Would you send your child to a private school?

redned_2

I think it is a mistake to stereotype people by their education, I think it is more to do with how they are brought up by their parents and the individual child.

DH was state educated, I was private and he has more get up and go:j than I ever will:rotfl:

I definitely think that the more your children have the less they appreciate it and the more they expect!

That said I am leaning more towards private for the moment - our local schools are awful and catchment areas for good ones are very tight

emsywoo123

I have seen many threads over the years on MSE re private vs state education, and they always end in the same way, with people either

a) for it but cannot afford it
b) for it and can afford it (and their children go)
c) against it

It is a huge responsibility, deciding on the best educational choice for your child, and while I understand a forum is an excellent way of gathering opinion, only you know your children, the schools in your area, and the opportunities that would be best suited for them.

Personally, I was privately educated, as is my DD, and I intend to do the same for my bump.

I would have preferred single sex education, but the school she is at is co-ed and far better than any girls private nearby.

leongal12

Did you know there are a few secondary state boarding schools left? They were originally for parents that moved a lot- service families etc or families who lived in the really rural areas. The education is free- it is a state school- and you pay the boarding costs- usually about £6k a year. Some do have day students too but very few. The advantages are smaller schools with clear ethos and parents who have chosen this education for their children. High expectations and quite often good results but you still have the the back up of the Local Authority and a wide range of children.

silvercar

Accountant_Kerry wrote: »

It looks like the general theme is yes to private school.

Any thoughts on mixed vs single sex schooling?

My son's (private) school is mixed but the lessons are single sex until 6th form. So shared assemblies, forms, school clubs and activities, coaches and single sex lessons. Really is the best of both worlds.

lostinrates

Accountant_Kerry wrote: »

It looks like the general theme is yes to private school.

Any thoughts on mixed vs single sex schooling?

I went to predominantly single sexed. IMO it was a mistake for me because I had no brothers and a very matriarchal family: it would have been of benefit to me to be in an environment with boys. Had it been different at home I think it would have been a different kettle of fish. Although I regret that aspect generally it was a good school and the outcome was a good education but a bit of stupid behaviour with men for a few years. I seem to have come out of the other side of that ok.

I think it really depends on the child and the circumstance.

**curlywurly**

We moved to a village with excellent state schools. After 3 years at school, DD's teacher told me "I have run out of things to teach her". She was 6. In order to challenge her, the teacher put her on a table with three special needs children. My mind was made up. The teacher then tried to persuade me to keep her in the state system because she would be good for the (small) school's league table figures.

DD goes to a private girls' school, after much heart-wrenching, and consideration of all the issues, including taking her away from her friends, and the village, and not wanting her to be a snob (DH and I were both educated in a comprehensive school). We did a lot of research and found that apparently girls do better in a single sex school, and boys do better co-ed.

Well, 2 years later, and we have not regretted it. I would describe it as having given DD wings, and she is now flying. She is learning three languages, has amazing opportunities, does most lessons in a class of 12, has respect for herself and others, and she absolutely loves it. She is still in touch with her old friends - they swear a lot, and talk of nothing but snogging boys and what outfit to wear (they are 11). My daughter has the lead role in the school play, sang a solo at the school concert, has won awards at the speech and drama festival, and thinks nothing of spending her time writing poetry. She is a completely different person and she can't wait to go to school. Every time I go to the school I wonder why I dithered for so long. It is a COMPLETELY different kettle of fish, where each child is allowed to be their own person and is encouraged in their own skills. DD is now a confident young lady, educated with girls who have like-minded parents, who have a similar ambition for their child's education. They all have high hopes for their children, and the expectation is that they will go on to higher education. The headmistress takes a personal interest in each girl, and every one of them has a personal plan, and later on each girl is given a personal careers tutor. Nobody in the class is disruptive and she is not sitting on a table of children with special needs as some kind of babysitter. The pastoral care is amazing. AFter three weeks of the new term, I ask the teacher about DD, and I feel she knows her nearly as well as I do. In the state system, in a class of 30, I was never quite sure whether the teacher knew who she was talking about! I asked the maths teacher how she achieves a 100% A* pass rate at O Level. "Oh that's easy" she said "They are taught in a class of 12".

There are downsides.

1) The uniform is extensive and expensive and can only be bought in one place
2) There are frequent school trips, adding to the cost
3) All the extras, eg school meals, instrument lessons etc, are a lot more expensive in the private sector
4) The school is quite demanding - the homework is frequent, there is a lot of school/home communication - so if you join into this regime, you have to be prepared to invest time as well as money.

I agree with the posters above who say that you need to go and look at the schools. We looked at a few and only liked one.

lisaloo1977

My son is privately educated and I can honestly say, I walk away everyday thinking its money well spent.

We opted for a private school that had the option to continue with them until 13, before applying for the local grammar schools. This was an important factor for me, as having an august baby I wanted him to have the chance to thrive in small class sizes and the extra two years won it for me.

The school we go to is amazing. My son has benefited immensely from the level of one on one reading and maths they get, and his word count is fantastic. I had honestly worried about his ability to be ready for fulltime school being an august born, but he has coped amazingly.:T

In fact he came home and said hello in Spanish, French and German, I almost fell off my chair. Apparently they call out the register in a new language every day. He then asked my friend if her little two years old was nocturnal, as she was having a nap still in the car!!!

I could not be happier and I’m someone who believes the teaching they get now, is the most important as it sets the standard and expectations for future schooling.

sp1987

I went to a state primary and was fine in all entrance examinations for private schools, even getting scholarship offers for each entrance offer. I had no tutors for any exams and my parents are not degree educated. A lot of the mental capability tests can't be taught anyway, only how to approach them slightly better.

Would I pay for my child to be privately educated? No way for primary (I loved my state primary, it was absolutely fab), probably not for early secondary. Possibly for GCSE period, probably for A levels if they wanted to go and it would help them.

If you are able to teach your child the skills they need (I'm not great at maths but our son's dad is but I can muddle through most other subjects) then it matters not where they go early on in my opinion, unless the schools are poor.

Plus, nobody wants to be the person in a private school whos family has shelled out so much on fees that they have no other money left to enjoy the experience as they could in a state school where attendance itself was free.

Vaila

i think it would depend on the area, my school is the second best performing school in my area (the first and third are private)and having known people who have went to private schools, our educational opportunities dont differ. however if you feel that the state schools in your area are of a poor standard, then go private

Accountant_Kerry

Does anyone know how far in advance you need to apply to most private schools? my daughter is still very young but if i want her to start from nursery age then i am guessing a year or more ahead isn't unusual??