Still unsure about independent education? We put your questions to the schools.
 Q: Are independent schools always highly selective? I'm concerned that my child wouldn't be able to pass the entrance exams and may not be able to keep up with the high academic standards required? A: Independent schools are not always highly selective. Longridge Towers School, for example, caters for pupils with a wide range of abilities and it regularly features in "value-added" league tables, showing the school achieves more for its pupils. Small classes mean individual attention is more readily available. An emphasis on the development of the whole pupil, supported by a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities encourages pupils to make progress. Mr A Clemit
Headmaster, Longridge Towers School, Berwick. --------------------------------------------------------- Q: My son isn't particularly strong academically but loves sport and drama. Would an independent school be the right choice for him? A: The simple answer is yes. We at Durham School cater for pupils with quite a wide range of ability from the potential Oxbridge candidate to the girl or boy who will have to work extremely hard for even modest academic success. The great thing is that they all receive the individual support they need in small classes with teaching geared to their needs. In line with most other independent schools, music, drama and sport, along with many other activities, play a huge part in the daily life of Durham School pupils and help to instill in them that quiet confidence that our parents tell us is one of the main reasons they chose us. Mr R Thomas
Director of marketing, Durham School --------------------------------------------------------- Q: My husband and I both went to state schools and have no experience of the independent sector. We've always thought private schools were elitist establishments for the privileged few with little chance to mix with people from different backgrounds. Will our daughter fit in? A: Most independent day schools do have a very wide social mix and nobody could ever accuse them of elitism! Many of the staff at King's, including me, were educated in the maintained sector and most of our pupils have been taught in state schools at some stage. We involve our children widely in the local, national and international community in a huge variety of ways too. The opportunities that our pupils have are certainly a privilege - but one their parents work very hard to achieve for them; for many it is a conscious decision to sacrifice other things to allow their children the chance of a wonderful start in life. A visit to the school will confirm that traditional values are upheld but also that the children realise how fortunate they are! Mr PJ Cantwell
Headmaster, King's School, Tynemouth --------------------------------------------------------- Q: I want my daughter to have a well-rounded education and to grow into a mature, responsible and socially aware young adult but am concerned that the focus will be too much on exam results. A: Any really good school will certainly not merely focus on examination results. It goes without saying that with highly qualified, dedicated teachers and an individual approach to girls, achievement in a school such as Westfield will be high. Able girls will achieve a place at Oxford or Cambridge but they won't leave feeling failures if they don't. Through its huge range of extra curricular activities and its commitment to developing each girl's individual talents Westfield produces "happy, confident, outward looking young ladies who are ready to take an active role in society" (ISI Inspection 2001). All girls are encouraged to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and take part in community service projects. This year girls are doing environmental work in Scotland, helping in the People's Kitchen in Newcastle, assisting in homes for the elderly and at Priory and Hadrian Schools. They are taking part in environmental and community service projects in Thailand, Kenya, India and Honduras. Westfield's international connections enable the school to produce young women with a global rather than a parochial outlook on life. Mrs M Farndale
Headmistress, Westfield School, Gosforth. --------------------------------------------------------- Q: I'm considering a private education for my child who is eight. He is happy in his state primary school but we would like his secondary education to be in the independent sector. When should I start making enquiries and where do I start? A: Like all parental choices - there is no one answer that will fit every situation - in our experience at ISIS North it is always important to be as informed as possible about the options available. The best outcomes are often achieved when families centre - not on the best school in the area - but the right school for their child. We can provide the basic information but parents need to do their homework about the way forward down the independent sector route. We can provide the framework for making those decisions by guiding individual families what they need to be looking for. For a child aged eight the major decision is often centred on whether a) wait and hope for a satisfactory outcome of the entrance tests to the senior school of choice in a few years or b) transfer now to an independent preparatory school or junior department of a senior school. Often the current teachers can provide helpful information of the likely outcomes of the first option - perhaps based on the entrance test successes of former pupils from their state primary school. Parents can sometimes obtain sample examination papers from senior schools that can help prepare the children for the all-important test. However, it must be said that more and more parents are choosing to move their children into the private sector at age eight. This is not as traumatic as many parents may expect and it does provide the children with the ease of passage in to their senior school of choice. ISIS North can supply information on all of the schools in the north and can help families to make this all-important choice. Mr D Hutton
Regional Director (North), Independent Schools Information Service (www.isis-north.co.uk). | 
Northumberland
