Private/Prep School or State school?

jackieblack

WolfSong2000 wrote: »

Despite never passing maths GCSE (tried 3 times and got a D each time), I managed to get into a good university, gained a good degree and then went on to one of the best universities in the country to do a masters degree.

Wouldn't be possible these days, grade C in Maths and English GCSE, or equivalent level 2 qualification, is required to get onto A level/level 3 qualification courses

ViolaLass

jackieblack wrote: »

Wouldn't be possible these days, grade C in Maths and English GCSE, or equivalent level 2 qualification, is required to get onto A level/level 3 qualification courses

Not necessarily true. We've let kids onto A-level courses and told them that they will have to retake their maths.

jdvhsully

My son did very well at the local primary school as they recognised that he was bright and stretched him.
However when he went to the middle school (year 4) despite us letting them know he was an able student and needed stretching he was left to stagnate. His end of term report said he had "an apathetic attitude to being told off". The first I had heard of any problems despite me speaking to the school regularly as I was on the PTA and therefore in the building a lot.
I spoke to the head, who said that he was the brightest boy in the year, and the others at his level were girls so he didn't have any boys to compete with. At that age girls are not interesting.
Due to the generosity of my mother and mother-in-law we were able to send him to the local Prep school for 2 years until he went to the secondary school. It was worth it as had this not happened he would have been switched off from learning. However we knew it only would be for the 2 years so did take the 11+, which he passed but we lived too far out of the 10 mile catchment area.
He did okay at the secondary school, could have done better as he did not work hard enough thinking his intelligence would carry him through!
I work in a secondary school, and what makes the child do well is the support from home, interested parents who ensure that homework is done, social media monitored very carefully and understand that there child is not an angel!:rotfl:

jackieblack

ViolaLass wrote: »

Not necessarily true. We've let kids onto A-level courses and told them that they will have to retake their maths.

And if they don't pass the retake?

lisa110rry

Our son (34 this year) went to the local County Primary where his friends were, like him, able boys. Always good things to say about him at parents' evenings, which lead me to believe that teachers only said nice things about the pupils as I knew him not to be an angel!!!

Because his friends were able pupils, he competed with them (in his own mind) and this encouraged him always to do his best.

Then two things happened. He discovered his love of Rugby Union and the time came to think about senior school. The local comprehensive (no sixth form) was rabidly anti-competition and did not do rugby at all.

We decided (without mentioning the anti-competition or non-rugby elements) to offer him the opportunity to take the entrance exams for the "local" (25 miles away) independent day school, which did do rugby. He passed and loved the school, and was doing well, captain of the rugby team each year, and set to be captain of the 1st XV in the lower sixth. However, he yearned to be a boarder, so we allowed him to write to two northern boarding schools to set out his story and ask if there would be any chance of a scholarship/bursary as we were content to pay day fees but couldn't manage boarding costs.

To cut a long story short, he chose one of the schools and had a very happy 6th form experience.

I think the main positives he got from going to an independent school were the confidence to speak with anyone, at any level of business or society, and the "old boy network" which has helped him get jobs in his sector.

In his wedding speech, he thanked us for "allowing him to see outside the village", by which he meant allowing him to spread his wings at an early age.

Each child's needs are different, however, and had he not wanted this experience, we would not have pushed him.

pollypenny

Spendless wrote: »

In my mind they might as well do A B C and fail but that's been the case since I took O'levels and grades D and E were passes that didn't count. Going round colleges with my eldest for his post 16 options, some colleges the requirement given was D (looking at some computer courses, these were *easier* courses)

Having got a system where there are passes below a C would I want my child not entered at all, if s/he wasn't predicted A-C. I don't think I would, I'd want them to have the opportunity to take the paper rather than not be allowed to sit it at all.

If you take foundation paper, rather than the higher level paper the highest grade you can get is a C, which makes me ask why have foundation papers?

Bit off-topic, but if a pupil has improved from level G, where he would hardly write, to a D surely that is to be seen as an achievement .

The particular pupil I have in mind now runs a very successful business. I hope I played my part in boasting his confidence and can-do attitude.

Re public schools, there are are some poor ones around here, which will nevertheless promise parents the earth.

We moved house, at great expense, for the kids to go to a good comprehensive where pupils of all abilities were pushed to achieve their potential. It was a great rugby and hockey school, too.

ViolaLass

jackieblack wrote: »

And if they don't pass the retake?

I'm not certain but I'm not aware that we've kicked anyone out for not having their maths GCSE, if we've taken them in the first place.

Savvy_Sue

jackieblack wrote: »

And if they don't pass the retake?

ViolaLass wrote: »

I'm not certain but I'm not aware that we've kicked anyone out for not having their maths GCSE, if we've taken them in the first place.

DS3 was told, very clearly, that if he didn't get a C in English GCSE the school would let him into the sixth form, but if he 'failed' again they would ask him to leave.

And they did regularly ask pupils to leave sixth form if they were not doing well enough.

Spendless

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

And they did regularly ask pupils to leave sixth form if they were not doing well enough.

That is very very common where I live. Mine are at the only school in the town without sixth forms. I've known cases where pupils from their school have had to leave sixth form at a particular school due to not good enough results at end of yr12 but when my friend's son did badly, he got D, E and U he was allowed to do an extra year. The difference being he'd been at that school since he was 11.

My 2 want to do specific single subjects at college instead and especially for the eldest one, I am thankful for that!

culpepper

jackieblack wrote: »

Wouldn't be possible these days, grade C in Maths and English GCSE, or equivalent level 2 qualification, is required to get onto A level/level 3 qualification courses

It must depend on the school or establishment offering the A level courses.
My son had 3 GCSE's including Maths and a city in guilds pass and was accepted by a 6th form college to study for his A's.
My daughter had chosen not to study for GCSE's and was still accepted to study for her A's at the same 6th form college.
They both went on to uni afterwards and earned their degrees.

It is ridiculous to base a persons future on their weaknesses and not on their strengths.