State school vs Private school - which is better?

About State and Private schools

What are State or Private schools?

In the United Kingdom, State schools provide education free of charge to pupils. This is generally restricted to primary and secondary educational levels. They are funded from the public sector such as the local education authority or central government.

Private, independent or public schools are not administered by local or national government and retain the right to select their student body. They are funded either by raising their own funds independently or by charging their students fees (restricted to primary and secondary educational levels).

The facts

There are three types of State schools, which are organised differently:

• Schools funded by private donors and businesses.
• Schools under control of local authorities, and run according to their policies .
• Schools run on a more individual basis and under the control of their governors.

According to Government Statistics and the Independent Schools Council:

• 8% of all children are in Private schools, whilst the remaining 92% study in State schools.
• There are over 511,000 children nationwide in Independent (private) schools.
• The average annual fee for a child to attend Private school is £10,000 and it costs an average of £18,828 per year for a boarding (private) school.
• More than half of all students in Private schools come out with A or A* GCSE grades.
• 38% of all children getting three As or better at A-level are from Private schools.

Your thoughts

Here's how some Student Life message board users felt about State and Private schools:

• "State schools are better because you can experience life better and are not narrow minded."
• "Private schools give you a better start in life. I wish my parents could afford for me to go private."
• "Private school is amazing if you get the change but to tell you the truth, I think state is better, just because I have been to a Private school. When you go to a Private school and stay there you do get a very high opinion on yourself not because you are stuck up but more because of the influence around you."

What's the difference?

Some families choose the state system because they can't afford to go private, whilst other families consider sending their children to independent schools due to prestige and tradition. Private schools are expensive, but so are houses near good public-funded schools. Maintained (state) schools might stand you a better chance of entering University, but standards in Preparatory (secondary level private) schools are higher. Some Parents consider Private schools to be better because they have smaller classes, teach their kids in a more refined manner and get good results .

State schools require parents to live in the catchment area, giving their children a high probability of getting them into a first-class State school, and a lots of parents spend a fortune on extra tuition classes.

Conclusion

You don't need to stress about it. Plan ahead, be selective, do background checks and plan visits. Look at the school's admissions policy and select some alternative schools to fall back on. Independent and State schools often share comparable facilities and are more simlilar than they used to be. The best State schools in the U.K. are on par with any of the best Private schools.