How true is it? Your opinion is welcome....
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Hi there,
I sent my two to a private school, they both did pre prep and most of prep.
It did, in my opinion become clear that the objective was more about making money after all it is a business.
An example was where the school charged extra for learning support,
I felt this was to the detrement of children who parents were not paying for this extra service, my son felt he was not intelligent enough to be given the extra work the other children were getting. Regular acheivment awards for improvment were given each day in assembly to the learning support children, no doubt amongst other things to show the parents that the extra cash had been well spent. It did become apparent that there would be no help regarding the 11+, I can only think that this was not seen as an opportunity to generate money, in fact the opposite as it would encorage fee paying parents to leave. All this said, I think I would still do the same again, but I would have a better awarness of the way things worked.
My son and daughter spent the last year of junior age in a local village school, my Son was at last given some recognition here. I saw his confidence grow and his asstute teacher pointed out that he though Chritopher had Aspergers Syndrome, which indeed he was later diagnosed with. He is now at Grammer School, and is about middle of the class.
Cindyx
I sent my two to a private school, they both did pre prep and most of prep.
It did, in my opinion become clear that the objective was more about making money after all it is a business.
An example was where the school charged extra for learning support,
I felt this was to the detrement of children who parents were not paying for this extra service, my son felt he was not intelligent enough to be given the extra work the other children were getting. Regular acheivment awards for improvment were given each day in assembly to the learning support children, no doubt amongst other things to show the parents that the extra cash had been well spent. It did become apparent that there would be no help regarding the 11+, I can only think that this was not seen as an opportunity to generate money, in fact the opposite as it would encorage fee paying parents to leave. All this said, I think I would still do the same again, but I would have a better awarness of the way things worked.
My son and daughter spent the last year of junior age in a local village school, my Son was at last given some recognition here. I saw his confidence grow and his asstute teacher pointed out that he though Chritopher had Aspergers Syndrome, which indeed he was later diagnosed with. He is now at Grammer School, and is about middle of the class.
Cindyx
It is sometimes difficult to read some of the posts on these forums; we know that parents want both anecdotal and factual information but the anecdotal can be usually always be countered by someone else's very opposite experience of the same situation! This leads to posters describing a situation which was 'horrendous' in an independent school but amazingly rectified in a state school and vice versa. Surely this only goes to show that everyone has a different view which is dependent on their experience. I have taught in both state and independent schools and have seen poor teaching in both- believe me state schools do put up with it as well! I think you will find that unqualified teachers in the independent system are paid at a lower rate than qualified teachers and that,actually, they do need to have recognised teaching qualifications!
It is sometimes difficult to read some of the posts on these forums; we know that parents want both anecdotal and factual information but the anecdotal can be usually always be countered by someone else's very opposite experience of the same situation! This leads to posters describing a situation which was 'horrendous' in an independent school but amazingly rectified in a state school and vice versa. Surely this only goes to show that everyone has a different view which is dependent on their experience. I have taught in both state and independent schools and have seen poor teaching in both- believe me state schools do put up with it as well! I think you will find that unqualified teachers in the independent system are paid at a lower rate than qualified teachers and that,actually, they do need to have recognised teaching qualifications!
Hi magwich
I'd be interested to know whether your school are going to continue with VR in the light of it not being particularly relevant for the new 11-plus test in Warwickshire? For example, are they planning to do any specific preparation for the new 11-plus with the current year 5s? It may be that it is too early yet for the school to have adjusted, but if they do, I would be very grateful if you could post details?the school do VR lessons from year 3 onwards as part of the normal curriculum and most parents tutor as well
That is impressive! But if I was among the 1 in 4 parents who had paid for their child to be trained for 3 or 4 years to pass and my child still didn't get through, I would be gutted. Still, I would hope that those parents have the means to continue in the independent sector and their children won't be consigned to the scrapheap of The Great Unwashed and their quasi-socialist torturers. If you see any of those parents, please can you warn them that I have heard rumours that some of the teachers in the state system are even real socialists. And they have horns, cloven hooves and carry pitchforks. And the rest of them are just in it for the money. (We don't want Tim Nice-But-Dim and his chums dragging us down even further in the state sector)DD's school used to get around 50% pass rate, this year it has been 75%!
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Charlotte67
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My opinion....
In my experience sending your child(ren) to an independent school for 11+ preparation is a very expensive gamble! They're very good at preparing for independent entrance exams but state schools have a much better 11+ record in our area - even though they do very little or (in many cases) no preparation. State schools do not claim the credit either.
In my experience sending your child(ren) to an independent school for 11+ preparation is a very expensive gamble! They're very good at preparing for independent entrance exams but state schools have a much better 11+ record in our area - even though they do very little or (in many cases) no preparation. State schools do not claim the credit either.
What an odd thing to say! If a school is selective then this may be the case, however, many prep schools select at the age of 3/4 when it is not easy to tell whether a child is going to be particularly good at academic study.However, remember children at Private schools are likely to be brighter than average
I also think that you need to be careful of statistics. If a school says it gets a 100% pass rate it is likely that they don't allow all of their children to sit a particular test or exam. They will only put those in who they think stand a good chance of passing. Schools do it all the time to stay ahead in the league tables.
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hermanmunster
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No not and odd thing to say at all, it costs money to go to a private school which unless ERNIE or the lottery or granny has been very generoushas to be earnt. The most likely way to earn enough money is having a well paid that one gets because of qualifications gained because of inate intelligence (and hard workKE Mum wrote:What an odd thing to say! If a school is selective then this may be the case, however, many prep schools select at the age of 3/4 when it is not easy to tell whether a child is going to be particularly good at academic study.However, remember children at Private schools are likely to be brighter than average
I also think that you need to be careful of statistics. If a school says it gets a 100% pass rate it is likely that they don't allow all of their children to sit a particular test or exam. They will only put those in who they think stand a good chance of passing. Schools do it all the time to stay ahead in the league tables.
). Hence kids at private schools are likely (OK I only said likely) to have parents who are themselves more intelligent than average and therefore (oooo its not going to be nature/nurture debate is it...) are more likely to be of higher than average intelligence.
Phew before the flames- I know there are loads of exceptions - I'm talking averages and I know 50% of us are below average.
Hi
I really don't see how anyone can argue that children in private schools are cleverer than those in state schools, but . . .
I am sure that someone can come up with a few people who are not high in the academic stakes, but sure have a lot of money. I can think of a few, but Paul McCartney springs to mind since he is in the news at the mo.
There are many occupations that require very high academic achievements, but this doesn't necessarily pan out into larger salaries. University lecturers might earn 40 - 60k per year and certainly aren't in the mega bucks league when it comes to net earnings.
If you were to suggest that those in selective private education were above average, then I can agree, but not as a blanket statement.
I really don't see how anyone can argue that children in private schools are cleverer than those in state schools, but . . .
I am sure that someone can come up with a few people who are not high in the academic stakes, but sure have a lot of money. I can think of a few, but Paul McCartney springs to mind since he is in the news at the mo.
There are many occupations that require very high academic achievements, but this doesn't necessarily pan out into larger salaries. University lecturers might earn 40 - 60k per year and certainly aren't in the mega bucks league when it comes to net earnings.
If you were to suggest that those in selective private education were above average, then I can agree, but not as a blanket statement.