Private schools, times a changing?
Discussion
I seem to remember there was a thread run on here maybe a year or so back that talked a little about schools and there were some interesting viewpoints on the matter, I am in a fortunate position to be able to pay for school but the more I read the more I wonder whether it is really worth it..
I was reading again recently about the school in East London - https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/oxford-cambridg... - that had got more people into Oxbridge than Eton, and have also since been looking at various school websites etc that have all sorts of financial help and what not for those coming from state primaries and the like. Going as far even to have people visiting the more deprived schools to spread the word that if you're smart enough, then we will pay for your schooling here, that sort of message.
It got me thinking, are the times changing somewhat on paid for schools and actually top universities (which after all is arguably one of the key 'purposes' of paying for school to that point) are looking to have a much more diverse intake of people than ever before and possibly even targeting those from more humble backgrounds than the usual suspects?
For those that have sent their kids to a fee paying school, would you do it again based on the potential shift I mention? And for those that went themselves, if you have kids, or when your kids are of that age, will you look to send them?
I was reading again recently about the school in East London - https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/oxford-cambridg... - that had got more people into Oxbridge than Eton, and have also since been looking at various school websites etc that have all sorts of financial help and what not for those coming from state primaries and the like. Going as far even to have people visiting the more deprived schools to spread the word that if you're smart enough, then we will pay for your schooling here, that sort of message.
It got me thinking, are the times changing somewhat on paid for schools and actually top universities (which after all is arguably one of the key 'purposes' of paying for school to that point) are looking to have a much more diverse intake of people than ever before and possibly even targeting those from more humble backgrounds than the usual suspects?
For those that have sent their kids to a fee paying school, would you do it again based on the potential shift I mention? And for those that went themselves, if you have kids, or when your kids are of that age, will you look to send them?
Challo said:
My friends wife recently started working at a private school (3-16) as a teacher. Due to the discounts they provide staff members they have decided to transfer their two daughters across from the local primary. They only started in September so unsure long term if they will have a better education.
He has mentioned though that the class sizes are 50% smaller, and the options the kids have in terms of sports, IT, school trips far exceeds what they could have got at the local state primary.
While private school doesn't guarantee you a better education, it defiantly would give you a better start in life.
I think this is what powers my positive thoughts towards it. More exposure to a greater number of things and more attention all the while, and of course the ability to get rid of kids if they're a pain.He has mentioned though that the class sizes are 50% smaller, and the options the kids have in terms of sports, IT, school trips far exceeds what they could have got at the local state primary.
While private school doesn't guarantee you a better education, it defiantly would give you a better start in life.
The problem being as picked up my Warlock is that some state schools are great, some are atrocious. London generally picks up the a huge cross section of society in just a few hundred meters. And you can bet that even a small number of trouble makers will drag the rest down vs being dragged up by the rest.
My state primary had fewer than 100 pupils and we got to piggyback all of the facilities that the very large and expensive private school over the road had. Seemed best of both worlds really. But not so easy to find those places in cities/larger towns. And of course the secondary I went to despite also being quite rural had 1200 people and drew from a large catchment, plenty of a
holes came with it.Pro's as I see them in answer to what am I looking to get from it.
- Better sport facilities
- Fewer problem kids (Live between Brixton and Clapham, so the bad ones are quite bad)
- Longer hours/better school clubs for working parents
- Positive learning environment / more chance of uncovering/nurturing talent
Cons
- Can be quite competitive and quite academic focussed (some of them interview 4 year olds to select if they want them..!)
- Inc nursery its £3-400k from reception > a levels
- Not very diverse, basically just loads of white kids with lawyers and bankers for fathers, mums that lunch. The opposite of what it's really like in London.
- Local state is 10 min walk, closest private option double that, and most are going to be a 10-15 min cycle
- Unless very bright/talented at something, I feel I'm part of a growing problem in the UK (c our politicians, two tier society type situation) and loads of average people just getting into well paying jobs because the face fits etc.
