Private/Prep School or State school?

Spendless

culpepper wrote: »

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.

What DS has been told is to get on his desired course he needs 5 GCSE's at grades A-C including English Language and Maths. If he doesn't get them, he can do the lower level alongside re-taking English/Maths, but then due to the time-tabling when he gets to the end of the course he'll have 2 A level equivalents rather than 3 which will have a knock on effect should he wish to study further.

Alihendo94

I have recently graduated from a Russell Group university (Leeds) with a 1st class degree and I went to a state school. Many of my friends have also done really well from going to a 'normal' school. I would say if you have a decent state school in your area and your children are naturally quite bright then they can get just as good an education as those who pay for private.

jrtfan

littlej0hn wrote: »

Probably a bit of a marmite subject but if you could afford to, would you send your kids to Private/Prep school or a State School?

Our eldest will be off to School in September and we want to do all we can to help our boys reach their full potential. Never thought we would be able to afford it, but by tightening up we should be able to get them both through a private school in the hope they would pass their 11+ and get into a Grammar School. The prices at secondary jump up way beyond our reach.

A colleague of mine has very positive things to say about private schooling as some of his nephews have turned into well rounded individuals and achieved so much.

Another colleague on the other hand has no such intentions as she has seen cousins flunk/fail miserably.

I tend to think it is down to the individual. If they turn out like my wife then state school would be fine. If they turn out like me, then they'll need a kick up the backside to get going! In which case a private school environment may be the answer.

I know everyone’s situation is different, but what are your opinions?
Also for those in the know, what kind of unexpected expenses might we encounter along the way?

Just wanted to add a quick word of caution about annual fee increases. A friend's son attends a local fee-paying school (he is in Seniors, admittedly, and so any % increase would be proportionally more substantial in real money than for a much younger child). His fees rose by 9.6% between the academic years 2014/15 and 2015/16. There was no notification from the school, either, they simply put the fees up. If you're definitely thinking of going down the fee-paying route, I would advise that you factor in at least 10% more for each year your child will be attending, hopefully to prevent any nasty surprises along the way.

pinkshoes

As a secondary school teacher, I have watched two boys who were privately educated at primary level really struggle to fit into state secondary.

I really don't think primary schools matter that much, as it is more about integrating with others and new experiences. Take OFSTED reports with a pinch of salt... So long as they learn the basics and enjoy school... It is the parents attitude towards schooling that has more of an effect on grades than a class teacher!

If your local secondary is rubbish and you can afford private school, then go for it! Small classes mean more attention.

bouncydog1

Bit late to the party but here's my contribution....DD was privately educated from 4-16 then went to the 6th form grammar school. Both had enormous benefits. She benefitted from small classes and disciplined teaching and achieved excellent GCSE's. At the grammar school she was prepared for University as in being responsible for deadlines etc. Now undertaking a PhD after achieving a 2:1 followed by an MSC. Private worked for her and we were in a position to afford it. However I firmly believe that the input from home contributes a great amount - supportive and encouraging parents with a good work ethos are essential regardless if the child's ability. Everyone is good at something.

Person_one

jaydeeuk1 wrote: »

Money no object, we would go private. They pay more for teachers, therefore generally have a better quality.

This is not the case, private schools often pay less and attract teachers due to the smaller classes and reduced paperwork/accountability to outside bodies.

They don't even have to use qualified teachers. A friend of mine who teaches at a private primary is on about 5-10K less than she'd be on in the state sector and is finding that as teachers leave or retire some are only being replaced with TAs to save the school money.

The only thing of value the parents are shelling out for is the smaller class size, apart from that its just a posh looking uniform with a straw hat. The teaching and facilities are no better than at any state primary.

jackyann

What is emerging on this thread is that the biggest issue is the school itself: teachers, how well its ethos is translated into practice, and the kids' attitude.
I think it is slightly easier for a private school to look superficially better.
I also think that looking to the future when planning is vital.
I have on occasions dealt with kids who had to be removed from private schools. Although they went to perfectly good state schools, they struggled - both from the point of view of "street smarts" and a sense of grievance.

In principle, I would say "wait and see" but the best private schools may have a waiting list.

There is another type of school that I think worth considering: independent schools that are run by educational or similar foundations. Their intake is usually through scholarships and fees are means tested. The 2 I know of are Christ's Hospital and Haberdashers (as I know some of their alumni and lovely people they are) but I know that there are others. I understand that some Quaker schools also work this way.

Samsonite1

No offence intended, but honest thoughts on a subject I have spent much time on,

I think private schools at primary level are fairly pointless - the only good is that the parents will push their kids more because of the expense. I learned nothing at primary school really because my parents were well educated and taught me more than any primary school teacher could.

What really matters is the secondary school and most people (the OP included) want to get into the grammar school. This is fairly ironic in some ways. The only reason that private primary schools work is to motivate the parents - you pay £15k a year and you demand results so you will push your children. If spending money is the motivation you need to get your children going the so be it - maybe that is the only way for some. I think that you can teach your children the primary stuff without having that rocket up your rear though.

The best state primary schools will be in the best areas. Location is key - this will affect the pupils and parents that are involved in the schools. If you want to make a financial sacrifice, you should make sure you live in an area that gets you into schools in a good area - these schools will do well because schools are about the people within (pupils, staff and parents). Going private is a shortcut that lacks all angles - it means that you have a bunch of parents willing to throw money at education and that is it. They may get good grades, but suffer socially which is probably more damaging long term. You are less likely to get the well-rounded, organic education that comes from simply getting your children into the environment you want them to be in.

In summary, I would say that private primary school is a last resort, but I understand if it is the only viable option. I had the same decision, but decided to move house and pay a bit more to secure quality state education for primary and secondary school.

For the record, my OH was schooled privately and I did state primary and grammar school - OH wants to avoid private for our children, hence the move.

POPPYOSCAR

It is probably the only regret I have in life is that we did not send our children to private school at secondary level.


I wanted to but gave in to them when they pleaded to go to the local school with all their friends.


They now say we should have taken no notice of them and made them go!!

Samsonite1

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

It is probably the only regret I have in life is that we did not send our children to private school at secondary level.


I wanted to but gave in to them when they pleaded to go to the local school with all their friends.


They now say we should have taken no notice of them and made them go!!

What has gone wrong - have they done badly? What if you paid all that money for the same result? You cannot have the greatest regret without knowing how it would have turned out! There is no guarantee that private school will garner better results, but as mentioned it usually motivates the parents to put rockets where needed.