going private . . .

[Mich the Tester]

I think music as a taught subject in school even a private school isn't much cop really, you want them taking private lessons where they can really learn an instrument; as for sport I think any comprehensive school offers the standard football, rugby and swimming. Don't quite see what else they need to do, kids should be doing this in their free time anyway. I don't see many private school trained football players in the premier league.

No, but in almost any other sport where British athletes compete at the highest level you'll see an awful lot of privately educated people. Rugby is by no means the exception there.

Not that most people should consider sport as a serious career option; only a tiny number get to professional level in any sport and of them, an awful lot see their careers ended prematurely by injury, illness, a season of poor form or just being not quite as exceptionally good as someone else.

However, if you do think sport's important and you believe your kids have a genuine talent, then I'd say what's even more important than choice of school is supporting them at club junior level, every time they play and every time they train, and getting them signed up to a major club or academy in their teens.

And, make sure they get a solid education as they will probably (statistically) have to fall back on it; I hated hearing that from my Dad when I was younger, but he was right.

[DodgyAgent]

I think music as a taught subject in school even a private school isn't much cop really, you want them taking private lessons where they can really learn an instrument; as for sport I think any comprehensive school offers the standard football, rugby and swimming. Don't quite see what else they need to do, kids should be doing this in their free time anyway. I don't see many private school trained football players in the premier league.

I remember at University the Professor telling us that there was an inverse relationship between A level grades and the class of degree, which I think was due to private school and grammar school kids being spoon fed good A level grades; didn't help them though when the playing field was levelled.

As above I would favour a state school and go for the extra-curicular i.e. local football team, private music lessons, get them reading etc etc. My sister and I went to the comp and my brother went to the grammar school, he was the one who fluffed his A levels and can't play instrument or sing to save his life, nor do sport for that matter, whereas my sister was on the school netball team, and can knock out a Mozart piano concerto.

I am sorry BB but sport and other extra curricula facilities are way way in advance of those of comprehensive schools. extra curricula activities include debating, drama, CCF and a host more apart from sport. As for sport not many public schools play soccer and boys that do play are more likely to be too well qualified academically to want to risk playing professional football. rugby on the other hand often leads to substantial careers; peter winterbottom and Josh Lewsey both work for banks. You may say that these extra activities be conducted away from school, but they just wont be. Who will conduct them? We all have anecdotes to disprove the consensus but I am afraid the harsh truth is that private schools offer so much more.

[amoeba]

The interesting thing is that after my sister passed her grade 8 piano exam, she's hardly touched it since. Weird. My parents used to have a piano, and she almost completely ignored it, and hasn't bought one or even got an electronic keyboard. Except very ocasionally when she was really really bored and in front of the piano, suddenly play. I even wonder if her husband knows she can play it.

My parents forced me to do piano - and doing 'grades' teaches you a real hatred for the thing.

If I had been taught music I actually liked listening to, I would have been much more into it.

[OwlHoot]

There are state boarding schools in the UK - see here

The snag is, I imagine they only start at 10 or 11. But you can pack the kids off to a prep school at 7 until then.

(I started at prep school when I was still 6, and it never did me any harm.)

Edit, there's a Wikipedia page here listing all the state boarding schools in the UK. These aren't like Borstals, for problem kids, but are mostly pretty good schools. In fact I believe some have an excellent academic reputation, better than most public schools.

[BlasterBates]

I am sorry BB but sport and other extra curricula facilities are way way in advance of those of comprehensive schools. extra curricula activities include debating, drama, CCF and a host more apart from sport. As for sport not many public schools play soccer and boys that do play are more likely to be too well qualified academically to want to risk playing professional football. rugby on the other hand often leads to substantial careers; peter winterbottom and Josh Lewsey both work for banks. You may say that these extra activities be conducted away from school, but they just wont be. Who will conduct them? We all have anecdotes to disprove the consensus but I am afraid the harsh truth is that private schools offer so much more.

But is it worth the amount you pay. I really don't think so. I know kids who went down the private route at my age and felt absolutely no disadvantage whatsoever. They don't play rugby in big teams, they don't play piano concerto's or appear in Theatres or write books. The friend of mine who went on to play international rugby (league) was at the local comp. If you're good at sport you'll shine and you'll be spotted, you don't need a private school for that. I had plenty of opportunity to "be spotted" and coached at all sorts of sports. My sister who was naturally good at sports was offered the opportunity to go into the local town's swimming team, which coached youngsters to olympic standard. She turned it down, because she didn't want to spend 4 hours a day swimming.The key is not the school but your parents.