My wife and her two siblings all went to fee paying school, it was just seen as the norm and as such none of them really achieved academically. Equally, I didn't get any qualifications beyond some mediocre GCSE's and have done fine financially speaking (obviously not THE definitive measure, but it's pretty useful) so part of me thinks that you can do fine without a few fancy school/uni crests on your linkedin, but I should think that is confirmation bias a little.
- Better sport facilities
- Fewer problem kids (Live between Brixton and Clapham, so the bad ones are quite bad)
- Longer hours/better school clubs for working parents
- Positive learning environment / more chance of uncovering/nurturing talent
Cons
- Can be quite competitive and quite academic focussed (some of them interview 4 year olds to select if they want them..!)
- Inc nursery its £3-400k from reception > a levels
- Not very diverse, basically just loads of white kids with lawyers and bankers for fathers, mums that lunch. The opposite of what it's really like in London.
- Local state is 10 min walk, closest private option double that, and most are going to be a 10-15 min cycle
- Unless very bright/talented at something, I feel I'm part of a growing problem in the UK (c our politicians, two tier society type situation) and loads of average people just getting into well paying jobs because the face fits etc.
My wife and her two siblings all went to fee paying school, it was just seen as the norm and as such none of them really achieved academically. Equally, I didn't get any qualifications beyond some mediocre GCSE's and have done fine financially speaking (obviously not THE definitive measure, but it's pretty useful) so part of me thinks that you can do fine without a few fancy school/uni crests on your linkedin, but I should think that is confirmation bias a little.
Edited by okgo on Monday 25th October 17:17
Edited by okgo on Monday 25th October 17:19
Interesting stuff re confidence. I think some of this can be learned also, and for boys even being in a sports club can help with confidence and being able to speak to people from all manner of backgrounds as you have a common leveller. If you're good at a sport then that makes life very easy in that regard, IMO. But I can see the advantage of that being a daily thing and of course if you can't hang your hat on something such as sport then it could be more difficult without a school that can help in this regard.
Re streetwise, I think this can again be learned, I'm from rural hampshire and haven't been mugged in Brixton yet, and by virtue of my kids growing up around that sort of area I think that'll just be par for the course. But I know what you mean, I've a few mates who live in Teddington and the kids round there try and make themselves sound more 'london gang' than the actual ones that are in London gangs, and of course go home to a nice house at the end of the day
One thing that I felt never happened in any meaningful way (it may be because I paid zero attention to anything mind you) was advice on careers, what existed, how you might end up in x or y. It was very binary and if you'd listened to the careers advice of my school there were about 5 jobs you could do in the whole country, fireman, doctor, policeman, lawyer etc - it took me years of just trying loads of jobs to sort of settle on something and make a go of it, I feel that is one thing I'd like to think this might help with.
I think it's possible I've not considered the school years as anything much beyond prep for going to a decent uni, which is clearly pretty silly, which is why I've always thought what is the point of doing all that only to go to a Uni that anyone could get into, to then get a job that anyone could get. Again this shaped from my own failings no doubt.
Re streetwise, I think this can again be learned, I'm from rural hampshire and haven't been mugged in Brixton yet, and by virtue of my kids growing up around that sort of area I think that'll just be par for the course. But I know what you mean, I've a few mates who live in Teddington and the kids round there try and make themselves sound more 'london gang' than the actual ones that are in London gangs, and of course go home to a nice house at the end of the day
One thing that I felt never happened in any meaningful way (it may be because I paid zero attention to anything mind you) was advice on careers, what existed, how you might end up in x or y. It was very binary and if you'd listened to the careers advice of my school there were about 5 jobs you could do in the whole country, fireman, doctor, policeman, lawyer etc - it took me years of just trying loads of jobs to sort of settle on something and make a go of it, I feel that is one thing I'd like to think this might help with.
