Difference between PREP and PRIVATE

[MascaraOHara]

Is there one?

[hyphenlover]

not as far as i know... but then, i don't know much about it!

[paolosgirl]

Bad me v. v. tempted here...

[MascaraOHara]

I don't know anything about it, that's why I asked? I'm very ignorant when it comes to these things

[hercules]

I thought prep was to prepare them for entrance exams for private/grammer schools.

[MascaraOHara]

Oh so Prep comes first and the private? Like middle and secondary?

[hercules]

No, private can also be primary age.

[MascaraOHara]

Oh, maybe Im too stupid to think about this for dd I am confused already!

[hyphenlover]

aren't most prep schools private?
prep just refers to a specific age-section then?

[happymerryberries]

Prep is short for Preparatory, ie younger kids, getting them ready for Common Enterance exam.....but not all Prep schools do that! Prep schools are younger and Private. Private just is paid for and can be Junior age or secondary age IYSWIM.

[MascaraOHara]

sorry KS posts croseed. I think I understand now.

the pre-prep/prep school that I drive by to take DD to nursery is the same price as her nursery which I'm not too happy with at the moment! so was considering going for a nose round.

Would she be committed to prep and private is she went to pre-prep?

[MascaraOHara]

and thank-you to you two also (posts crossed again)

[happymerryberries]

No, you can opt out at any point. My two are in Pre-prep (infants school age) and Prep (junior school age). They can go on to Senior School in the same school and that is our general plan. Children opt out at all ages.

[happymerryberries]

The prep that mine go to doesn't. It doesn't expect kids to have done common enterance to get into their Seniour site. They do classes to prepare them for the 11+ but these are optional and outside of normal school time. We don't plan to enter ours as the Grammer schools are too far away from us.

[happymerryberries]

ks I so agree with been sucked in. Our original plan was that they would do their nursery at the school and then go into the state sector for Reception, but it just didn't work out like that.

[MascaraOHara]

That's interesting. I'm not really sure I can afford private.. I certainly couldn't afford it comfortably but when I'm paying the quivelant at the moment I just wonder if it might give her a better start that her current nursery

[hercules]

I would say it was unfair on your child if you send them to private primary but state comprehensive after.

[MascaraOHara]

thanks and no problem.. am interested to hear all about this subject as I have no knowledge atm

[MascaraOHara]

why? sorry..

[hercules]

lots of reasons eg fitting in, being accepted, large class sizes etc.

[happymerryberries]

I think it sort of depends on the child. If I could only pay for one part of their education I would 'invest' in Primary (and I'm a secondary teacher in the state sector). The smaller classes are even more important when they are younger I think. And if you set them up well they tend to do well wherever they go IYSWIM