On the Breadline on £190k a Year

martinsurrey

setmefree2 wrote: »

Perhaps the middle class parents who pay for schooling are actually more likely to push their kids to go to Oxbridge whether their kids want to go or not?

Our eldest got A* A* A at A level and refused to consider Oxbridge. This was the right thing for him and he had a fab time at Uni. Maybe if I'd spent £150k educating him we would have felt differently?

I know a lot of kids who have gone to Oxbridge over the last five years. Only one of them, I would say, didn't have a completely miserable university experience. As a parent you have to be a bit of a sadist to want to inflict Oxbridge as a university experience on your kids. I do know some kids who wanted Oxbridge for themselves and the parents have wondered why the kids were punishing themselves so much. Some parents I know actually have felt sad that their kids went went to Oxbridge and feel like their kids really missed out on the whole "uni was the best years of my life" thing. These are the kids that barely have any friends, never went to a prom and got to 21 without having a girlfriend/boyfriend.

Maybe if you pay £150k to educate your kids to A Level - you are more likely to want the Oxbridge sort of Uni experience for your kids?

again a lot of an anecdotal evidence...

national student survey

student satisfaction

Oxford and Cambridge are both in the top 16 unis for student satisfaction, as ranked by the students themselves, in both their teaching and their overall happiness.

I do like your anecdotal evidence, but its far from the wider facts.

[Deleted User]

More anecdotal evidence. One of my friends studied Medicine at Cambridge. He had a great time. I use to visit and go to the odd formal dinner; which were an absolute riot. His friends all seem well adjusted.

This was about 15 years ago now

Generali

The plural of anecdote isn't data.

A couple of anecdotes. I went to Uni with a bloke that went to Oxford. He quit in his final term to come to London Uni and left there with a first. I can't remember why he quit.

I worked with a bloke that went to Oxford Uni. He was well adjusted and lots of fun and worked in proprietary trading for Goldman Sachs earning easily seven figures a year.

setmefree2

martinsurrey wrote: »

How many of the state schools you mention were in special measures? Or were they top end state schools with tight (affluent) catchments?

I'll give you an example.

I know the parents of 4 kids who are doing Physics at Uni of Manchester. Physics at Manchester is one of the highest Tariffs (A* A*A) for any course in the country because of the Brian Cox effect.

The 4 kids came from the following very different schools.

Brentford High School (All girls state High School - non-religious - not very high up the league table in Hounslow)

Twford High School (mixed C of E High School in Ealing borough extremely high performing state High School)

Elthorne Park High School (non religious mixed state High School - reasonably high up the league table in Ealing Borough)

Beconsfield High School (all girls high performing grammar in Bucks)

setmefree2

martinsurrey wrote: »

again a lot of an anecdotal evidence...

national student survey

student satisfaction

Oxford and Cambridge are both in the top 16 unis for student satisfaction, as ranked by the students themselves, in both their teaching and their overall happiness.

I do like your anecdotal evidence, but its far from the wider facts.

Ok. But you haven't changed my mind. I still think private education is a waste of money and that the op shouldn't be bothering with private schools,

setmefree2

Generali wrote: »

The plural of anecdote isn't data.

A couple of anecdotes. I went to Uni with a bloke that went to Oxford. He quit in his final term to come to London Uni and left there with a first. I can't remember why he quit.

I worked with a bloke that went to Oxford Uni. He was well adjusted and lots of fun and worked in proprietary trading for Goldman Sachs earning easily seven figures a year.

I've worked with Oxbridge grads too. I've even worked with people who went to Harrow and Eaton. They were doing exactly the same job as me. My education was reasonably budget - Tesco or Sainsbury's rather than Aldi or Lidl

CLAPTON

setmefree2 wrote: »

I've worked with Oxbridge grads too. I've even worked with people who went to Harrow and Eaton. They were doing exactly the same job as me. My education was reasonably budget - Tesco or Sainsbury's rather than Aldi or Lidl

you have convinced me that all schools are equal and that teachers make no difference to the outcomes.

setmefree2

CLAPTON wrote: »

you have convinced me that all schools are equal and that teachers make no difference to the outcomes.

I definitely never said teachers don't make a difference.

I was arguing that paying for schooling is a waste of money in London and SE because there are plenty of great free schools around. This is a money saving website after all..... :-)

lisyloo

I went to a private girls school.
I did not do any better academically than peers who were streamed at the (good) local comprehensive.
I think I was less well served at learning to deal with the boys specifically and a wider range of society in general. Most of the girls were pretty clueless about boys and I mean in a detrimental way.
I think it was a waste of money especially as my parents were not well-off.

CLAPTON

lisyloo wrote: »

I went to a private girls school.
I did not do any better academically than peers who were streamed at the (good) local comprehensive.
I think I was less well served at learning to deal with the boys specifically and a wider range of society in general. Most of the girls were pretty clueless about boys and I mean in a detrimental way.
I think it was a waste of money especially as my parents were not well-off.

I hope you are more clued up about boys now.