an ideal head of a Prep BTW, around here most Prep heads can comment on the state schools. Children have to go to state schools for all kinds of reasons, sometimes it's the best choice, and sometimes there are personal/family reasons.

And comments about every state school made you suicidal and every Private were fabulous - are just madness. Of the State and private schools in may area - they are all so different. Some in both sector I would love to send my children to if it was right for them, others personally I would avoid at all costs (often because of gossip I've heard from parents who actually send their children to those schools or personal observation when working there).

Why do you want to ditch your existing private school for a random private that has last minute places?

If you are happy to hang on for your preferred state school place then why not stay at your prep and move as soon as a state place comes up - some places may come up closer Sept

completely agree with Bekabeech, although our Head would prefer a child to stay, she would absolutely know about all the other schools in the area and actually I would trust that she has the best interests of my child at heart and would recommend the best school(s). All the other schools, private and state are competition and its part of their job to know how they compare.

I hope your current school isnt one of the ones your considering - it doesnt sound that great if your child hasnt been streamed appropriately and if they couldnt get him through the grammar exam (asuming he was potentially brought enough). The parents and children sound elitist too. This isnt my experience of Private schools.

All your reasons for not asking the head are not based in fact. You are assuming that he will be of no help, you are assuming that he will just try and keep you at the school. It's just daft.

It's a simple move too just go in and ask. Then at least you will know.

And as for looking at other private schools. Most take boys from Y9, so you may as well stay at the prep and take your time. By all means go on the continuing interest list for the state schools that you want.

Also you will have probably missed the assessment for the indies that take boys at Y6.

You are actually in a much better position than a lot of people. You can stay where you are for the time being while sitting on a waiting list for state.
And you also have the time to really look into independent schools in your area. You need to go to open days and visits, you need to talk to the head, and you need to have a clear assessment of where your son will be happy.

Is there any reason why your son can't just stay where he is so that you have more time to decide?

Your private school sounds a bit rubbish, to be honest. The small class sizes haven't worked in your favour if you were hoping to get into a grammar, and the teaching of the non-top stream doesn't seem to have been great if your DS didn't get offered a place in a grammar, assuming you think he's capable. Private schools are a business, first and foremost; before they go on about fabulous facilites and exam results they need bums on seats. They can encourage that by having a snobbish attitude to state schools, which your poor DS is finding out now, irrelevant of the real quality of the state school he's been offered. Nothing you say suggests that the private system has been beneficial for your DS.

I think you are coming from an assumption (like many people) that private is automatically superior, which has just been proven not to be the case for your DS. People automatically value things that they pay for more than free stuff (no-one is going to admit to shelling out thousands for a school and thinking it's mediocre). Teaching is not automatically better in the private sector; indeed, it's easy to get away with mediocre teaching in the private sector as you have interested kids who have generally been selected for ability.

Unless the state option is dire; your DS will almost certainly be fine, especially with interested parents who can afford tutoring and extra-curricular activities. This post probably does sound anti-private school and to some extent it is; but private schools have done a blinding PR job on the middle classes to get them to swallow the idea that it's somehow vastly superior and essential to your child's future. Yes, there are some great private schools, but state schools can be great too.