school fees

stashmycash

ruthyjo wrote:

I thought that she had failed her eleven plus?

I would say that the attainment required to get a bursary was higher than the standard required to pass the eleven plus as lots of children are competing for a handful of places rather than a whole school year full.

Yes she marginally failed the 11 plus but is not failing in any subject and did not expect to get a bursary.

stashmycash

The thing that always put me off sending my children to private schools was the lack of numbers of children.
I know that may sound strange, but i don't understand how they can play football etc. if there are only about 15 in each year. Also I noticed that the ones I've seen don't seem to have very good facilities or advanced technology and I felt that my kids would be bored by such a small group of people.

Perhaps someone could explain if this is not the case.

inkie

Not all independant schools have classes as small as 15. The school that my DD was accepted at has 24 per class, and then 5 classes per year group. As the girls progress through the school, then some of the groups obviously become smaller as they choose GCSE options e.g. they may only be 5 or 6 opting to do classics. The class sizes are not the issue - I was talking to the head and she said that due to the calibre of girls they could quite easily teach 60 in a class, as a- they are all of the same high ability, and b-there isn't the disciplinary problems. In addition, the girls go on a 'bonding holiday', within the first 3 weeks of starting seniors so that they can get to know their form-mates.

stashmycash

inkie wrote:

Not all independant schools have classes as small as 15. The school that my DD was accepted at has 24 per class, and then 5 classes per year group. As the girls progress through the school, then some of the groups obviously become smaller as they choose GCSE options e.g. they may only be 5 or 6 opting to do classics. The class sizes are not the issue - I was talking to the head and she said that due to the calibre of girls they could quite easily teach 60 in a class, as a- they are all of the same high ability, and b-there isn't the disciplinary problems. In addition, the girls go on a 'bonding holiday', within the first 3 weeks of starting seniors so that they can get to know their form-mates.

Oh so this school is pretty much the same as a state school then with regard to class numbers. Every private school I've read about only have about 15 in each year group, which to me seems a bit boreing.

inkie

Oh so this school is pretty much the same as a state school then with regard to class numbers. Every private school I've read about only have about 15 in each year group, which to me seems a bit boreing.

The head also said that schools that have such small class sizes either can't fill the school, or have small rooms which limits the class size.

ruthyjo

stashmycash wrote:

I'm sure I've read that there are charities to help people to pay school fees.

stashmycash wrote:

Yes she marginally failed the 11 plus but is not failing in any subject and did not expect to get a bursary.

Sorry I posted advice re bursaries - I did think that that was one of the original points of your thread!