I think it's possible I've not considered the school years as anything much beyond prep for going to a decent uni, which is clearly pretty silly, which is why I've always thought what is the point of doing all that only to go to a Uni that anyone could get into, to then get a job that anyone could get. Again this shaped from my own failings no doubt.
I think my best bet will be visiting them to get a feel, both private and the couple of states on my radar, and then obviously monitoring any decision I do make. I'm very sporty and not particularly academic, I'd have been far happier at the local private school (Lord Wandsworth) than the state, because despite my school actually having most things you could want for a state there just was not enough time in the week to do as much sport as I wanted - partly because the place finished at 2.20pm, so the importance of happiness is not overlooked.
It does feel as Stick Legs said a little though, the only currency the local schools at junior level have to trade on is what senior schools they got the kids into. And most of them are obviously quite academically focussed which does I think tend to lead to pushing everyone to be everything, when that is clearly not going to work.
I also 100% can see PhiboSE points, mostly about the bad rep potentially 98% of the fee paying sector get because of the few (Boris and co haven't helped!).
It does feel as Stick Legs said a little though, the only currency the local schools at junior level have to trade on is what senior schools they got the kids into. And most of them are obviously quite academically focussed which does I think tend to lead to pushing everyone to be everything, when that is clearly not going to work.
I also 100% can see PhiboSE points, mostly about the bad rep potentially 98% of the fee paying sector get because of the few (Boris and co haven't helped!).
Makes good sense yes. People travel for miles to go to schools like Tiffin in Kingston because it's obviously very good, and free. But we're not going to be moving house anytime soon, not least because the costs in doing so probably would pay for a large chunk of school anyway, and I'd be moving before I wanted to. Potentially it is an option for secondary, but tbh I have little interest living in Bucks or Kent which is where all the decent ones seem to be!
Edited by okgo on Tuesday 26th October 16:00
Yes. Registered for Thomas’s (Clapham as it’s closer) and have noted Dulwich Prep and Alleyns (JAGS jnr is girls I think?). Also registered at Eaton House which is the absolute closest. Barnes is a bit too far IMO. Not sure how wild I am on single sex education though.
Secondary wise I think possibly will be out of London by that point but maybe not, should have bought a house in Dulwich but I placed the annoyance of the st trains too highly
Obviously all of those secondary’s are for people who are not thick. So time will tell.
All of the above are cheaper than nursery 5 days a week. That’s the world we live in. Bonkers.
Secondary wise I think possibly will be out of London by that point but maybe not, should have bought a house in Dulwich but I placed the annoyance of the s
t trains too highly Obviously all of those secondary’s are for people who are not thick. So time will tell.
All of the above are cheaper than nursery 5 days a week. That’s the world we live in. Bonkers.
brickwall said:
They’re all selective (Dulwich Prep and St Pauls Juniors certainly very much so). They have insane exit stats that they like to protect.
The schools are quite good at nudging weaker kids out as they progress through (eg recommending transfer to secondary at 11 rather than 13 to secure best outcome) - however this still represents <10% of a year.
By and large if you’re in at age 6 then you are pretty much guaranteed entry to a decent public school at 11/13….just a question of which one and whether the kid wins a scholarship.
But whilst the primaries/preps are very selective, with entry at age 4 or 5 there’s not much last minute tutoring can do to help get in…it’s all on the parents from age <1 (and how fundamentally clever the kids are).
Ah yes, I meant Eaton House was not, as far as I can see I have a spot there if required. But yes to the others, I think Barnes is a little far though, impossible to get to without cycling there really.The schools are quite good at nudging weaker kids out as they progress through (eg recommending transfer to secondary at 11 rather than 13 to secure best outcome) - however this still represents <10% of a year.
By and large if you’re in at age 6 then you are pretty much guaranteed entry to a decent public school at 11/13….just a question of which one and whether the kid wins a scholarship.
But whilst the primaries/preps are very selective, with entry at age 4 or 5 there’s not much last minute tutoring can do to help get in…it’s all on the parents from age <1 (and how fundamentally clever the kids are).
