State, Private Or Home Schooling?

[indy and lara]

It's interesting that the teachers on here (there do seem to be a few) have all said state education. Can I ask why? Just interested as a fellow supporter of state education.

For me it is because I am passionate about what I do. I can hand on heart say I give every child I teach the best chance of achieving as I possibly can. I work very, very hard to do so, as does every single teacher at my school. We put in 100% and have fantastic results. I have always worked on rough estates and the children get so much out of school, more than just an academic education. They have the opportunity to learn to play the flute, guitar, violin, trumpet or clarinet for free. We have all sorts of sports teams, everything from football to cheerleading, loads of after school clubs. they have so many experiences. We have residential trips to London and to France as well as lots of local trips. We take pride in giving every single child what they deserve and I honestly believe we are giving them the best.

Agreed. You have saved me from writing out just this. I know what I offer the children I teach and I know how dedicated I am and how much work I do. I see the same attitude among staff in schools across Edinburgh and Midlothian. I am confident that state school will offer Emma the opportunties she needs in life. Hubby and I play the most important role in shaping Emma's future and we won't let her down.

 

[vaniilla]

Are grammar schools private?

you can get variations, you can get semi-private, private or a free one where all you need is to pass the entrance exam

 

[mixedmama]

State school. I went to a state school and finished with really good GCSEs

 

[LankyDoodle]

It's interesting that the teachers on here (there do seem to be a few) have all said state education. Can I ask why? Just interested as a fellow supporter of state education.

For me it is because I am passionate about what I do. I can hand on heart say I give every child I teach the best chance of achieving as I possibly can. I work very, very hard to do so, as does every single teacher at my school. We put in 100% and have fantastic results. I have always worked on rough estates and the children get so much out of school, more than just an academic education. They have the opportunity to learn to play the flute, guitar, violin, trumpet or clarinet for free. We have all sorts of sports teams, everything from football to cheerleading, loads of after school clubs. they have so many experiences. We have residential trips to London and to France as well as lots of local trips. We take pride in giving every single child what they deserve and I honestly believe we are giving them the best.

Agreed. You have saved me from writing out just this. I know what I offer the children I teach and I know how dedicated I am and how much work I do. I see the same attitude among staff in schools across Edinburgh and Midlothian. I am confident that state school will offer Emma the opportunties she needs in life. Hubby and I play the most important role in shaping Emma's future and we won't let her down.

I totally agree with bot of these ladies, as a trained teacher myself. The one reason I might consider private secondary is more to do with the only state secondary in this area, at the moment, not being a sensible consideration. That could change, though.

Most private school teachers train in the same places as state school teachers. SOME private school teachers actually don't have a formal teaching qualification! SOME private schools will tend to employ qualified teachers as support staff as well as class/subject teachers. My point here is that private schools don't run to the same framework as state schools. What private schools have over state schools (apart from the fact that there will be next to no children from poor backgrounds attending them) is money. Money = resources; money = more teachers; more teachers = smaller class sizes; more teachers, smaller class sizes, better resources, can all help lead to better grades. However, it still depends on the approach of the parents.

I wouldn't be so foolish as to expect a school to responsible for the majority of my daughter's education; that's my job. What a private school can offer, can be offered by us; we can send her to music lessons, dance lessons, drama workshops, language lessons. She will have her own pony! Private school isn't a magic ticket.

 

[aob1013]

Parents are still responsible for their children in every single way whether they are sent to private school or not, i am not sending Leni because i want to cop out of bringing him up or i think paying for his education means i don't have to have anything to do with it .. does that make sense? Sorry, tired!

 

[indy and lara]

Parents are still responsible for their children in every single way whether they are sent to private school or not, i am not sending Leni because i want to cop out of bringing him up or i think paying for his education means i don't have to have anything to do with it .. does that make sense? Sorry, tired!

Yes it does. Lots of people are saying that private school offers more extra curricular opportunities but I feel that it is my job as a parent to offer Emma these opportunities. Whether or not school offers her them, if she has an interest we will follow it up with her.

 

[aob1013]

Parents are still responsible for their children in every single way whether they are sent to private school or not, i am not sending Leni because i want to cop out of bringing him up or i think paying for his education means i don't have to have anything to do with it .. does that make sense? Sorry, tired!

Yes it does. Lots of people are saying that private school offers more extra curricular opportunities but I feel that it is my job as a parent to offer Emma these opportunities. Whether or not school offers her them, if she has an interest we will follow it up with her.

