The school debate - Independent vs State
I'm a planner so when the time came to choose a primary school I started doing my research. I started looking not just 1 but 2 years in advance (I know I know!) I had a spreadsheet of the local state schools results for the past 5 years and every school we visited I made detailed notes about what they had on offer.
All the state schools were good and there was lots on offer but found there wasn't a HUGE difference between the state schools that we saw (We are lucky to have quite a number of great state schools in our catchment). So even though it had never been a consideration I decided to visit an independent fee paying school JUST to see how much more (if anything) it had to offer than the state schools.
Well....... 5 minutes into the visit and I was imagining my child in the uniform wearing the little straw hat, working out how long the morning drop off would take and telling myself that the fees are not THAT much more than the nursery fees we are already paying!!!
It's not that the state schools didn't impress me but independent school (at least this one anyway) there was a noticeable difference. The children were so confident, articulate and refined (but not snobby), the atmosphere of learning and engagement in classes - even in preschool was impressive (but the teachers have less to do with classes a third smaller than state) and the extra curricular activities and opportunities were incredible (there were lessons for instruments and sports I had not even heard of!) and it goes without saying that the quality of work and results were outstanding.
So done deal right? Well no! When the rose tinted glasses came off I thought about it a bit more. If it wasn't for the fees it would be a no-brainer BUT there are fees to pay and whilst they are sort of comparable to nursery fees they go up year on year, plus there a big jump in cost at end of infants and again at secondary. The extra curricular activities are - just that - extra, not to mention the pre and after school care fees and on top of that there are the trips and events and the uniform. Their pure wool blazer for a 4 year old is £70!!!😱 (£70 for an item of clothing they will probably grow out of in less than a year and probably wear on a handful of occasions). And then when I thought about fees for child number 2 (and possibly even number 3 which there are no plans for but it could happen!) we’re talking mega bucks!!
I thought about all the potential things the fee money could be spent on instead... activities to broaden their abilities like tennis coaching, drama and music lessons, tutoring if they need that extra academic push and trips out to trampolining parks, museums, galleries, theme parks just to have fun. Then I thought about all the potential sacrifices we would have to make as a family...fewer holidays, saying bye to the the possibility of quitting work and merely entertaining getting a bigger house....no chance!!
SO for now I'm more than happy to send my lil one to state and avoid that huge hole in my pocket but I haven't ruled it out entirely as I believe private schools are on average 'better' that state schools (but I guess they have to be otherwise how can they justify charging the fees). But for me the the jury's still out as to whether the fees are WORTH IT?. What are your thoughts and experience? Do you think private school is worth it? Is it better at primary or secondary age? Would you move your child from a state to private (or visa versa)? We (the Dare to Arise writers) had loads of debate just between us on this topic so would love to hear what you think in the comments...
SO for now I'm more than happy to send my lil one to state and avoid that huge hole in my pocket but I haven't ruled it out entirely as I believe private schools are on average 'better' that state schools (but I guess they have to be otherwise how can they justify charging the fees). But for me the the jury's still out as to whether the fees are WORTH IT?. What are your thoughts and experience? Do you think private school is worth it? Is it better at primary or secondary age? Would you move your child from a state to private (or visa versa)? We (the Dare to Arise writers) had loads of debate just between us on this topic so would love to hear what you think in the comments...
I think all schools state or private have good things to offer. Some privates aren’t worth the fee and some are. Just as some states could be harder to thrive in than others. Our children change so much so it’s really hard to find a school that continues to meet their needs...
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting 😊Although I think on average privates are better It’s definitely all about the individual school. I’m sure there are terrible privates just as there are really great states and yes completely agree with you it depends on your child and what their needs are.
DeleteI agree with what you say at the end. You can fill in the gaps better in a bespoke way by going to a good state school and supplementing the rest. Loads of kids went to my secondary school from various private prep schools and it didn’t correlate with who came out on top in terms of GCSEs Alevels and degrees.
ReplyDeleteAnd many of them at the prep school also had tutors.
If you got loads of dough and it’s secure forever, do the private school (and still supplement it with extra). If not just move to a nice area where state schools aren’t a joke (and do the extra)
DeleteHi Ainz, some good points and interesting that the primary private educated kids didn’t always do better than state educated. My only question is what about people who can’t move? Finding an extra £100k or getting a larger mortgage to move may be much harder than paying £12-15k on fees over the course of a year
I think it’s also about the contacts the kids make in independent schools and the exposure to a life that makes them dream big. Arguably you could say this gives them a sense of entitlement but that can be kept in check at home.
ReplyDeleteAt the Independent school I visited (Lish I think it was the same one 😝) the kids were particularly poised and confident, well spoken. Not to say you don’t get this in State schools but you are guaranteed this in Independent schools.
Yes I think it was the same school Linda (did the uniform in the pic give it away) 😁. I do agree that contacts is one of the benefits independent schools offer over state but I’m thinking that’s more important at secondary age rather than primary perhaps??
DeleteI think it’s also the ability to mix with all types of people and some groups of people you may not normally mix with in your usual circle, and being exposed to this at a very young age.
DeleteYes didn’t think of that actually. I guess the younger they are exposed to it the more natural it becomes
DeleteI think these are all very valid points. I also think that school choices are very individual. Not just per family but also for each child, although granted multiple school drop offs won’t be a popular choice! I know a teacher who choose different paths for her two children. One went to a Grammar school and the other didn’t after she choose not to appeal the two points he needed to pass the exam. She also choose not to use tutors to prepare them and she didn’t want to create a “unrealistic” standard for her children to maintain after gaining admission to said Grammar school.
ReplyDeleteMental health has massive focus at the moment for very good reasons. Above everything their mental health and happiness should come first. If they aren’t happy they won’t thrive is any school... fee paying or not.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there. First and foremost your child’s wellbeing and happiness should be a deciding factor in which school you choose.
Delete@CA totally agree. I do worry that one child down the line may feel they didn’t get the same opportunities as the other. It’s a brave move.
DeletePrivate schools are on average better than state schools, there is no question about it. They are better funded hence tend to have the better facilities, the better teachers, and tend to have better results. The question/ debate is whether private school is right for your child. I believe it is good to surround children with as many opportunities as possible to allow them to find what they enjoy and give them the environment to excel at it. That is what private (and grammar schools) are good at.
ReplyDeleteHi Gordon, totally agree privates wouldn’t be in business if they weren’t generally better as who would bother pay fees. Oohhh...grammar schools that’s another hot topic and definitely think I’ll do a future article on those. Have u seen the recent BBC programme on grammar schools??
DeleteI agree with this sentiment.. "... believe it is good to surround children with as many opportunities as possible to allow them to find what they enjoy and give them the environment to excel at it." I think that is the general consensus when it comes to weighing up the pros and cons.. If both options were free I'm sure without a doubt that everyone would want to get their child(ren) into the private programme. So the main cons is the money side of things.. Question is whether you can really put a price on those benefits in monetary terms I guess.. If you can then it's likely that if you do not have the means you would opt for the choice that is less taxing on one's pockets.
ReplyDeleteI think the whole issue is a tricky one and when you hear about some of the horror stories about behaviour in state schools I can understand the worry parents have. This does not mean that there are no behaviour issues in private/grammar schools, it more than likely presents itself in a different way. If I was a parent I would look at my own education and look at where I am now. If you flourished in a state school, is there any reason your child would not? This is a huge topic to discuss but very important.
ReplyDelete