Private school fees (merged)

Rikki

borntobefree wrote: »

I'm sure you're right!:D I can't see past those big bills:cool: I do also think that many with kids in the private sector can't see what the state system has to offer either.:D Stale mate.:rotfl:

:T

I'm involved with the state system too.

I've seen how they've move on and improved over the last few years. A lot of ours here have leisure clubs opened up in the grounds giving the children the added bonus of additional sports. One or two now have very good IT departments and excellent sixth form facilities.

It just a choice I've made that suits me.

Spendless

Rikki wrote: »

The village I live in all the children have to be driven to school whether its state or private.

The children's ages are so varied that none are the same ages to play so all the children have friends over or go to friends to play.

So sometimes it isn't just the type of school a child goes to its location too.

That is something I took into account when buying a house, both friendwise and being able to walk to school. I rejected 1 area of the town to live in as it didn't have a Primary school.

Lunar_Eclipse

natalie1974 wrote: »

Firstly its 65 mile round trip in the morning and 65 mile round trip in the afternoon . It takes me on a good day approx 25-30 mins ,

I'm curious. Very curious. Is this the life you planned and/or hoped you and your children would have?

Your week sounds like a military routine operation. I know many children have childhoods like these nowadays, but I would suspect it isn't anything like the one you had so is there not a (small) part of you that thinks this is all too much and just madness? That is a question intended for reflection, not necessarily discussion.

The issue I have with it all is the fact that your daughter is not doing this all off her own bat. It is rare for a primary school aged child to have the planning foresight to schedule it all. So I suspect she is responding to external encouragement and/or influences and that you make it all happen for her, not that she does it all off her own bat. I actually believe that hand on heart most children do not want to do many extra-curricular activities, but crave time to climb trees, ride bikes with friends, play all day after school in the park with Mummy & friends, bake cakes at home, watch movies as a family etc etc. At least until they turn 12.

studentgirl_2

well i think if you have the money around its a good thing to spend it on.
just to say that my son atteneds a state school and is on the goverment gifted regester. I dont think its the school, its the kids, the teacher, the parents, the home life I could go on and on.

Lunar_Eclipse

natalie1974 wrote: »

Well I left home at 8am this morning ,stopped at the shop for 5 mins ,

Ha - we're just getting up then!

EastEnders?! I thought she was only 8 or 9? I'm sure you mentioned Brownies in an earlier post. Maybe I've confused you with someone else.

Red_Elle

I went from private boarding school to public school.
I detested boarding school, but refused to tell my Parents because I knew how much they'd spent sending me there. They had no idea I was miserable until I couldn't take it anymore.

I'm sure that's not always the case, but I felt a tremendous amount of responsibility having had them pay for me to go there.

Additionally, I was top of the class in almost every subject at private school (except for chemistry!). When I went to public school I was still in top sets and I did well at GCSE's, but I was by no means the smartest. The kids there were a lot more intelligent than those at boarding school (I felt that it didn't matter how intelligent you were there; as long as your Parents had enough money, they could buy you a place)

From a child's point of view, and every school will be different, boarding school didn't show me how to live in the real world. You're ferried around in everything that you do and I began a much more normal life when I left!

Igottawii!!

I have just enjoyed reading the various opinions expressed in this thread but had to comment (totally OT!) having read this

natalie1974 wrote: »

... has just done her homework , is finishing watching Eastenders and will go to bed in a few minutes

Didn't you mention your DD is Yr 3, making her 8 years old? Do you really consider Eastenders suitable for viewing by an 8 year old :eek: ?

natalie1974

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

Ha - we're just getting up then!

EastEnders?! I thought she was only 8 or 9? I'm sure you mentioned Brownies in an earlier post. Maybe I've confused you with someone else.

Yeah she is 8 , why , do you think she shouldn't be watching it ? Just curious . Her school starts at 8.45am so even she went round the corner we would still have been up since 7.30am . Its far from military , if I am running late , which I often am , or sat in traffic then she turns up at school when she turns up and doesn't have to answer to anybody .

natalie1974

Igottawii!! wrote: »

I have just enjoyed reading the various opinions expressed in this thread but had to comment (totally OT!) having read this
Didn't you mention your DD is Yr 3, making her 8 years old? My son is that age (and goes to bed by 8pm) DD2 is 10 and DD1 is 16. Do you really consider Eastenders suitable for viewing by an 8 year old :eek: ? Only my 16 year old is allowed to watch it as I consider her mature enough to cope with the fiction.

Yeah , why , what's wrong with it , it covers every day life . I would have been 10 or 11 when it first came on our screens and I have watched it from the beginning .

Igottawii!!

natalie1974 wrote: »

Yeah , why , what's wrong with it , it covers every day life . I would have been 10 or 11 when it first came on our screens and I have watched it from the beginning .

:eek: Everyday life?! I'm glad I don't live where you do! :rolleyes: