I began searching for a school for my son when he was around 2 years old. Here in the UK, children start mainstream (compulsory) school aged 4/5.
I knew from the get go that state school wasn’t an option. Not that all state schools are bad. The issue I have is that, you cannot go and view the schools you wish to submit to and then apply directly. You have to go through your local authority and they place your child into a school. It becomes somewhat of a postcode lottery. If you’re fortunate enough to live in an area where all state schools are good, then you’ve won the jackpot. If, however, you live in an area with 1 good school and 4 “need improvement” schools – you’re likely to end up in one of those.
What you end up finding is, around that cluster of good state schools, properties are hard to come by. When you do manage to find a property, you’ll be paying a premium. Those families that aren’t in the best of financial positions are less likely to be able to live in said areas and so the cycle of poor education continues…
To live in a country that has the 5th highest GDP in the world, where the standard of state education in the broad sense, is so poor is quite frankly, sad. The state education in the UK is subject to so much amendment, such strict and unrealistic targets that I have to wonder who is in the Department of Education and what world do they live in! They’ve made the occupation of teaching an absolute nightmare for teachers; they’re probably the cause of the high number of anxiety-suffering children and there doesn’t seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel. Just this academic year, they’ve changed the grading system for GCSE’s (not that it makes any difference) and we’ve now seen a drop in the pass rates. The bureaucracy that besieges state schools in insane and it is reflected in the often-poor standards of education. Children as young as 6 are being tested formally with immense pressure; teachers are attempting to cram a year’s worth of education into 8 months, all whilst attempting to teach beyond the curriculum.
OFSTED (The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills) rate all schools, independent and state, primary, secondary and 6th form. It’s a good way to gauge how well a school is doing but I find it isn’t comprehensive enough. It could be 4 years since the last inspection; or they could have given the school a month’s notice before an inspection. So many variables to consider, that I believed (and still believe), it’s a risky decision sending your child to a state school.
Independent schools are known to have flexibility and independence to teach children. They tend to have better facilities on site. There’s more investment in the classroom. Typically, there’ll be a teacher and depending on the size and age of the students, there’ll be one to three TAs (teaching assistants).
It is a no-brainer to send your child to an independent school in this current climate. But, it is a decision that will impact your life in a huge way. Unless your finances are really healthy, you’ll find that most families will have to sacrifice and living on credit becomes the norm. The average cost of a private school is £14,100 per year. That’s approximately $18,200. The average salary in the UK is £27,600 ($35,500), with the average rent and bills cost being £1576 ($2,029) and average mortgage and bills being £1634 ($2,103), you can see that the vast majority of families will not be able to afford/sustain a private school education for one child, let alone 2 or more. A lot of families end up stuck between a rock and a hard place. I for one, made a decision to send my son to a private school. It’s not been easy. Once you add up the tuition fees, extra curriculars, uniforms, school trips and the 20 birthday parties you’ll be obligated to attend, you’ll find you’re pretty much maxed out. However, it’s the best decision I could have made for him.
He’s in a school that celebrates creativity, an environment that encourages young minds to imagine, discuss, be bold and thrive. There’s no time-constraint on each topic. If a child is obsessed with dinosaurs, so be it. The teachers have the support they need in the class to be able to plan for each child. To cater to their individual needs and support them. Their personal teaching plans are designed to help each child reach their own targets, taking away the pressure that is so apparent in state schools. Of course, they have exams just like state schools, but unlike state schools, the results are used internally. There is no pressure.
My son’s class is working at a year 2 state school level, an entire year ahead and my son and many in his class are reading and spelling at almost 3 years ahead of the same at state level. What does this tell me? Well, it’s sad. It’s sad that the capabilities of children are being restricted in completely unnecessary ways in state schools. It’s sad that there is little inspiration and that numbers mean more to the Department of Education, than the expression and growth of young minds.
So, whilst private school has dented my pocket in ways I can only liken to being a broke university student living off tinned baked beans… I’ll take the tin of baked beans and ramen noodles every day to ensure my son isn’t being confined to a box set by a likely privately-educated expletive sat at a desk in an office in Central London.