I think we'd be aiming at 4/5 rather than 6 if we do it - but take your point, I've read a fair bit about that intake and it seems it is a bit of mystery as to what the criteria is, obviously given a 4 year old can only do so much! As you can imagine nappy valley/mumsnet is awash with stories etc.
Yep.
It's interesting hearing how different it is outside of London, which I suppose talks to the stats (25% of all of the fee paying school kids in the UK are in London), and how it is negative in some ways, but quite positive in another. I think the negatives are the competition for places (I just about registered in time for Thomas's for example, my son is 16.5 months old...), the fact that all of the kids at such schools likely have a tutor outside of school making competition even more tough, and obviously there will be an untold amount of pushy parents as there is in any vaguely wealthy enclave, I should think I won't fit in given I don't work in finance
But on the positive side there's a large number to choose from, all within a couple of miles, so any friendships forged would be local most likely. The competition among the schools likely means that they have to stay on top of their game with facilities and care (the new Thomas's senior school looks like an impressive thing) which can only be a good thing for kids.
It's interesting hearing how different it is outside of London, which I suppose talks to the stats (25% of all of the fee paying school kids in the UK are in London), and how it is negative in some ways, but quite positive in another. I think the negatives are the competition for places (I just about registered in time for Thomas's for example, my son is 16.5 months old...), the fact that all of the kids at such schools likely have a tutor outside of school making competition even more tough, and obviously there will be an untold amount of pushy parents as there is in any vaguely wealthy enclave, I should think I won't fit in given I don't work in finance
But on the positive side there's a large number to choose from, all within a couple of miles, so any friendships forged would be local most likely. The competition among the schools likely means that they have to stay on top of their game with facilities and care (the new Thomas's senior school looks like an impressive thing) which can only be a good thing for kids.
BlackWidow13 said:
A word on this. When we looked at secondaries, and I am sure it has got worse since, the impression was that they they were vying with each other to make the school increasingly like a resort. The thinking seems to be that loaded parents will not want their offspring in anything but the best “hard” environment, or perhaps that loaded parents will want to relive schooling vicariously through their children.
It’s relatively easy to spend money on the hard product of education and as said upthread by many that part of it is something fee paying schools have always delivered. But by the end of our kids’ secondary education, given their reports to me of poor teachers and the turnover of staff, I was left wondering whether in some schools - even ones at the top of the tree - the eye is taken off the soft product of teaching quality because the hard product is easier to improve and impresses more overtly.
Makes good sense. I suppose recognizing the difference between the foundations/charities/commercial entities in the case of Thomas's is possibly telling and must have a significant impact in the the decision making of the schools in every area.It’s relatively easy to spend money on the hard product of education and as said upthread by many that part of it is something fee paying schools have always delivered. But by the end of our kids’ secondary education, given their reports to me of poor teachers and the turnover of staff, I was left wondering whether in some schools - even ones at the top of the tree - the eye is taken off the soft product of teaching quality because the hard product is easier to improve and impresses more overtly.
GT3Manthey said:
Having been through paying for private education I can see the benefits of doing exactly this.
I’ve got less than 2yrs remaining now.
I also see why some would take kids out of private when kids get to 6th form however as my daughter smashed her GCSE’s it would have been hard to suddenly pull her from the school she’s excelled at .
What are the benefits?I’ve got less than 2yrs remaining now.
I also see why some would take kids out of private when kids get to 6th form however as my daughter smashed her GCSE’s it would have been hard to suddenly pull her from the school she’s excelled at .
For me it doesn’t seem like the two things are even related beyond money, and that’s before you get to the ‘life lesson’ of buying someone a house straight up..
Wildcat45 said:
Like a lot of things, it depends .
I went to a fantastic state school, and I have two degrees post graduate and professional qualifications. I’ve not done badly in life.
A close friend the same age went to a top private school. He is a millionaire, with two stellar careers behind him. One being in the military.
