Private schools vs grammar

[Guest55]

Some of the Bucks GS do rowing - and to a high standard - also fencing offered at some.

[Paramjeet]

its common sense really, a 12-15k per year education rather than a state subsidied education. There will be a lot more choice of activity, facilities will be in better nick, overseas trips will be more exotic and so it continues. this is not a debate but a reality.

[Guest55]

Paramjeet - sorry you may be surprised by the options at some Bucks GS.

Don't assume that paying gets you better ... it's certainly not true around here.

[Jean.Brodie]

Hello DC17C! Your views will evolve and even change during Year 6. You will then find that, once a family has a couple of offers in its hands, the decision is usually straight forward. This is what happened with us.

As has already been said, so much depends on what schools are local to you. Also, what will suit your individual child best? Which peer group is most appropriate for them?

For example, in our case one of our wishes was that our child should attend a local school. (I commuted a lot as a child and was against it if at all avoidable.) We were also worried about a young girl travelling alone on public transport here in North London. Another wish was that we would go out of our way to support the state system.

Our final choice was between Henrietta Barnett School (State Grammar and nearby) and North London Collegiate School (private, expensive, with a private bus service). Our DD decided that HBS was harder to get into, therefore more prestigious, and she loved the Year 7s she met there after Offer Day, they seemed like her crowd, completely 'normal'. NLCS seemed a world apart, mainly a different social class [my words]. (As Mum and Dad, we did not like the hard sell and the 'pressure' to write out the Deposit Cheque.) Nevertheless, I found it very hard to the send the e mail declining the NLCS offer because what they do well they do supremely well, albeit for around £150,000 over the 7 years (better extra curricular, more support for higher quality work experience and for the leading Uni faculties, partly through smaller class sizes in the senior years.)

[DC17C]

Thanks to all who have replied - the situation is DD is starting at a local girls GS in the next few weeks and is very happy with her choice -DD is already looking forward to extra Drama tuition with LAMDA exams, the extra curricular activities include rowing, ski club, ski trips, World Challenge D Of E etc.
I cannot think of any reason to change our plans.

DS is doing 11+ this year and we have 2 local GS which he would be happy to go to and have good evidence for appeal should we need it. It is just this other option has been offered and I have had to put a good argument back to why I would decline it in favour of the grammar schools and just use the option as a back up.

[Paramjeet]

I have first hand experience in London and midlands area. Let's agree to disagree on this one.

[hermanmunster]

I have first hand experience in London and midlands area. Let's agree to disagree on this one.

I think you are right Paramjeet, I lived in several parts of the country - when I lived in London I had no children and hadn't got a clue what the schools were like or even where they were, but from what I have heard since I can believe that many people feel they have to pay to get a good school there (bit like NHS which is better in some parts of the country than others).

The midlands is huge - In the east there are GS in Lincolnshire but not Derbyshire, Leicestershire or Nottinghamshire - in the latter 3, the indies do very well as little competition - they have lovely grounds and nice facilities.

In parts of North Yorks the GS are the school of choice, there are some nice indies with great facilities but attracting boarders from overseas to make up numbers - they are really not in competition for the brighter kids despite excellent extra curric activities etc.

[999 mum]

overseas trips will be more exotic and so it continues. this is not a debate but a reality.

One of the local senior schools around had boards up about their trip to India in the near future. It is a run of the mill school. How much more exotic than that can you get? ( I would prefer not to find out!)

(This was a couple of years ago)

[capers123]

overseas trips will be more exotic and so it continues. this is not a debate but a reality.

One of the local senior schools around had boards up about their trip to India in the near future. It is a run of the mill school. How much more exotic than that can you get? ( I would prefer not to find out!).

One near me not only has trips to India (as has the local grammar) but has also been fundraising to build a school there. They have also had trips to Africa. This is a school that had been in Special Measures due to governance issues and SEN pupils not reaching targets, yet despite being very good for more able pupils some parents wanted to move their bright children away (I wondered if they'd actually read the OFSTED report).

In my neck of the woods the private schools tend to have a higher percentage of less able children as the brighter ones normally end up in grammar; yet the comps also have plenty of bright children due to parents being ideologically opposed to selective education. It's a great place to move to!

[stroudydad]

Couldn't agree with Capers more regarding the area, the big private school has large numbers of overseas boarders