My place was absolute lord fo flies, In fact it was encouraged and promoted. There was a promoted hierarchy and rank structure that encouraged bullying. People were given ranks and authority.
Did it make me a better person, yes I think so, did it make me less caring and understanding, yes I was a selfish and arrogant cunt when I left.
Dunno, probably talking shite but just stay close and remind her that family is close.
I was forced to go to a secondary school i didn’t want to go to. It was and still is an excellent school, and I got an excellent education. But they forced stuff on me that demotivated me and that i hated…I left me inward looking, bored and possibly a little mad with frustration. It forced me to hate organised religion, although 30+ years later that bitter hatred has mellowed to disdain and disagreement.
It wasn’t until I went to their 6th form, that I felt I could steer my choice, and had the freedom to express myself.
I look back on most of my schooling with mixed feelings, apart from perhaps my final O’Level year and the 2 years of 6th form.
I blame the shoes on that too.
You could have got her Jacqueline Wilson books rather than Enid Blyton.
Perfect training for the boardroom or HoC.
Haha, she liked both!
We once queued for hours to get a book signed by Jacqueline Wilson, to her credit she treated every child as if it was the only book she had to sign that day.
Really pleased for Ava and you and your wife. She sounds like a strong willed child and I’m sure she will take all the opportunities the school affords her without being dragged into the social hierarchy that goes with the territory.
Personally I think the education system in this country is our biggest shame.
I agree and I’m conficted. Ava isn’t there by accident, she is bright and very hard working. Set her a task and she goes further. If she falls short of her own expectations and a mark is even a little below where she thinks it should be, she narrows her eyes and goes again. She is very determined. But why didn’t her primary school give us her sats results, which would have got her into Grammar school on appeal?
Her Secondary state school was great for her but she hit a ceiling there, there was no further to go beyond the curriculum. They wouldnt let her borrow books from the library beyond her age group. Selective education is all well and good if the selection doesn’t rely on parents being aware and can afford extra tuition to get their kids through the 11+. How the fuck is it fair that the 11+ demands learning beyond the national curriculum?
So now Ava is at one of the most expensive public schools in the country because she went there, blew the head away at interview and then smashed the entrance exam. We spoke to the head yesterday and she calmly told us that she “had to have Ava in the school as soon as I met her.” How is it that no one has picked up on her potential really, until now? The appeal panel for the Grammar schools around here was a FUCKING JOKE. Half a dozen ex-tory councillors in their mid seventies who were barely fucking interested, bitter snobs to a man. Kerri and I were summarily dismissed from there, they weren’t interested in our clearly bright daughter and neither were her primary school who were apallingly lazy.
It’s against my principles but she is now at a top public school because they could clearly see her potential and were prepared to fast track her passage. What is available there is way, way, way beyond what is available at state funded education. There is not one jot of snobbery or exclusivity, once you are in. Obviously, mostly its available to people who can afford the 50k a year…
Education in our corner of the country at least, is unfair and frankly, fucked up. Dont even get me started on the fight we have getting our son the help he needs…
I know (from numerous online chats here with you about both of their situations) and I feel and find myself in a similar situation.
How sad that she can hit a ceiling at her state school and that a private institution can deliver so much more than the state.
Selection is wrong and the 11+ is an antiquated system designed to advantage higher income families.
If only the state system was designed, structured and graded on excellence instead of being adequate.
Very sad. But when resources are fixed I guess they have to decide how much to spend on the bright kids, who will do well enough, versus those who really need every last bit of help they can get.
£50k per pupil per year allows the school to buy a very great deal. If they’re good at it, and Ava’s new school will be, they will provide high quality teaching in large amounts and extra-curricular activities to give the children experience and confidence. They can also enrich the classes with exemplary people like Ava and arrange not to have many who might be disruptive or challenging. Their exam results will be great - Ava will do well and her being there will help the others do well too. And that will pull in more £50ks.
There are 3.4 million kids in state-funded secondary schools. Those schools get £5k per pupil per year.
VB
Yes, and they are a charitable organisation too which means they get tax breaks. Not only that but often very wealthy parents contribute to school buildings etc and ex pupils leave them their fortunes in their wills. They have plently of money. Meanwhile state schools in the area are absolutely strapped. Like I said, I’m conflicted.
Don’t be
You didn’t make the rules. Take every advantage she has earnt. Fingers crossed she gets a huge head start from her hard work and a bit of good fortune
I don’t want to make this a discussion about Ava and her situation. Ritchie is a parent and is only doing what any decent parent would do, giving Ava the best possible chance of success he can in a system that is beyond his influence.
However £50k a year is an obscene amount and a big percentage of it is about exclusivity.
The problem is really with the state employees that have been educated in such institutions and who are enchanted by that exclusiveness rather than being driven to create a state system that replicates their own education.
I understand that and really appreciate the opportunity she has got. The staff at the school are amazing, its an absolutely lovely environment. I have worked at a supposedly world class company for the last 8 years but they are nowhere near the level of organisation at this school. Where I work I’d suggest they promise much more than they deliver and the customer service leaves much to be desired. The school on the other hand have just a seamless ‘product’, not only for the pupils but for the ex pupils and parents too. Its truly mind boggling how much there is available there to everyone associated with the school. They do all this with the minimum of fuss and bother and I really have no idea who does it, you dont see anyone buzzing around flapping. It really is incredible.
Ultimately she can prove that she’s bright if she can get some sales for you from the many minted parents who will need clothing. She can prove she’s very bright if she stiffs you for a 25% sales commission.
We have actually been through this scenario with no firm arrangement, yet. 
Make her a bespoke fitting school uniform.
The orders will roll in 
Fewer and fewer of the state employees have these days, although with governments like the current one a fair number of politicians still have. Education secretaries this millennium have been
Williamson (state comprehensive)
Hinds (voluntary aided state grammar)
Greening (state comprehensive)
Morgan (independent day school)
Gove (independent day school, on a scholarship)
Balls (independent day school)
Johnson (state grammar)
Kelly (independent day school)
Clarke (independent day school)
Morris (state comprehensive)
Blunkett (specialist school for the blind, state-funded I think)
Not a boarder among them.
I rather suspect the issue is actually money. Let’s say (economies of scale, no need for subsidising some places, no need for any kind of profit) we could deliver what Ava’s getting for £25k per year. So we need to find an extra £20k per pupil, of whom there are 3.4 million. That’s £70bn (round numbers) per year. £1000 for every man, woman and child in the country. Not impossible - UK public spending is already £900bn per year - but it’s not going to go unnoticed.
VB
I don’t think anyone really wants universal boarding schools, just better teaching. The boarding and facilities take up a lot of the £50k