Am I the only one that does this?

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2outof3
Posts: 331
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2009 3:21 pm

Am I the only one that does this?

Post by 2outof3 »

I've recently found myself searching through the websites of various independent schools (which we absolutely cannot afford) just to look at all the amazing facilities they have :?

I suppose it is a sort of masochism, but I would rather compare it to those people who pretend they are looking to buy a very expensive house but are actually just being nosey and want to see how "the other half" live :lol:

I fully appreciate that a school is soooooo much more than its facilities, but I can't help but let out a little sigh when I see those swimming pools, sports halls, drama studios, theatres :shock: and more......... particularly when I know how much my own DC would relish having the opportunity to use them all.

This isn't supposed to start a discussion about the pros and cons of independent v state by the way (there are many things I dislike about both systems!) but I was hoping that I'm not the only sad person on this forum that sometimes can't help themselves :mrgreen:
faitaccompli
Posts: 357
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2011 6:44 pm

Re: Am I the only one that does this?

Post by faitaccompli »

Just been doing that all morning. However, I was amazed that so many of them insist the children have all day school on Saturday. I really am not keen on that idea. I am a single mother and I know his father would have a blue fit if I told him he could only see his DS on a Sunday!
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Am I the only one that does this?

Post by mystery »

I went to an independent school which until recently would not have looked great in the glossy brochures. I took my DH round it when I was leaving my hometown and he was surprised that anyone would pay for it. So the facilities were not my vision of independent education; my vision was bright children extremely interested in learning and teachers who were extremely knowledgeable and interested in their subject and wishing to convey that to children.

Now roll on a few years, living in the south-east, and every independent school brochure I see seems to be about the facilities, the gourmet lunches etc. They are more like the brochures that I read for wedding venues than school prospectuses. It doesn't make me feel bad that my children are missing out on the facilities; the prospectuses make me want to get a bucket out!! :oops: Hope that makes you feel better!!
Waiting_For_Godot
Posts: 1446
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2010 1:57 pm

Re: Am I the only one that does this?

Post by Waiting_For_Godot »

Your children aren't missing out, only a small percentage get access to these facilities. At DS1's current school they use the swimming pool for one term :? and not everyone gets access to all the facilities - some of it is a big con. Then you get the child that would rather sit in the library reading and they could have done that at a state school. FWIW, Purcell have the worst facilities (they don't have any) that I've ever seen!
um
Posts: 2378
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 1:06 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: Am I the only one that does this?

Post by um »

lol this made me laugh as it reminds me of ds2 who sits on Rightmove looking at £2m houses (with huge gardens, swimming pools, cinemas etc :roll: )and persuading his siblings to all club together so they can 'share' one when they're older :lol:

He has asked me what job he'd have to do to buy one but my careers advice is a bit limited to deal with that question.
A criminal or a banker maybe? (Or are the terms now interchangeable :lol: )
scarlett
Posts: 3664
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:22 am

Re: Am I the only one that does this?

Post by scarlett »

um..that reminds me of DD who regularly looks through the property websites looking for a house which might have some kind of animal in the background because apparently they come with the property :lol:

I work in a swish brand new hospital which everyone admires as it has single en suite rooms and so is " like a private hospital " however this hospital does have a private ward and I was talking to a doctor the other day who works there wondering what the difference was. He said nothing much ...just a better quality flooring oh and fluffy hand towels ( for the staff ) :shock: The only real difference is that there are LESS staff to patients which you'd have to call a biggy really...and not one you'd want to spend thousands on. So yes, perhaps you need to take a closer look sometimes , and wonder if they are things you can provide outside of school anyway ?
scary mum
Posts: 8840
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: Am I the only one that does this?

Post by scary mum »

current school they use the swimming pool for one term
DD was at an indie for 3 years. I think she went in the lovely pool about 10 times - she had one block of 8 weeks of swimming each year, but it always fell across inset days, trips etc so she wore her expensive swimming costume a few times each year before growing out of it and having to have another one. I presume if you were a good swimmer and lived nearby and so could go the the after school club you might get picked for the team and do more. DD could have been a good swimmer but there was never the opportunity to show it. The library was very good and she used that a lot :). And the grounds and buildings were nice. The food was AWFUL!
scary mum
Reading Mum
Posts: 1841
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2011 9:44 am
Location: Reading

Re: Am I the only one that does this?

Post by Reading Mum »

my DD's Indie is a 3-18 one and she is now in yr5. In yr 1 (I think) they started doing weekly swim lessons year round at the pool in the senior school (down the road). It seems such a missed opportunity to not extend use of all (appropriate) facilities to all pupils.
mike1880
Posts: 2563
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 10:51 pm

Re: Am I the only one that does this?

Post by mike1880 »

To our son's immense delight and relief, he's just been allowed to give up rugby and now has two sessions a week in the school swimming pool instead.

Mike
hermanmunster
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Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Am I the only one that does this?

Post by hermanmunster »

Waiting_For_Godot wrote:Your children aren't missing out, only a small percentage get access to these facilities. At DS1's current school they use the swimming pool for one term :? and not everyone gets access to all the facilities - some of it is a big con. Then you get the child that would rather sit in the library reading and they could have done that at a state school. FWIW, Purcell have the worst facilities (they don't have any) that I've ever seen!
:lol: know what you mean. Often think it is the parents that like the facilities rather than the kids!!

My kids went to a private primary (up to age 11) - people who ran it opted to hire facilities rather than manage the long term upkeep of such things, so the kids went to local swimming pool on a coach for lessons, they paid the local cricket club a retainer to use their sports field / cricket pitch, the local sports hall for some afternoons a week and the village hall for extra dancing / drama space. Helped with being part of the local community and supported village facilities .... and kept the fees down do a more attractive level.
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