Did you go to a Public (fee paying) school?

[Tyre Smoke]

I'm about to send my son (in September) to Wellington Junior School. I went to Truro School and can honestly say I loved it.
We had a look around Wellington and Joe had a taster day and he loved it. The whole feel of the place was much more relaxed. The staff held his hand (he is only 6) which they are not permitted to do in his current state school (which is not a bad school)to make him feel at home as they took him to class.
I am so excited about sending him to Wellington, I can see just how much he will benefit both as a person and academically.

Edited by Tyre Smoke on Tuesday 13th July 11:30

[Tom_C76]

I went to a fee paying secondary, mainly due to the appalling local comp, but it certainly wasn't a Public school.

Not sure about the merits of private primary education though, I sort of feel that it's important at that stage to mix with a broad cross-section of the local kids, and that the overall experience is more important than the academic side.

[anonymous-user]

Yes.


I actually live about 5 miles from Wellington School too.

Did you not consider Blundells, Taunton School, Queens etc??

[Arese]

What I've never understood (probably because I went to a normal school) is the difference between a private school and a public school?

Aren't they both just independent non-government funded schools? Enlighten me.

Edited by Arese on Tuesday 13th July 11:57

[lawrence567]

I went to a private family run primary school.
There was only about 6 people in a year & the whole school was in a large victorian house.
Practically everybody who took the 11+ passed & went onto the Grammar schools.
I went to the local Grammar, but left after the second year as it was a 45min each way journey & as we live in the middle of nowhere it was a real drain.
I changed to a more local private school (Trinity).
This was mixed & had people from all sorts of places.
China, Russia, Japan, Korea, France, Germany, Spain, USA, Canada, Germany, Holland, Sweden, etc etc you get the jist.

[Tyre Smoke]

champ54321 said:

Yes.


I actually live about 5 miles from Wellington School too.

Did you not consider Blundells, Taunton School, Queens etc??

So do we!

Yes, I considered Blundells, but too snooty. Taunton and Queens are that much further away from us and certainly (IMHO) no better than Wellington.

[okgo]

Did a bit of both. Much for muchness really.

[sday12]

Worst I have more money that yaw thread ever.

[Bill]

Arese said:

What I've never understood (probably because I went to a normal school) is the difference between a private school and a public school?

Aren't they both just independent non-government funded schools? Enlighten me.

A public school is a private school but a private school isn't necessarily a public school.

HTH

[Tyre Smoke]

Arese said:

What I've never understood (probably because I went to a normal school) is the difference between a private school and a public school?

Aren't they both just independent non-government funded schools? Enlighten me.

Edited by Arese on Tuesday 13th July 11:57

Ummm. I think you are right and there is just that odd situation with the opposites meaning the same thing. Public and Private that is.

[Tyre Smoke]

sday12 said:

Worst I have more money that yaw thread ever.

I was so afraid of this.

We are going to have to make some sacrifices to send him. Might have to only have two holidays a year........

Edited by Tyre Smoke on Tuesday 13th July 12:06

[Pothole]

Tyre Smoke said:

Arese said:

What I've never understood (probably because I went to a normal school) is the difference between a private school and a public school?

Aren't they both just independent non-government funded schools? Enlighten me.

Edited by Arese on Tuesday 13th July 11:57

Ummm. I think you are right and there is just that odd situation with the opposites meaning the same thing. Public and Private that is.

traditionally a private school was one to which you had to be invited (or your parents had to be invited to send you, either by actual invitation or by their membership of a guild/society/ professional body etc.) and a public school was open to anyone who could be paid for.

[anonymous-user]

Tyre Smoke said:

champ54321 said:

Yes.


I actually live about 5 miles from Wellington School too.

Did you not consider Blundells, Taunton School, Queens etc??

So do we!

Yes, I considered Blundells, but too snooty. Taunton and Queens are that much further away from us and certainly (IMHO) no better than Wellington.

I went to Kings Hall, then Wellington and then Taunton School

Kings Hall was superb

Wellington was also great

Taunton not so much

The only thing I would say (and I assume due to your proximity you would be doing) is send him as a day pupil rather than a border

I think the education I recieved not just academia but the life lessons were second to none and I wouldn't hesitate to do the same if I ever have children

[ShadownINja]

lawrence567 said:

There was only about 6 people

It's a better quality of education, I tells ya.

[williamp]

I thought these days the difference between a public and private school is that one makes a profit from the teaching, the other doesnt? they are essentially the same thing.

My wife went to one

[Jasandjules]

Nope. My parents couldn't even afford to send me on the c&&&y school trips my Comprehensive offered, let alone pay fees.

[james_gt3rs]

Local comp for me. I'm surprised by how many went to a fee paying school so far!

[Pothole]

NB I only went because all your parents/grandparents paid for it with their taxes (thanks very much) My Dad worked for the FCO and got fees paid, but fees only, so I didn't go on many trips either!

[8400rpm]

Jasandjules said:

Nope. My parents couldn't even afford to send me on the c&&&y school trips my Comprehensive offered, let alone pay fees.

Likewise.

[anonymous-user]

williamp said:

I thought these days the difference between a public and private school is that one makes a profit from the teaching, the other doesnt? they are essentially the same thing.

My wife went to one

I'm not sure on the current state of affairs

The differences when I attended were:

Class Size - At Kings and Wellington the average class size was 16-20, compare this to my local secondary school where it was on average 30

Education - Not only were the pass rates much higher you got an all around education, in my school you walked into the classroom and stood in silence behind your desk until you were told to take your seat, again friends in my local secondary would regularly get suspended for swearing at teachers, drugs etc

Diversity - We had a lot of foreign students at our school, their parents were based in Singapore, Hong Kong etc, this gave me an early introduction to other cultures

Subjects - We were taught Latin which I honestly believe is the reason why I find a lot of languages fairly easy to pick up

Sports - The level of sports education was second to none, when you are playing places like Millfield it has to be and there is a lot of pride involved, we also had a guest appearance from professionals who had come through our school