School Fees - what we will do as parents for kids !

Corranga

Member
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1,219
Very very interesting breadth of views and all a right as there is no real wrong. We are dealing with so many factors when adding in a human personality that for some at a particular school , it works and for some, it does not....

My eldest daughter is taking GCSE’s next year and she was lucky to get into Colchester County Girls Grammar school which is top of the country (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/educati...league-table-search-top-schools-gcse-results/) BUT....... having seen this school at work, it really works for some and DOES NOT for the rest. Kids at 14 having counselling and private tutors. WTF?

Of course it could be that the school is good enough to spot it and help by recommending the tutoring and counselling, whilst the other kids are just ignored.

Mental health problems shouldn't be ignored, but are, and going through puberty is perhaps one of the largest changes and one of the most stressful times for a kid. Stuck between being a child and being an adult, your body is changing, what you think about is changing, suddenly everyone is telling you that decisions you make now will shape the rest of your life, add into that peer pressure, bullying, pressures at home, exams... when a year ago, all you worried about was being picked last and having to play in goal.

Ok, the private tutoring is perhaps just another money spinner...

I was more or less top of one of the worst schools in this area in terms of results. I wasn't head boy as I always had a bit of a rebellious streak (however small..), I grew up on a council estate in one of the poorest areas in the city. I'm the sort of person that probably would have excelled at a private school, or even just a good one, whereas, I'm most probably decidedly average as a result of those around me when I was at school, but as it stands, I've done better for myself than anyone else in my family, and I really can't complain.
Now I have a kid, and the circle of life is continuing, she is 5, and will start school in the summer. I can't afford to put her to a private school, and I'm not sure I would, even if I could.
 

Nayf

Member
Messages
2,734
Well I’ve just signed our little one up for “private education” following the realisation that I could not justify spending the money on this rather lovely thing which was as good a QPv Gts as I think I would find.
Lovely tan interior with carbon fibre paddles, inserts etc....
Unfortunately our catchment school has a terrible reputation so relying on out of area applications was too risky in the end......and logic won the day over my manmaths.View attachment 55271View attachment 55272View attachment 55273
Lord a mercy
 

Nayf

Member
Messages
2,734
In that case, there it can stay!
From a brief google (not the most authoritative source, admittedly) it’s not actually that expensive to ship over... if it were the right spec and the condition was truly amazing, it might be worth that ‘premium’ over a UK car...
 

GeoffCapes

Member
Messages
14,000
From a brief google (not the most authoritative source, admittedly) it’s not actually that expensive to ship over... if it were the right spec and the condition was truly amazing, it might be worth that ‘premium’ over a UK car...

Not really as Oz cars are horrendously more expensive than over here.

We have a forum international car shipper if anyone does feel the need. @Jkulin
 

Wattie

Member
Messages
8,640
Not really as Oz cars are horrendously more expensive than over here.

We have a forum international car shipper if anyone does feel the need. @Jkulin
Really Geoff! (Not sure I can agree with that statement :lol2:)
Here’s the link. Lovely car, couple of things to be aware of but if anyone’s interested Pm me.
Cheers Wattie
 
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hoyin

Member
Messages
1,842
Interesting topic. I have some interesting (I think) insight into this.

I’ve been to one of the top public schools in the UK and then also been to a top 10 Grammar school as well.

Basically I got kicked out of my Public school - though back then Public schools were not as expensive as they are now (a couple of thousand a year compared to £4K a term or more now).

I then went to a Grammar school which basically my neighbour went to and back then it was a top 10 school.

I didn’t fit in at the Public school (my parents struggled to put me through it and I took a bus to school which was over 1.5hr journey) and this didn’t seem the norm. However when I went to a Grammar School even as a kid I saw the difference. What I had learnt at Public school 2 years ago was being taught when I entered. The quality of teachers were woeful compared to my previous school and the gulf in difference of facilities and equipment was startling.

Needless to say I got completely bored at the Grammar school and basically never bothered turning up for any lessons. I would turn up for registration in the morning and then leave.

So when it came to my A levels my school basically wouldn’t allow me to sit them as they thought I would fail.

However my father wouldn’t take any of it so pulled me out and we sat at home and he taught me himself.

I got the required grades and went to Uni. Luckily for me I was more of a creative / problem solver type of person and that fitted my final career choice very well.

And here we are ......

Personally for me it is more about the child and the type of environment they need to nurture them. Sometimes it is better not to put them in the best school as they could struggle whereas a medium academic school they could feel on top of the world and it boosts their confidence and in the end their ability.

Malcolm Gladwell in David and Goliath captures my sentiments very well. If you haven’t read it please do.

