Private School Worth It?

[beantltc]

Would like to know an adult's opinion on private school and if you think it is worth the money compared to normal schools.

It'sonlyhearsay it's not over in my school! It is a benefit- talking about A level age students too.
We have the child of a famous TV presenter at our school. The presenter works on a very popular tv show and arranged work experience for two of our pupils on this show. They have since been offered 'runner' jobs with the show in their gap years. This is a benefit of having the children of wealthy people at the school.
It's not fair but it's absolutely still happening

Ah, I forgot about the gap yahs! Oh well, I hope the big corps are changing.,,,

Although I don't know how you would go about asking someone to take your student child. Wouldn't it look a bit silly particularly as the better jobs have strict recruitment processes and paid internships with formal application processes? I suppose it depends on the industry and things like catering and TV companies are more informal than some of the professions. I know quite a lot of people in all kinds of industries but it would be a massivec admission of child inadequacy to ask them for help even if they were able to give it for a student child to get a job.

Xenia - I don't know how you would go about asking someone to take your student child. Wouldn't it look a bit silly particularly as the better jobs have strict recruitment processes and paid internships with formal application processes?

I would suggest (at a parents' event) "DC is thinking about doing an internship in XYZ industry. Oh, you're in that field, aren't you? Would you mind terribly forwarding his/her CV to the right person in your HR department?"

When a CV arrives at HR from inside the company, it usually gets a deeper look than one that arrives over the internet or via post. Particularly if it is coming from a higher-up at the company. Even more so if it arrives in the inbox of the head of HR. This may not automatically result in a position, but it will very likely result in an interview if a position is open.

I suppose it depends on the industry and things like catering and TV companies are more informal than some of the professions.

Getting an opportunity to showcase yourself is half the battle of getting a position. I believe this to be true in pretty much all industries. I know this to be true in several global finance, law and accounting firms whose names most people have heard of.

I have seen internships offered as prizes in silent auctions. They make a lot of money for the schools! Sometimes life isn’t as fair as it should be! Mostly it’s on merit but a lot of it comes down to preparation and understanding how to compete, not just what you know.

Some schools and parents are not really interested in this and will take what comes with the least effort and then complain about others who get on because they have realised what is needed.

I was cross recently when a friend suggested my DD had succeeded because she must have known someone to help her in her chosen career. It’s a widely held belief that the recruitment process must involve you “knowing someone”. I had to explain that we know no-one! She had no “insider” help at all. It’s infuruating when someone thinks your child couldn’t be where they are without knowing someone who gave them the inside track. I found it a bit offensive really!

Maybe I have no shame, but I have asked friends if DC (not student age but school age) can shadow them or try out work experience at their companies. All the cold-calling attempts to get work experience have come to nothing, even though DC have put massive effort into creating CVs and cover letters, individually tailored to the companies, and researched them well.

Asking for friends to help DC with work experience, I have always been met with positive, helpful responses. I think they prefer to have work experience people who they know slightly, who they can give honest feedback to via the family. But I don't think you have to be at private school for that to work. Just contact anyone you know in a field related to what DC are interested in. And offer them a favour in return.

BB, yes. I think a lot o f people who cannot be bothered to get the best exam results in their schools and prizes at university and make loads of applications, and all the other stuff I did - 2 years volunteering in a law centre at univesrity whilst other people were getting drunk like just to sit back and say ah it's all about contacts so I've failed because I have non; when in fact loads and loads of people do well without using any contacts. Also it depends on the field - law has very competitive paid internships you apply for well in advance and at university. othe rjobs don't have the same systems so it's quite hard to generalise. This is not just about higher earning jobs either. Getting your son a job at the pit I am sure is what happened in my family in the 1800s and 1900s and there were travelling drapers in the family whose children became travelling drapers. Baker's son works in a bakery etc etc

It's perfectly possible to make contacts. I teach my students how ot network. they always start out saying: I don't know anyone in our massiveky competitive oversubscribed field. and by the end of the workshop, they know exactly what to do and how to build a network of strong contacts. some do, some don't but it's absolutely doable. I did it, with zero connections, when I changed profession.

I’m all for the DCs networking!!! It shouldn’t be down to parental contacts though - at least when it comes to getting a job.

Often school placements don’t lead to much but it’s different when you are at university. I agree Xenia - you have to make the effort yourself.

For me, I think Private Schools are as much about the journey as they are about the destination.

My cheap 8 year old run around that we bought for cash from an insurance write off gets me everywhere I needed to be. In maybe 5 or 10 minutes slower than my husband's fancy company car.

If money wasn't an issue, then yes I would rather have the nice comfy journey with the sunroof, air conditioning, DAB radio and satnav.

If money is an issue, then no, it's not worth the monthly repayments to get to my destination a little quicker cos his car pulls away that bit quicker at the lights.

I'm happy with my daughter in private school. But we're glad she is enjoying the journey/experience as well cos we might be depressed if we thought we spent all this money for one extra point in grades.

Thanks for your post redrubiesnmore!

If I had the money I would definitely send my dd to a private secondary because of the smaller classes.

The contacts at private schools definitely are a big bonus! DS1 - just leaving Year 13 - did two weeks work experience in a tech company owned by a friend's Dad. Numerous dentists/medics/vets have shadowed other parents in their jobs.
Every year there is a massive alumni careers fair where parents and alumni from all sorts of different industries come to give talks and advice and many offer work experience. Then there's also the virtual network - the school Alumni & Friends LinkedIn group has several thousand members and branches in London, New York, Sydney etc.

To be fair though, the school opens up the careers evening to all state sixth forms and colleges in the local area, so the benefit isn't really exclusive to the school. Worth asking your local independent if they do the same - many of them do!

Minapaws I totally agree with your experience.
My parents were on board. But the low expectations and aspirations was horrible. And my comp wasn’t even a bad one.
There were lots of clever kids that weren’t pushed there.