[Misc] How many on here went to a private school

[alanfp]

A few of thoughts...
1. There's a fine line between 'entitlement' and 'self-confidence'.
2. I live very near a large private school and the pupils I see (e.g. in the local shop) are indeed incredibly polite. But maybe they have learnt their good manners at home, as I hope my children have, and the school reinforces those values.
3. The quality of state schools can be very variable, mostly depending on the catchment area but also depending on the head teacher.

 

[Lankyseagull]

I didn't and neither did Mrs Lanky, but both Junior Lankys go to a Froebel School which is on our doorstep. Yes, it's fee paying and yes, we've been hit hard by the addition of VAT. Fortunately, our eldest goes to our local Secondary in September, so we will have one less fee to pay from then on.

We don't see our choice of sending our boys to a Froebel School as a 'private' education at all and feel incredibly lucky to be in a position to afford to send them there.

For those who don't know, a Froebel school is based on the educational philosophy of Friedrich Froebel, a German educator who is best known for founding the concept of kindergarten. Froebel believed that children learn best through play, hands-on activities, and social interaction. His educational approach emphasizes the importance of nurturing a child's natural curiosity, creativity, and imagination.

This form of education has been the right thing for our boys and is so far away from the stereotypical view of private education of the likes of a Brighton College.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Oh yeah, on the point of the thread, I'd always consider private education in this country if the local state offering was a load of wank.

That's the issue in Britain isn't it? You can be in an area where the state schools are fantastic, but unfortunately you can also be in an area where they are truly awful (often through no fault of their own). Then again, if I lived in the catchment area of a sink estate with drug and gang problems and had the money for private education, I'd sooner just move areas.

Don't be lacist Sim!

Daughter at Roedean, son at Lewes Old Grammar. I went to Downlands. Kids are happy and that's all I care about

 

[The Clamp]

I went to many types of school, including 6 years at a minor public school. On the bursary / scholarship scheme. Charity case basically.

I’m sure it’s the right choice for some. Not for me.

The privileged children could sniff out poor. It made for a difficult time. They really hadn’t come across people of little means before.

It’s a very specific environment.

It’s certainly not for everyone. But it works for others.

It did teach me resilience and self reliance but also instilled in me the notion that my parents had no time for me. It can have some repercussions.

Ugh. I dunno. It wasn’t the best time of my life.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

I have just remembered that my wife went to a minor private girls school near Ditchling which has since long gone. Didn’t do her much good to climb up the social ladder though as she ended up with me.

 

[sparkie]

I'm really hoping my 9 year old passes the 11+ and gets into the grammar school she wants to go to.


It'll ease the severely creaking finances and save ~£200 per month in tax.

 

[Silverhatch]

Seen a few threads about private schools over the years and can't remember contributing, however...

During a decent (senior) career in a few sectors, and having come from the Brighton secondary school system of the 60s & 70s - I was astonished on a few occasions to meet people in quasi business/social situations who started conversations with, "What school did you attend?" and second "What did/does your father do?". Unadulterated filtering by wankers. Private education, especially the elite public schools, is a key foundation of the establishment in this country. If they didn't exist, does anyone think that the state sector would be as challenged as it is?

 

[dazzer6666]

Seen a few threads about private schools over the years and can't remember contributing, however...

During a decent (senior) career in a few sectors, and having come from the Brighton secondary school system of the 60s & 70s - I was astonished on a few occasions to meet people in quasi business/social situations who started conversations with, "What school did you attend?" and second "What did/does your father do?". Unadulterated filtering by wankers. Private education, especially the elite public schools, is a key foundation of the establishment in this country. If they didn't exist, does anyone think that the state sector would be as challenged as it is?

Encountered this dozens of times.……..it’s particularly bad in US Finance (‘where did you go to college?’ is the default conversation starter…..’I didn’t, I flunked my A levels and went to work at 18’ doesn’t compute ), and in my last place there was a massive cohort of old boys from various public schools and the military who operated a bit of a ‘club’ and looked down on anyone not from their backgrounds. The pricks.

 

[Redinpeace]

Private? none of those when I’m from, only thing I left school with was head lice.

