Perennial debate: Private (KCS) or Grammar(Wilson)?

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

Choco
Posts: 130
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2017 8:49 am

Re: Perennial debate: Private (KCS) or Grammar(Wilson)?

Post by Choco »

I think it’s the perennial answer to the perennial debate.....

Consider finances and the journey.

If finances will be at all tight and impact your family over the 7 years or beyond, when there’s a brilliant free option, why wouldn’t you choose it......unless the journey makes a huge difference. Do consider this too. It’s probably not worth paying £20k to avoid a journey if the fees will be tight, but if they’re not and the journey is easier, it might well be worth paying.

For people who can afford the fees without much impact or with only a small impact, some of the questions people for whom it would be tight, perhaps feel a bit irrelevant.
- are the extra clubs and sports worth the £20k?
- are the extra Oxbrifge places worth £20k?
- is the fabled private school confidence worth the £20k?

Essentially, if £20k plus the extras will be a big sacrifice (and it will for most) then these things are not worth the price....because an extremely good and often as good alternative is available for free. But if it’s a drop in the ocean for you, you really won’t even ask if various aspects ar worth £20k because it’s just the price it is, it doesn’t impact you and you’re probably after those extra little extras which make it a bit different.

On the key metrics of teaching and academic success, there schools are very similar. For most parents interested in state grammar schools, these are the key key metrics. That’s why many can’t understand why anyone pays £20k when those things can be had for free. But some parents are interested in those metrics and others too and can afford to want the other things included too and often value them far more highly than other parents might....the chance for almost all the school to play weekly competitive sport, or the wider range of foreign trips, or the alumni activity, or the links with a variety of institituions.

We all know that too grammars offer great sport and extra curriculars as well as the exam results. But the experience in a private school can be quite different and some people will value that highly and pay for it...far easier when the £20k are a drop in the ocean. It is a very expensive price tag for what boil down to some lovely nice-to-haves and most won’t be able to pay it or think it’s worth it if there’s a free version, but some will pay it, and advocates of grammars in these perennial debates should recognise why it is that every year some people,opt to pay when they could have had a similar (in lots of ways at least) service for free.

For most, who aren’t loaded, if you’ve got a super selective grammar offer and especially one in decent travelling distance, in the end it’s a no-brainer for the logical part of the brain, even after the other part has been drawn in by the shiny facilities of the independent. But if you are loaded, I can see why you’d pick the alternative....as long as it really is an academically equivalent alternative.

If you’re struggling with the choice, it probably means you’re not loaded and the £20k plus extras per year probably would be noticed as it slips away at over £6.5k per year (plus extras) each term....and if you are needing to ask the question, the answer probably should be clear.

Easy to say when we look dispassionately at it.
dh28
Posts: 46
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2020 7:01 pm

Re: Perennial debate: Private (KCS) or Grammar(Wilson)?

Post by dh28 »

Thank you for all the replies!

Money is a not that big of a consideration, but (given the way we have been raised ourselves) Value is.

In the end, we have decided to go with Wilsons, and earmarked the nearly £200K for the secondary education to DS' graduate studies (giving an option to potentially go to one of the good US universities as well, which may cost over £300K over 4 years, although too far in the future and TBC).

BTW, I have also posted the approach we took for DS which resulted in both Wilsons/KCS offers in this post:

https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum ... 30&t=61893" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Moon unit
Posts: 654
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2014 9:14 am

Re: Perennial debate: Private (KCS) or Grammar(Wilson)?

Post by Moon unit »

Wishing your son all the best dh28.
Wilson’s is a truly amazing school.
I hope he will be very happy there.
The opportunities are endless and the head is amazing.
Post Reply
11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now