We get emails from our state school. Granted half of them are to tell us that ds is in trouble (again ), oh and we have a 10 week holiday in the summer (nuts, but for North America this is actually quite short). We don't have publicly supported religious schools in my province (the only private schools are religious schools where I live, but they are very different from in the UK, relying on fund-raising and volunteerism), and it seems to work just fine, happy children, high standards.

Just because we have a particular model in the UK it doesn't mean it couldn't be changed or that there aren't other options. Most of them unfortunately would bring some disruption and there probably would still be children who lose out. I suspect here is no magic bullet on that.

Fewer holidays! Now text that 500 times to your socially segregated school.

Yep, that's right I have a really poor grasp of English. And you can judge that through a typo that I make on a website

And how very depressing that, after everything I've said and all the links I've posted, you find the idea of faith schools 'comforting'. So it doesn't bother you at all that many of our schools are entirely segregated? Because I'm not the only one on here to find that deeply shocking.

What rubbish you are spouting zanzi and how many weird assumptions. As it happens I've been emailing dd1's teacher this very evening!! She sent out the parents' evening appointment via email last week and so on. She gave out her email on the welcome meeting for dd1's class and she checks it daily and responds immediately. And many independent schools don't do SATS and therefore don't appear in many league tables. My dds' school does not have longer holidays than state schools but I still think they're too long. They do offer all sorts of holiday clubs and summer schools though. But that's completely missing the point. The school gets 100% A-C at GCSE so these are not the sort of kids who would particularly benefit from less holidays. Now the kids at my dp's school (for students with severe Emotional and Behavioural difficulties) many of whom have chaotic home lives and difficulties with basic literacy and numeracy very clearly do not benefit from 13 weeks holiday a year. And again, research suggests that 6 weeks is too long for all children esp. for example in the transition between Yr 6 and 7. You are trying to sound knowledgeable because for some reason you don't like me but you just sound a bit pompous and a bit stupid.

Fivecandles - you are just annoying me now.

Leaving aside your poor grasp of English ('less summer holidays'- and you a teacher) your recipe for improving state schools strikes me as odd: I am certain the selective and socially exclusive school (with longer holidays) your DC go to don't communicate with students and parents by SMS. And I bet it does as much to get its fair share of A and A* for league table purposes.

Perhaps you should get your 'improvement' ideas implemented in the private schools you DC go to before you and some others dismantle some of the better state schools. I am comforted by the fact though that your campaign against faith schools has little or no political support.

Lots of compulsory chapel & the like.

I do think lots of independent schools do keep the compulsory RE, but I may be wrong.

I was just being pedantic really. I think many independant schools do more RE than required in any case.

Yes I did think that after I had posted, I was thinking of state schools which is where most of us send our chilren. I accept it may not be most mumsnetters though.