I admit if you have bad parents a good school can compensate, so if you really know you are good parents you don't need to fork hundreds of thousands on an education, you can send them down the local, comp, and get them involved in the local activities. I used to be in the Jazz Youth orchestra funded by the local education commitee, I didn't take part, but they toured the US, made records and one member of the jazzband had or still has his own TV show.

The plebs still have culture. I think most of the criticism comes from people who never went to a "comp", and are prejudiced. My parents were also pretty agast at the thought of the "comp" originally. Yes there are bad schools, but in my opinion they're the exception rather than the rule.

[BlasterBates]

My parents forces me to do piano - and doing 'grades' teaches you a real hatred for the thing.

If I had been taught music I actually liked listening to, I would have been much more into it.

She wasn't forced, but yeah I think she found it boring and she never learnt to improvise, so couldn't really play the music she liked. Would have been better sending her to a teacher who might have taught her some jazz or improvisation. My guitar teacher taught me some basic improvisation.

[conned tractor]

Hi filthy, We looked at Highclare school just on the Sutton coldfield/ Birmingham border and whilst really impressed by the school felt that we were too poor for it.

We could afford it, but would have to cut back on so much else it wouldn't be worth it in the end - i'd rather be able to take the kids on loads of good holidays and spend money on them in other ways. My eldest (6) took up horse riding last year, which isn't so cheap (it isn't hugely expensive either), but has lost interest in that already. Maybe she'll get back into it at a later age. My wife wants her to take up an instrument at some point also which I would guess isn't so cheap either. Then there's around £50 a month on ballet lessons. I'm sure she'd do these activities if she was at private school also but we'd be pushing it with the money side of things.

And what if I was out of contract for a while, would we pull her out of the school and admit her to state school for a while - I don't think the kids would take well to such messing about.

What we did in the end was to research the hell out of the local state schools with a view to getting her into the best possible primary school with the best possible chance of then following onto a better senior school. The school we found, just a couple of miles from where we currently live, has something like 60% of it's pupils go to one of the two the very good local grammar schools. The follow on school was key for us. The other criteria was small classes, single intake, and nice friendly atmosphere.

We actually got a reduced price place for our eldest at the shrubbery (co- educational private school) in walmley but turned it down in the end as although the early years fees were of a reduced price of around £3000/yr, as soon as they go into junoir level the fees are £6000/yr. This is a very well respected school and a bit cheaper than some of the alternatives. We figured that we could land the girls places at the same grammar schools that they would end up in if they'd ahve gone to these schools.

I went to a really rough comp and didn't turn out so bad in the end - honest.

All the best with whatever you choose - it certainly isn't easy.

[doodab]

The mash have it covered.

The Daily Mash - Most children don't really need to go to school, say experts

[shaunbhoy]

wanted to gather opinions

couple of years into my contracting career have a two year old terror at home, missus wants to plan for her schooling and is keen to taken her down the private route, i'm not massively keen (mainly because of cost)

compromise we were looking at would be private from 3-11 then onto a grammer school (still have them in bham)

went to our 1st open day on sat, ok school nothing special, teachers and governers all seemed a little too desperate but the costs are extorinate, we're talking around £6k p/a on average up until 11 yrs old - thats a lot of money & of course whatever we do for the one, others to follow will be expecting the same treatment

Just wondering what others in a similar boat do, are there any tricks of the trade of missing? don't think there's anyway i could put it through as a business expense

i know the stock answer would be "depends how much you have value your childs' education?" and my answer to that would be "not that much"

)

If you are considering multiple children then you may well be better off moving to an area where the local state schools are of a very good standard.
If you are contracting then of course where you base yourself can be quite fluid anyway, and the money you save can be put to one side and made use of later in their schooling.
A bright child will be able to achieve decent grades at most reasonably effective schools anyway, and if they have areas of weakness then you can target those with the use of personal tutors.
Good luck with your decision anyway.

[MarillionFan]

We considered private. My view is same as others above, 3-11 public school. Especially really young, it's all painting, drawing and craft.

11+ is where it would make sense.