Would you send your child to a private school?

silvercar

Accountant_Kerry wrote: »

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??

Schools usually hold open days in the Autumn term for admissions the following year. If you want to look at the school earlier they will probably be accommodating.

**curlywurly**

If I were you I would start looking at the schools now. A good school won't make you come on the open morning, when the school is all shiny and lovely, but will be happy for you to turn up when you fancy to see the school in action. For our schools, we had to apply by 31 December (£100 non refundable fee), the entrance exams were in Jan, decision made in Feb, started at the school the following September. But you should check the schools you are interested in (they must have websites? - look under "admissions procedure"). After my DD had been accepted she was then invited to the school for a day, invited to the school play, and other social activities etc, so that she got to know the children, and we got to meet the parents.

My DD's school accepts children in Year 3, and she will stay at the school until she has finished her A Levels. For your DD, you need to consider what age they take them from and to, and if there is not one school that takes them all the way through, you will need to decide which school you want her to end up at for secondary, and then take a close look at the feeder schools. Hope that makes sense.

Rowan4909

I am a teacher.

I have worked in one state school I would never, ever have sent a child of mine to; I would have walked the streets before sending him or her there in order to pay for private education.

However, I believe most children in most schools do very well if they have support from home. The important things (I am sure you know this ) are talking to children for communication and verbal skills, library/bookshop visits, reading together, not always having the TV on, limiting time on the computer.

I'd never send a child of mine to a school I taught in but if I didn't teach there I'd happily send my son or daughter to my school.

JC9297

If you only have one child like the OP (and presumably curlywurly and lisaloo as they only mention one) I would think if both parents work it should be fairly easy to afford fees for private school, if you have a larger family it is harder to pay for everything x2, 3 or more. I guess some people choose to only have one child because they want to give them everything that they can, and if that includes school fees then they can only afford one child.

Accountant_Kerry

http://www.st-francis.herts.sch.uk/

this is supposed to be one of the best ones in my area. hmm........

**curlywurly**

It is indeed a school with a very good reputation and yet a rubbish website. I have PM'd you.

Milky_Mocha

Private vs state tuition - my favourite topic! I too faced this dilemma a year or so ago. I approached it with an open mind, did a lot of research online, spoke to parents, requested several prospectuses, league tables, news articles, inspection reports, etc but found that none of the above compare to visiting the schools themselves. That's what made my mind up.

I visited about twelve, yes twelve junior schools - about five were state schools and the remainder were fee paying. The one I found to be the best for my daughter happened to be a fee paying school but my second favourite was a state school. Some of the independent schools I felt were not worth the money.

The reasons for our choice of school were the 'feel' (hard to describe), the extra-curricular activities, the class sizes, the senior schools they fed into, the behaviour of the school children and o, the uniform is charming too.

Although I do some reading with my daughter just for fun and bedtime stories, I don't really coach her that much apart from help with homework but after six weeks of starting in reception she can read (shocked me!) though two, three and four letter words only, she knows odd from even numbers and knows more about human internal organs than I do. She plays tennis at school and is also very keen on musical instruments and classical music which I think is great.

I'm very pleased that the school does most extra-currics as I can't bear the thought of rushing around from one venue to another everyday for different activities - its all done during lunch break or afterschool on the premises and this is key for me. The only additional class I'll consider is an hour at the weekend with a dance school until they start these in her current school when she starts Year 1.

A friend of mine lives in Sevenoaks Kent and sought my advice about her nearby state junior schools. I have to say if I lived near to those schools I wouldn't have to opt for private as at least two of them appear to have all the characteristics I was looking for.

All that said, a visit to the school will make up your mind within minutes.

geoffky

My daughter was adamant that she wanted a state school education after many months of argument in the household we let her have her own way and she told me the other day that she adores the school she is at and for me that is priceless because at the end of the day being unhappy at a private school could of been a disaster.

we went through hell trying to get her to consider it and she did go to the getting to know you days but rejected them all...its a hard decision but a million times harder when your child is against it...

Accountant_Kerry

geoffky, what age was your daughter at? I am conscious that if we wait until senior school she may well not want to go because her friends from state school probably wont be going, but I am hoping by starting at the youngest age possible this wont be an issue.

anybody have any alternate theories to mine on this?

clearingout

IN answer to the question about whether co-ed or single sex is better, I think it's generally agreed that girl's flourish better in single sex schools but boys need girls around to turn out OK! Says it all really!