We grew up in the same road, our family and social backgrounds are similar. Is his success down to the education or the fact that he’s brighter and more switched on than me? It’s the latter.
I think where state school fails is when the catchment area it covers tends to have more families with social problems. Peer group pressure and a general ethos to do well was important to me and I found school life pretty easy. It’s got to be harder coming out with great GCSEs when all your mates come from troubled backgrounds are ill disciplined don’t have respect and don’t want to learn.
Why make it harder for your kids to at least have the opportunity to do well?
Private education doesn’t guarantee success if the kid isn’t bright. A lad from where I grew up went to private school. He left with no qualifications, because he was just thick. No shame in being non academic, but I can’t help but think that had he gone to a state school if folks would have saved a bundle of cash and there may have been practical courses he’d have found useful.
I fear for my six year old niece. She’s my sister in laws kid and appears very bright. Top of her class in reading and maths. Her mum works hard, very hard. She’s bought her own home and is doing her very best. Sadly she lives in a dead end town devoid of hope and opportunity. I have collected the little girl from school a couple of times and have stood at the school gates with the “Mams” many of whom arrived in night clothes to pick up Demi-Lee, Tyler Jayden etc. Some decent folks there too, it has to be said.
What chance does my niece really have with contemporaries like this? As she gets older being a chav will be the norm. Kicking around in a run down coastal town where there is little hope and no dreams. She’s going to have to demonstrate exceptional resolve, resilience and commitment if she’s to come out of the education system with good qualifications. She will need to be the exception to the norm. My wife managed it. Coming from the same town which it has to be said was maybe a better place 20-30 years ago. She’s done brilliantly with post grad qualifications and a great career. But she’s a fighter. She instinctively goes against the norm. She liked being one of the 3 kids from her year who went on to 6th form and got out of the dead end town ASAP.
So what about my niece’S education? Either move to a better town which her mum can’t afford to do or won’t do or private school which she can’t afford. I have considered suggesting some sort of fiddle where we get her into our generally rather good local state school here. There is also a pretty good chance my wife’s side of the family are going to inherit a couple of hundred thousand in the next couple of years. I know my wife would happily forego her share to put with the rest to fund a private education.
All this is a rather long winded way of saying the decision about private or state is unique to every kid.
What you've described isn't even reserved for the more shabby parts of the UK, my secondary school was in a very wealthy Hampshire village, even there you had folk from the rougher (I laugh now having seen what Brixton's version of rough is vs Hants) areas that were never going to go on to to anything, lots of teen pregnancy, traveller type families etc. It happens everywhere. I suppose the difference is that there were success stories (Justin Rose and a fairly recent MP (not the landed gentry type) went to my school) that you could see. A state school in the wrong part of South London is going to have none of that and being in a gang, or a rapper is the hope of a lot of kids, not great. I went to a fantastic state school, and I have two degrees post graduate and professional qualifications. I’ve not done badly in life.
A close friend the same age went to a top private school. He is a millionaire, with two stellar careers behind him. One being in the military.
We grew up in the same road, our family and social backgrounds are similar. Is his success down to the education or the fact that he’s brighter and more switched on than me? It’s the latter.
I think where state school fails is when the catchment area it covers tends to have more families with social problems. Peer group pressure and a general ethos to do well was important to me and I found school life pretty easy. It’s got to be harder coming out with great GCSEs when all your mates come from troubled backgrounds are ill disciplined don’t have respect and don’t want to learn.
Why make it harder for your kids to at least have the opportunity to do well?
Private education doesn’t guarantee success if the kid isn’t bright. A lad from where I grew up went to private school. He left with no qualifications, because he was just thick. No shame in being non academic, but I can’t help but think that had he gone to a state school if folks would have saved a bundle of cash and there may have been practical courses he’d have found useful.
I fear for my six year old niece. She’s my sister in laws kid and appears very bright. Top of her class in reading and maths. Her mum works hard, very hard. She’s bought her own home and is doing her very best. Sadly she lives in a dead end town devoid of hope and opportunity. I have collected the little girl from school a couple of times and have stood at the school gates with the “Mams” many of whom arrived in night clothes to pick up Demi-Lee, Tyler Jayden etc. Some decent folks there too, it has to be said.
What chance does my niece really have with contemporaries like this? As she gets older being a chav will be the norm. Kicking around in a run down coastal town where there is little hope and no dreams. She’s going to have to demonstrate exceptional resolve, resilience and commitment if she’s to come out of the education system with good qualifications. She will need to be the exception to the norm. My wife managed it. Coming from the same town which it has to be said was maybe a better place 20-30 years ago. She’s done brilliantly with post grad qualifications and a great career. But she’s a fighter. She instinctively goes against the norm. She liked being one of the 3 kids from her year who went on to 6th form and got out of the dead end town ASAP.
So what about my niece’S education? Either move to a better town which her mum can’t afford to do or won’t do or private school which she can’t afford. I have considered suggesting some sort of fiddle where we get her into our generally rather good local state school here. There is also a pretty good chance my wife’s side of the family are going to inherit a couple of hundred thousand in the next couple of years. I know my wife would happily forego her share to put with the rest to fund a private education.
All this is a rather long winded way of saying the decision about private or state is unique to every kid.
While I get I'm the one asking questions of people, it has to be said, why doesn't your sister in law think about scholarships/bursaries etc (I think the difference is one is attached to merit in a subject, the other financial status?)? If the child is very smart, and they don't have much money, isn't this exactly what great schools will offer for people like that? Or a grammar of course if that is such a thing locally?
Bobajobbob said:
Where I do think private schools need to innovate is in the transition away from the traditional work environment and preparing private school kids for the civil service and vocational 9 - 5 jobs. They need to adjust and promote more entrepreneurial futures to allow children to better compete with the rest of the world.
All the time that it requires one of a few types of job to afford to send a kid, that's what they'll be gearing towards as the end product I dare say.I agree on the latter point, though do notice a large proportion of the CEO's and founders in my space (technology) are often product of Oxbridge.
AstonZagato said:
Confidence and the ability to talk well do seem to be linked with private schools - though it may be that the parents most capable of sending their children to private schools will also be confident and speak well. I wouldn't care what background my staff come from but the ability to communicate well with others, particularly important clients, is a prerequisite.
It'll be linked to location, also. All of the guys I went to school with have no regional accent, all well spoken, most of their parents the same too, though not all kids in the school fitted that mould, the majority did. That's what you get in well to do Hampshire/Surrey/Bucks/etc etc. I'm sure most of that will be very different elsewhere in the country, and VERY different where I live now.I agree with you entirely, though, most of the reason I can afford to have the choice is down to exactly that (because I have no qualifications to lean on), and an ability to interview well, which I suppose is an extension of the above.It is on my list, the only issue being with that that it is 3 miles or so from mine, in the wrong direction. I note all of the Dulwich Schools have the foundation bus service which has a stop 1 minute from my house, though I have no idea what age is acceptable to put a kid on a school bus alone in London, pretty sure I was on a school bus from day 1 in primary school, but I'm sure it is different here.
Have heard from others that it is well regarded and the facilities look great.
Interesting you mention nursery, I think we would only consider reception, school based nursery hours are not good enough, both my wife and I work and our current nursery along with being great is 8-6 which is useful, I'm trying to put off school as long as possible given the laughable hours! That said, it seems there's FAR more places, as you said, quite an interesting observation. 150 spots in the nursery vs 30 places in the reception year! Though I suppose half are girls which then go elsewhere.
Have heard from others that it is well regarded and the facilities look great.
Interesting you mention nursery, I think we would only consider reception, school based nursery hours are not good enough, both my wife and I work and our current nursery along with being great is 8-6 which is useful, I'm trying to put off school as long as possible given the laughable hours! That said, it seems there's FAR more places, as you said, quite an interesting observation. 150 spots in the nursery vs 30 places in the reception year! Though I suppose half are girls which then go elsewhere.
Edited by okgo on Tuesday 9th November 17:34
Shaoxter said:
I live 7 miles away... The school bus starts from year 3 so I only have to endure 2.5 more years of school runs. Covid and working from home has been a real blessing in that regard, not sure we would have sent him there if we were still both doing 5 days a week in the office.
I don't think it's 150 places, it's more like 80 as they had 4 nursery classes this year. They have breakfast and after school clubs but most people tend to opt for nannies instead.
Crikey. I don't think it's 150 places, it's more like 80 as they had 4 nursery classes this year. They have breakfast and after school clubs but most people tend to opt for nannies instead.
How do you do that, out of interest? Also if I may ask, what drove that decision (was it first choice?) Because in 7 miles in either direction there’s some pretty amazing schools too (maybe with the exception of E London).
My other issue I think also is long term I don’t want to be in London, but if for example he got in to junior and subsequently senior school at Alleyns let’s say I’d be hard pushed to leave, that puts me at 50 still here!
It has been a while since I started this thread but since then I've visited 3-4 schools (with another 3 I'm yet to see). So far only one has been a state school, the difference was night and day, sadly.
Even little things like arranging a visit, the emails you get from any of the paid options are perfectly written and you get punctual replies. The state school gave us 10 hours notice of a viewing, and the email was like a text you'd write to a mate in a hurry while doing something else. Upon visiting the state, it didn't really change as I expected - mixed year groups together in the same class, so you could have a two year gulf between oldest and youngest in the class. The library was about the size of one of my bathrooms, felt a bit chaotic in the class rooms with 30 or so kids. It is a shame as the head who showed us round was a nice bloke, and clearly doing the best with what he had, it just seemed so blatantly unfair when compared with the private options I've seen. But this is going to be the reality in inner London, the chasm never more obvious than round here I expect.
With the privates the ongoing theme is that they're not that diverse, in an area that is probably not far off 50/50 white british/other I have seen only one black kid of hundreds so far, eye opening - many of the staff a bit jolly hockey sticks though some better than others in that regard. Class sizes/facilities/confident kids (we were shown around by a 12 year old this morning for the first 10 minutes, not phased by a group of 10 adults asking him questions that he'd never met) etc so much in-line with what has been said in this thread.
A few of the parents using our nursery have begun going to church to get into the well rated catholic school in the area, not something I'm interested in, but I can see the appeal. As I've said elsewhere on the forum, all the schools seen are still cheaper than a 2 year old going to nursery
Even little things like arranging a visit, the emails you get from any of the paid options are perfectly written and you get punctual replies. The state school gave us 10 hours notice of a viewing, and the email was like a text you'd write to a mate in a hurry while doing something else. Upon visiting the state, it didn't really change as I expected - mixed year groups together in the same class, so you could have a two year gulf between oldest and youngest in the class. The library was about the size of one of my bathrooms, felt a bit chaotic in the class rooms with 30 or so kids. It is a shame as the head who showed us round was a nice bloke, and clearly doing the best with what he had, it just seemed so blatantly unfair when compared with the private options I've seen. But this is going to be the reality in inner London, the chasm never more obvious than round here I expect.
With the privates the ongoing theme is that they're not that diverse, in an area that is probably not far off 50/50 white british/other I have seen only one black kid of hundreds so far, eye opening - many of the staff a bit jolly hockey sticks though some better than others in that regard. Class sizes/facilities/confident kids (we were shown around by a 12 year old this morning for the first 10 minutes, not phased by a group of 10 adults asking him questions that he'd never met) etc so much in-line with what has been said in this thread.
A few of the parents using our nursery have begun going to church to get into the well rated catholic school in the area, not something I'm interested in, but I can see the appeal. As I've said elsewhere on the forum, all the schools seen are still cheaper than a 2 year old going to nursery
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