Independant or state

[Farhet]

Hi im confused where to sent my son for this September altrincham preparatory school or bollin primary school, any suggestions ?

[AuntieStella]

What is the confusion?

What is your DS like? What sort of education do you want him to have?

And of course, how secure is your financial position? You'd lose fees in lieu by this stage, but that's small compared to overall cost.

[TeenAndTween]

Can you afford private?
If No then
go state.
Else :
Is the private school actually significantly better for your child?
If No then
go state
else
go private
endif
Endif

[MirandaWest]

Do you have a place at both schools? If you do then you'd need to pay a term for the independent one whether or not your DS goes there. If he does go there please do give up your place at the state school as there may be a child on the waiting list.

[mandy214]

Well there are other considerations if it is those schools you are choosing between. How do you think he'd fit in a boys only school? Is he sporty? Is he competitive? Do you have the finances to go private all the way through (i.e to 18?) Do you have other children (eg a girl?) who would obviously have to go to a different school if you chose APS?

[titchy]

teenandtween!

[Toohotforfishandchips]

I assume you visited both? They are vastly different so I would simply choose which you think it more suited to what you want ? A great mixed local state school with an excellent reputation or a more formal academic all boys school with high amount of time prepping for passing 11+ etc I know which I would choose but that's me not you

[Elibean]

As others have said: visit both, see which school feels right for your son. Try not to take the whole 'state or private' thing as the main criteria, IME individual schools are what count - not the category they happen to sit in.

[soundevenfruity]

I don't know what's it like where you live but in London choice is illusory, because you have only one realistic option of state school and practically all private schools require an interview. It took me a while to grasp the concept but once I did it made my choice infinitely easier. The thing is you are not choosing between state and private, you are choosing the best school for your child at this moment. You can dip in and out depending on what your child needs the most.

[Toohotforfishandchips]

Both these schools are very popular for different reasons - please choose ASAP for the sake of those poor people on the wait list desperate for a place at Bollin and possibly AP too

[violetsareblue11]

I know I'm late in saying this, however I grew up in the Altrincham area and APS was always- and I think still is- a good prep school, although something like 80% of it's boys go onto Altrinham Boys Grammar which is well thought of and is a wonderful school. And although APS is private, ABGS is state and so you could send your son to APS do his primary years and he would hopefully then pass the CE at eleven and get into the grammar, and the grammar I believe is so good many parents select to send their sons there as opposed to the local independents like North Cestrian. Of course it's all down to what you and your son think of both schools and whether you like them! I don't know much about Bollin other than that it's oversubscribed which must mean it's good!