[user104658]

Originally Posted by AnnieK

I went to private but would not send my son private, he goes to a state primary and will go to state high school. I don't believe the standard of teaching is much different. The only benefit I got from going to the school I did is it got me my firat job. The interview was going terribly, I was nervous and the guy interviewing was seriously just going through the motions. He asked me something about my exam results and I had my school record of acheivement which had the school badge on. As soon as he saw it, his eyes lit up as his son went to the boys school. Turns out he knew my brother...blah blah so despite having a terrible interview, no relevant experience I got the job because he liked the school I went to.

That is literally one of the main benefits of private education though (and going to a top-tier University, etc.) ... for career-driven people, the benefit of connections and nepotism far outweighs any actual education. Just take a peek at the Westminster front benches .

My thoughts are two-fold really. I don't think the education standards are all that much better than MANY state schools, however, postcode lottery comes into it; there are unfortunately some terrible schools out there in terms of likely academic outcomes, as well as social ... dangers ... so I completely understand people who have the means to send their child to private school, but are in the catchment area of a rough or underperforming state school, making that choice.

If you're lucky enough to be in the catchment area of a good school there's far less reason to go private.

Although, private schools will always have much more extensive extracurricular options (state schools, especially these days, just don't have the funding) so if there's a particular extracurricular offered that is important for where someone wants to go career-wise, again I can see the draw of going private.