State or private? Years of saving every penny in a bid to scrape together enough to pay the school fees, or months of cramming to get your child a scholarship, a bursary… anything to ease the pain. Is it worth it? Fraser Nelson is going through this process, and writes about his dilemma. Charlotte Metcalf, meanwhile, tells the tale of her bid to find the best possible state school for her daughter, and how she still wonders whether she has doomed her child’s prospects by being unable to afford to go private.
Elsewhere in the magazine, classics teacher Emma Park argues that children shouldn’t give up on Latin just yet (even if today’s high-achieving pupils see little point in learning for learning’s sake, rather than for exam-passing). William Cook also looks at the independent schools that are beating their peers in football, and Laura Freeman reminisces on an encounter with the bad boys of Naples.
Six years ago I started editing the Spectator Schools supplement, and was lucky enough to inherit a fantastic illustrator by the name of John Jensen. His beautiful, funny watercolour cartoons brought the supplement to life. Sadly, we learnt in July that he had died at the age of 88.
The very talented Anna Trench kindly agreed to step in at almost the last minute and illustrate this issue. I hope you will agree that she has done an excellent job.
Camilla Swift, editor