NLCS or SPGS

[nylon14]

What hampsteadmum said exactly. We were in the same position a couple of years ago and strongly feel SPGS fits our ethos, especially with the new Head.

[cyclingbeard]

We have definitely chosen SPGS over NLCS. Rejecting a likely HBS offer is of course more difficult for an average income family like us ... but despite a massive financial commitment and huge financial risks, real or perceived, we can’t bring ourselves around to trust the state system. We also struggle to place value on social diversity as this not only means mixing with enlightened but lower income (good) but also people who have no class (no so good). For this reason I feel we have no choice, and should we become bankrupt in the process, so be it.

[SingSong]

I would think carefully before taking on this type of commitment if it is going to stretch you that much, particularly if you have an amazing free option (and indeed another outstanding and cheaper indie option). There is very little to choose between those three schools, and I don’t understand why you would risk bankrupting yourself to choose one over the the other. There is so much you could offer your DD with the additional disposable income.

[Daogroupie]

Good grief cyclingbeard!

You are going to turn down HBS for St Pauls and possibly bankrupt yourself because you think that going to HBS will force your family to associate with people who have no class.

Am I understanding you correctly?

What will be your plan for university and the workplace?

You are not going to avoid people with no class there and from my experience of St Pauls you will also find people with no class there as well.

Just because parents can afford the fees that does not automatically convey class upon them. DG

[ToadMum]

For your DD'S sake, I really hope the bankruptcy comment is a bad joke, But if there is a serious risk of your distrust of the state system leading to insolvency, then two things spring to mind:

- independent schools are businesses and unplanned-for largesse in the form of allowing parents not to pay fees due doesn't buy them the kind of shiny facilities that draw more punters in

- the statement that because one's DC was at an expensive indie, now Mummy and Daddy have run out of money s/he should be entitled to a place at the most desirable state school in the area (instead of the one allocated, which always has in-year spaces, as no-one else wants to go there, either) will cut absolutely no ice with the panel at one's appeal hearing .

[Sla212]

We have definitely chosen SPGS over NLCS. Rejecting a likely HBS offer is of course more difficult for an average income family like us ... but despite a massive financial commitment and huge financial risks, real or perceived, we can’t bring ourselves around to trust the state system. We also struggle to place value on social diversity as this not only means mixing with enlightened but lower income (good) but also people who have no class (no so good). For this reason I feel we have no choice, and should we become bankrupt in the process, so be it.

"People who have no class"?!?!

Not sure if I've understood your post correctly but HBS is hardly your average local state school....is it? All the girls I've ever known who have attended there are super-motivated, extremely clever AND thoroughly nice girls.

Often on these posts where people are trying to choose between schools, people offer all kinds of opinions, some of which are unwarranted. All I would say is that putting yourself under the kind of financial pressure that you describe above for one child is not to be undertaken lightly....I am sure you are aware that as well as fees there are other school costs too at an independent school....seven years is a long time.

[loobylou]

I think there is very little social diversity at HBS - based on the girls I know who are there.
The "no class" comment made me smile wryly - we were skiing this week and were unfortunate enough to sit next to a table of ex-public school boys at one café. They were the epitome of "no class", although I'm sure they'd have been terribly polite to their friends' parents at school.
I dislike the concept of "no class" but the only people I've ever met who fall in to that category have been privately educated.

[Daogroupie]

Absolutely.

Such as calling a state school girl who got better A level results than they did " a dirty little commoner."

I have never heard a state school student use that type of language and I have worked in lots of state schools.

That was really worthy paying thirty thousand a year for.

What could be more classy than that! DG

[loobylou]

Absolutely.

Such as calling a state school girl who got better A level results than they did " a dirty little commoner."

I have never heard a state school student use that type of language and I have worked in lots of state schools.

That was really worthy paying thirty thousand a year for.

What could be more classy than that! DG

Sadly that's exactly the sort of comment I could imagine these young men making. Along with the comments they were making about their female boss (stupid), their female friends (stupid and desperate to sleep with them) and the other females of their acquaintance (stupid and didn't want to sleep with them).

[Middlesexmum]

cyclingbeard - what a horrible comment.

No matter how many A grades my daughter got, I would hate for her to have such a horrible attitude as you appear to.