Should we pay 3x our current house price for a top 20 independent school, or stay put and have our children attend a top 275 school?

[Keto481]

Our two children have been accepted at two independent senior schools and our options are as follows:

Option 1 - Continue to live in our current home and send our children to the local independent, which features towards the latter end of the top 275 independent schools nationally. The performance at A levels is obviously better than our local state schools, but hardly any pupils go on to Oxbridge. (Not that we are aiming for Oxbridge, but I am just trying to give an idea of it's performance). This option will allow us to live comfortably financially as we have substantial savings.

Option 2 - Roughly an hours drive away is a school which year on year features in the top 20 independent schools nationally with the highest performance in the region, and I believe around 15% go on to Oxbridge. To live in this area, house prices are triple the cost of our current home. Due to our savings we can afford this, but we would be left with very little savings and have to live a significantly less comfortable life.

The areas in between where we currently live and the top 20 school are not areas where we want to live. If our children were to catch the train from where we live to the top 20 school it would be over 1 hour and a half each way and we do not want them to have to endure that journey.

So I ask is it better to have the financial security and have our children go to the local independent and I assume not perform as well. Or to move home and not have the financial security, but have our children attend the top 20 school In the hopes they will perform significantly better?

Hi,

may I learn what did you choosed in the end?

Think about your children.

One of mine would have thrived in a very academic school. They'd love the challenge and it would stop them coasting. Pressure isn't a problem for them and they are better being around lots of peers working at an equally high level.

My other child would have completely floundered. They are capable but needed to feel they were doing ok and did better when pressure was off.

Both get similar CAT scores but just different personalities.

ZOMBIE THREAD!!!

The top 275 one

Just name the schools. There will be people here who can give useful advice on the actual schools.

Two years ago it might have been useful.

oops..... !

I would love to know what happened. We had the same choice and went for staying out with great state school. Glad we did.

@Perfectlystill we also had similar choice and decide to move private next year. Hope it is right decision.

Zombie thread

@whenwillthemadnessend whats that mean?

The thread is years Old

Yes, I know:)

Sorry for my ignorance and I know this is a zombie thread but where do you find the list of schools?

Haven’t RTFT but you do realise that you can’t buy your way into Oxbridge, don’t you?

OOh - not entirely true. DC went to a school that is consistently in top 10 performing schools in the country. They chucked no one out at all. They supported children who struggled (including one of my DC) far more pastorally than they did academically, believing that if he was happy he;d reach his potential, which happened.

WRT Oxbridge - DC's school used to get 30-35% of all sixthformers in until recently and that figure has dropped to 10%. The school results are the same but Oxbridge, quite rightly are trying to be fairer and give more places to bright state school pupils who haven't been hothoused or trained for Oxbridge. A top independent school is no guarantee of a place even with 10 A GCSEs and 4 A A levels.

Sounds to me like you'd all be happier and more relaxed staying put.

Can you post the difference between the A's at your local state and the less good indie please and then we can see whether it is worth it. Many Indies aren't. Which would mean that you would be better off going for the top school.

@Keto481 as your thread has been resurrected, what did you choose to do in the end?

@acca2017 you need to @ the username to notify them, just posting on their old thread won't alert them to anything.