I'm not to sure about the extra activities offered within private schools, but i know it's an attraction for some parents. I hope we can offer him whatever he wants to do, whether private school offers it or not

 

[kiwimama]

We will send Ella to a state school. We won't be moving until she's into the primary school that we are in zone for now, as it is a very good one. There is some great state schools but some pretty terrible ones as well, depending on the area and what decile it is.
I think private school actually doesn't provide much more than a good public one can. It depends on how driven your child is, and that, I believe, is the parents responsibility to ensure their child strives to reach the best of their ability. If your child wants to bum around at school, it's not going to make a damn bit of difference whether they are in a private or public school.

 

[ttc_lolly]

State school for us! We moved to a nicer area to be close to better schools, and will move again in the future if neccessary. I agree - it's down to the child & not the school. If that child wants to excel they and work hard they will, no amount of money can pay for that x

 

[MrsVenn]

In answer to the original OP question, ideally we'd like Molly to go to a selective school, preferably Grammar and definitely single sex. HOWEVER, what we would like and what would be best for her will be a different matter as she grows. We're keeping open minded at the moment, intend to supplement her learning at home and see if she's either like me (keen on learning, wants a degree etc) or whether she's like DH (more hands on, not keen on learning) which will help us decide on what is best for her. One thing DH and I do agree on is 'all girls'.

 

[Hellodoris]

We've not even thought about this, she's only 5 months old.. I don't want to think of her going to school just yet

A lot will depend on our circumstances at the time, so for now all I can say is yes she will be going to school.. and the best school we can send her too be it private or state.

 

[bbyno1]

Aliyah will go to a state school.
I couldn't afford private and i think if a child wants to learn and puts their mind to it they will and they can come out with A*'s just as much as a child who is home educated or in a private school.
I know so many parents who have placed their children into private school and payed so much money and they have failed everything.

It all depends on the child.Not the schooling x

 

[mommyof3co]

My older boys attend public school (guess that's like state school there) we live in a wonderful school district that actually rates higher than almost every private school around here. I love their school and they are learning so much and have wonderful teachers and programs available to them. My younger boys will go there as well

 

[Dopeyjopey]

I'm hoping to be in a position to home school Albert. I am already saving to take him on a gap year to a developing country to learn essential skills about things that really matter to OH and I.

If we can't home school him then it will be a state school as I don't agree with private education.

 

[SKATERBUN]

unless we win the lottery no way would LO be going to private school, and we wouldnt be able to offer her the kind of broad spectrum of education at home as she would receive in a state school so state school for us

 

[leoniebabey]

I'll be sending him to state school, couldnt afford private and i wouldnt be much cop at home schooling i'd want to know that he's been taught actual things and proproly (not just things i think are right or i've just literally made up)
I dont think private schools are any better tbh. I went to a state school and didnt do too badly, he will be going to the best school in the area though certainly not the one i went too

 

[babybel]

Our son who is seven has been to the local catholic primary school since nursery, however we have just enrolled him in a public school starting in September when he will be going into juniors.

 

[Natsku]

If we're still living in Finland then our child/children will go to state schools as there isn't much difference between individual schools here and the education system as a whole is one of the best in the world. OH is against schools altogether though, he doesn't want our girl to go to one at all! But he had a bad experience, being sent to boarding school when he was only 7 then moving country and changing to state school and not adjusting well

I definitely think its not so much the school that effects how well the child does, but their own attitude towards learning which they will mostly get from their parents. I went to a really crappy state school (if anyone saw that program Rock School with Gene Simmons a few years ago, my school was the one in the second series) and I still managed to do well enough

 

[summer rain]

My two elder ones are home-schooled already, it doesn't require any special training or the use of tutors, and I don't know any home schooling families who use tutors. My six year old is on key stage 2 work, and my 5 year old is doing really well also. We take an eclectic approach which means we don't strictly adhere to any one curriculum or teaching method, I'd say though we tend to go with a more traditional, written work based approach more often than not. We know a number of other home schooling families, one lives just downstairs from us, another around the corner, as well as other families in the general London area. We are known to the LEA, some LEAs don't like home education and our LEA is one of them, so far though they have had to admit what we are doing works and more than meets any legal requirements. We are weighing up future options though as my second youngest will be of school age in September, and I can't see us home schooling past primary level.

 

[Janidog]

I'm hoping to be in a position to home school Albert. I am already saving to take him on a gap year to a developing country to learn essential skills about things that really matter to OH and I.

If we can't home school him then it will be a state school as I don't agree with private education.

Why don't you agree with private education? If the parents can afford it, then why not.