why do private schools do better than state schools?

JPL9457

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i once asked a friend who moved from a private school to my state school and he could not put his finger on why private schools usually do better than state schools. the only reasons i can think of are that: a lot of private schools require an entrance exam, which means that they do not get any very unacademic people; intelligence is somewhat inherited, usually the really clever people i know have some really clever parents (although i know someone who is on As and A* at GCSE and his dad is a postman who left school with no qualifications); the pupils will be more willing to work hard and lastly, private schools are less likely to have disruptive pupils.

are there any other reasons that i have missed out?

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Royale

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I think it's because of the environment. It's much more stricter than public schools so students are less likely to cause trouble, the teachers are generally much more qualified and just better at teaching in most cases. It also caters to more wealthy students who are going to have the money to provide themselves with better facilities and resources. I mean these are just some things, there are probably many more reasons.

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apolocreed

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(Original post by Royale)
I think it's because of the environment. It's much more stricter than public schools so students are less likely to cause trouble, the teachers are generally much more qualified and just better at teaching in most cases. It also caters to more wealthy students who are going to have the money to provide themselves with better facilities and resources. I mean these are just some things, there are probably many more reasons.

Not to be pedantic but a public school is a private school (a)

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username854791

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In some public schools They have more facility to split subjects to different tiers based on pupils academic potential so that no one is held back because of someone else. Also they can afford to spend on after school classes and weekend classes etc.

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Mother_Russia

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I went to a private school, and I am extremely grateful for the experience. Even though I was told countless times by my parents that I'm an only child because they wanted to send me to private school

For me, private school gave me that extra push I needed for studying. They taught me discipline well, and you would get into a lot of trouble for not doing your homework, talking in class etc. They would push you to the extra level, even if you are top of your class. Which I feel may not be possible in a state school where class sizes are much bigger.

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JPL9457

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(Original post by Future_Dr)
In some public schools They have more facility to split subjects to different tiers based on pupils academic potential so that no one is held back because of someone else. Also they can afford to spend on after school classes and weekend classes etc.

yeah that would make some sense as i am in a mixed set geography class that most of the class are getting an a or a star in their coursework and there is this one guy who is clever but does not try and he is taking up the teachers' time and he is getting a c at best at the coursework

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Decerto

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People in private schools want to achieve and the environment and quality of teaching they receive aids this. In state schools, more people are lazy and don't want to achieve. Behavioural issues tends to hold back those who want to achieve aswell.

I go to a state school and I am always told I cannot achieve because of the fact that I attend a state school.

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kka25

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I think if I did have my own children, and if I've the money, I'd send them to private school(s).

I went to state schools... omg...

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RibenaRockstar

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In part it's also self-selection. If you looked only at the kids whose parents would like to send them to private school if they had the money, they probably acheive similar grades whether in the state or private sector.

The kids who do worse in school are, I think, often the ones in whose households learning isn't made a big deal of, there are few books and no library cards, etc.

Logic states that parents who don't value education won't send their kids to private schools, so all (or a very large majority) of the kids in private schools have parents who really value learning and education.

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sabian92

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(Original post by JPL9457)
yeah that would make some sense as i am in a mixed set geography class that most of the class are getting an a or a star in their coursework and there is this one guy who is clever but does not try and he is taking up the teachers' time and he is getting a c at best at the coursework

My GCSE Geography class was exactly like this. People ranged from A* students to people who basically chose it because no other subject would have them. There were 27 people in that class :eek:

(Original post by Decerto)
People in private schools want to achieve and the environment and quality of teaching they receive aids this. In state schools, more people are lazy and don't want to achieve. Behavioural issues tends to hold back those who want to achieve aswell.

I go to a state school and I am always told I cannot achieve because of the fact that I attend a state school.

What a load of crap. You get out what you put in. You could have a £100,000 education but it doesn't mean you're clever or an overachiever, if you doss about for 12 years you'll get exactly the same as if you dossed about at a regular comprehensive.

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fizzgig

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I think part of it might be because public schools are more likely to insist on students capitalising and using punctuation than state schools. /snark

Public schools often have a better ratio of staff to students than state schools. They also get to avoid taking in students from the section of the underclass that places no value on education - children from this sector are unlikely to thrive regardless of their own intelligence, so their inclusion in only the state sector lowers the average of the state sector relative to the public sector.

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s.a.u

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A major reason is class sizes. Public and other independent schools have smaller class sizes, and so they can provide more individual attention. Also they have more contact hours.

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doggyfizzel

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The private school near me used to steal all our decent teachers.

I would imagine its the environment, the resources, the staff pupil ratio, a whole host of things.

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Decerto

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(Original post by sabian92)
What a load of crap. You get out what you put in. You could have a £100,000 education but it doesn't mean you're clever or an overachiever, if you doss about for 12 years you'll get exactly the same as if you dossed about at a regular comprehensive.

The quality of teaching would be better in smaller classes is what I was saying. I agree if you put the work in, you can achieve. It is true that some teaching at state school is disrupted by those who do not want to achieve.

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JPL9457

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[QUOTE=sabian92;41740348]My GCSE Geography class was exactly like this. People ranged from A* students to people who basically chose it because no other subject would have them. There were 27 people in that class :eek:

=QUOTE]

there are 32 people in my history class. the lowest ability being someone who finished his coursework in 1 hour and got a D. the highest ability being some guy who the teacher praised for about 5 minutes before the year 10 test and said how good at history he was, he was expected to get an a star, everyone expected him too aswell... he got an a?!

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paddyman4

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Contrary to common belief, I don't think teachers are any 'better' in private schools. I think private schools do better because:

1. Disruption is far lower. This is because pupils' parents are paying a lot of money and thus care about their child's education. The parents are therefore on the teachers' side and also probably provie a healthy home and teach respect. Whilst in state schools, a small minority have parents who don't care and who don't instill any discipline - and these kids disrupt classes. Furthermore, private schools can get rid of problem kids far easier.

2. Smaller class sizes mean more one on one help.

Personally I think that private primary school is a better investment. Succeeding early in numeracy and literacy is very important.

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sabian92

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(Original post by Decerto)
The quality of teaching would be better in smaller classes is what I was saying. I agree if you put the work in, you can achieve. It is true that some teaching at state school is disrupted by those who do not want to achieve.

True, large classes are a nightmare. My entire GCSE experience was in large classes with people who didn't want to bother.

I hated it and came out of it with 1 C, 5 Ds, 2 Es and an F. Probably my attitude of "if I don't like it I won't bother" didn't help either

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Venomilys

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teaching at my state school was terrible. We'd often have supplies, unmotivated teachers etc you get the idea. Also, students at public schools are generally poorer and have had rougher upbringings and this rubs off on to other pupils until being a 'badman' is the norm.

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JackS94

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a lot of the time they take the best students as well, so they're probably going to do better just because of that

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Octohedral

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(Original post by Decerto)
I go to a state school and I am always told I cannot achieve because of the fact that I attend a state school.

Really? When I went to a state school (before going to a private school) I'd never even heard of private schools. There was just 'school', and a vague knowledge that some small part of the population went somewhere else.

That said, expectation plays a huge part. At state schools Bs are seen as good, at private schools they are seen as a failure (in general). It can actually be a disadvantage to go to a private school for a few pupils - because it is selective if you are at the bottom at a private school you will feel stupid, wheras nationally you are probably average. If you expect to get high marks, and are expected to, you are far more likely to get high marks.

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