As for Ofsted rating - you really need to check when they were last rated. The school near me is rated outstanding ..... in 2009!!!! 10 years later ... do you really think the standards are the same now?we all know what happens once you have done well at something ... you get complacent and everything slips.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
My parents worked really hard to send me to private school between 10-16 years old. The school I went to did not have a sixth form so I went to one of the local grammars for "sixth form"

I really do feel as though I have achieved a level of success in life despite having a private education. Majority of my peers from that school did not do great in terms of grades and later careers. When I transitioned from that school to college and then later university it was very difficult as I was basically socially inept narcisist due to going to a small insulated independent school... Majority of my adult life has been finding myself and breaking free of that places mindset. It is likely down to that place being a s**t hole that has since ceased to exist.

Someone earlier in the thread said that instead of paying for an education you should encourage them to so extra circular activities thus paying for that. I totally agree with this; it makes a lot of sense to me... They will potentially learn a lot of positive social skills and also going over and above their schooling hours will instill a good work ethic
 
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Wattie

Member
Messages
8,640
My parents worked really hard to send me to private school between 10-16 years old. The school I went to did not have a sixth form so I went to one of the local grammars for "sixth form"

I really do feel as though I have achieved a level of success in life despite having a private education. Majority of my peers from that school did not do great in terms of grades and later careers. When I transitioned from that school to college and then later university it was very difficult as I was basically socially inept narcisist due to going to a small insulated independent school... Majority of my adult life has been finding myself and breaking free of that places mindset. It is likely down to that place being a s**t hole that has since ceased to exist.

Someone earlier in the thread said that instead of paying for an education you should encourage them to so extra circular activities thus paying for that. I totally agree with this; it makes a lot of sense to me... They will potentially learn a lot of positive social skills and also going over and above their schooling hours will instill a good work ethic
Fifty, that’s a great honest post.
I’m a believer in being streetwise and having drive.fitting in or being equipped to adapt socially nowadays is equally important as everyone is quick to judge.. Simply Being gifted an opportunity won’t help anyone achieve their dreams if they aren’t passionate about them and if they don’t strive for them.
We’re on the same page.
 

rockits

Member
Messages
9,167
I have worked my knackers off forever to be able to afford to send our kids to private schools. We have sacrificed lots as a family unit. Including holidays and lots of other things we have missed out on.

Our kids are the first in our families history that I know of to attend private schools. It was a very big decision, commitment and we don't regret it for one second. To send the 2 through private junior school will cost circa 170k of nett earnings which for us is an absolute boat load of cash.

Our kids our lovely rounded kids, nice and sharp also nice and happy. Coming to the end of junior school for my son and the decisions are different. After looking at various options for private senior schools the costs pretty much double and actually the options have not been so impressive as when we looked at junior schools.

We have decided that my son will come out of private school education and attend a local very good state school. There are various reasons.

If we had the money and were rolling in it would they go into private senior schools? Still no. I'd don't think the obvious options we have in our location/area are good value and right for our kids.

The junior schools were all boys for my son and all girls for my daughter. No think the decisions were both right for each for their respective junior schools. Now they need to learn many different additional and improved soft/life skills. This will hopefully come more from what I would regard as a conventional mixed state school.

They need to toughen up a bit and obtain a harder edge. They need to be around a wider cross section of people and backgrounds.

I would have had to work just as hard or harder to pay for the massively increased senior private school fees. We would have to continue to sacrifice all we do and have little or no holidays. I would have the same.or less time for my kids and not more.

We think it is right now that we ease the pressure off a bit. We have some holidays, I work a bit less and can spend more time with the kids while they are still young.

Middle age is a funny time as you need the most money, have the most stress, have the least time and finding balance is the hardest.

Time will tell if our decisions are correct but it was the obvious option in the end. Mainly helped that my son was offered a place at a local decent state school. Also that my daughter will get a place with the sibling rule in a couple of years. If he didn't get a place at this school the decision could easily have been very different.

Who knows....maybe this might mean that the Le Mans trip and others could be options now that they haven't been to date
 

Jkulin

Junior Member
Messages
983
Not really as Oz cars are horrendously more expensive than over here.

We have a forum international car shipper if anyone does feel the need. @Jkulin
Sorry Late to the party as not been on for a while, we regularly ship from NZ and Aus and it can be horrendously expensive, as no one really consolidates, so you have a 20ft container all to yourself, by the time you add shipping, port charges which are horrendous in Aus and NZ, Clearances, THC, Marine insurance, that alone will come to well over £2000-£3000 plus the 10% Duty and 20% VAT and the UK Terminal charges of between £600-£800 and you end up with a nice fat bill.