 

[Birdie Boy]

I didn't even go to college, left before my CSE exams as had chicken pox for the 4th time!
I thought about sending my first to shoreham college as I live around the corner but knowing we were going to have between 3 and 4 kids no way we could afford it for more than 1, so gave it a miss. Well, we probably could have but would have meant living on the bread line instead...

 

[BrightonCottager]

No and no.
My dad went to a minor 'public' school in Croydon and wanted me to go to a similar one near Ruislip, but my mum put her foot down as we'd only moved there a year before and I'd only just got a new group of friends. I'm not sure how they'd have afforded it as my dad didn't earn that much and we weren't well off.
Since then, I've become ideologically opposed to the public school system, a feeling strengthened by the way the Tories have run government since the 70s. I've been surprised to discover some of my very unassuming and normal friends attended public schools and their similar offspring did. But other acquaintances have had total t***s for children who've come out of public school with a ridiculous sense of entitlement.

My daughter met quite a few students at BHASVIC who'd been at Roedean, Brighton College, LOGS, Brighton Girls & Burgess Hill and said it was a real mixture of normal/t***ts. But by going back to a state 6th form College, they sometimes qualify from preferential offers from universities.

 

[portslade seagull]

Good old fashioned comprehensive for me

 

[WATFORD zero]

For three 'latch key kids' from a full time working single parent in a sink council estate, private education was never really an option, together with A levels or Uni. But we all went to the local Grammar schools and got a fair education even although having to leave early and start work the moment GCEs were done as the income was needed may have curtailed ambitions (To be honest, more the school's than mine at the time. At 15 I had other priorities )

My two kids went to local state schools in Brighton (Westdene/Dorothy Stringer). One got bullied a bit at Stringer about the way they spoke, Mrs Wz being very particular about them speaking 'well' (and not taking after me or the Glasgow born Mrs Wz ), so they changed the way they spoke and got through it. One loved Senior school, one not so much for the reasons previously stated but both thoroughly enjoyed sixth form and Uni, getting good Grades throughout.

Funnily enough, where one of them works is now probably >75% Private education and >50% Oxbridge and, as stated earlier they have quite forthright views on the the thin line between 'self-confidence' and 'entitlement'

 

[Ding Dong !]

Dad was a diplomat in the Foreign Office and schools in Iran & Bangladesh weren't exactly great in the late 70's early 80's.

So yes went to Ardingly College.

 

[The Clamp]

We had no money when I was growing up. Single parent family in the 80’s and other stuff going on.

Anyway, after I got my scholarship (which I didn’t want, I wanted to stay with my mates at normal school) I was known as the poor kid at boarding school and the “posh kid who went away to boarding school” when I came home.

It wasn’t a fun time. I was so glad when I left and went to 6th form college in Reigate. Back to normal. Made friends there that I still see regularly after 32 years. 6th form college was much more my kind of place.

 

[A1X]

I went to the local comprehensive (North Heath in Horsham)

Cousin went to Eton

Every Christmas I roundly kick his arse at any quiz / board game that is played

 

[WATFORD zero]

We had no money when I was growing up. Single parent family in the 80’s and other stuff going on.

Anyway, after I got my scholarship (which I didn’t want, I wanted to stay with my mates at normal school) I was known as the poor kid at boarding school and the “posh kid who went away to boarding school” when I came home.

It wasn’t a fun time. I was so glad when I left and went to 6th form college in Reigate. Back to normal. Made friends there that I still see regularly after 32 years. 6th form college was much more my kind of place.

There weren't many in the 'free school meals' queue at our local Grammar and not many Grammar kids in my council estate, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger

 

[The Clamp]

There weren't many in the 'free school meals' queue at our local Grammar and not many Grammar kids in my council estate, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger

Oh absolutely. Mine is not a sob story , it all turned out well for me

 

[Cheshire Cat]

You mean that people on here actually went to a school?

 

[essbee1]

That’s where I… caught her eye…

But no, we met on a dating site

She was very sweet but a little bit… unworldly. We’d been going out a few months and went for dinner for my birthday. After the meal, she produced a flute and played happy birthday to me in front of a full restaurant. It came from a good place, but I was mortified… I got pretty drunk after that.

Maybe it was a SYMBOL of her affection. Or was she just blowing her own TRUMPET?