To think if you can no longer afford school fees...

‘I know a few families with kids in the private schools. None are rich. 3 are paid for by grandparents. They will be leaving as grandparents can’t afford the extra cost for the length of time remaining. Another is on a sports bursary. Again he will be leaving so can kiss goodbye to the elite partnerships with international placements that his school could offer.

The other 2 are paid for by 8 figure salary absent dad. ‘

I’m a bit confused - which part of this tale of privilege are we suppose to sympathise with? The grandparents wealthy enough to pay school fees in their retirement? The children of the multi millionaire fathers?
The school that values their athlete so much that they’re willing to dump his bursary and cut him loose despite the obvious glory he can bring the school?

Or is the awful AWFUL simply AWFUL fact that these children may have to go to a normal school, where the majority of children go to?

And just quickly the ‘ 8 figure salary ‘ dads… VAT of FEES are going to tip them into ‘ well, I know I earn 10 mill a year but if I have to pay another £4K a year for Jacinta’s fees that’ll be a stretch’ territory?? Weird?
Oh, and the sports boy - good news there, normal schools do have sports and if he’s good enough, he’s good enough and will no doubt excel anywhere.

"The grandparents had indeed factored in cost of school fees should they die before the children completed their education."

But a 15% increase breaks the bank?

As said, this wasn't well planned then.

If you are genuinely a private school teacher then you are a disgrace. Some people have no choice but to “pay as you go” and hope that their income rises in line with the school fee increases because that’s the only way that they can make sure that their DC gets an education that meets their needs. I had a suicide attempt as a result of years at a completely unsuitable school that destroyed me bit by bit. That’s why I have compassion for those who are extremely worried about having to move their DC when they are happy and settled in a school.

Rather than people destroying their finances, relationships and mental health to pay for something that they can’t afford and don’t need - you could just send your kids to normal schools and have the grandparents save their money for their old age…

@Dibblydoodahdah

I have said I feel sorry for those who might be threatened.

I have also said that PE parents have been massively over playing the amount that are, and for many, just how necessary PE is.

No one should have to stretch themselves so far to get a good education, but there is a massive need to invest in state education so that the vast majority, who do not even have that choice, manage to get the service they need too.

Private schools are and have been for a LONG time taking the absolute piss with parents - annual increases of 5/6/7 even 10 % increases.
a LOT of the commentary from Private parents acknowledges this - it’s all I cannot afford VAT on top of the increases that schools have Been charging us…

I reckon Labour are doing private school parents - particularly the ‘strivers’ as they like to call themselves - a favour by getting them out of this absolute RACKET of overcharging of something that should be free to every child.

Not to mention the grandparents who are being gouged by their own families for fees for grandchildren - what if granny suddenly needs care, medical bills come in? Or just want to be able to afford to enjoy their own retirement …

Singe Mum here-one in state and one in private, both schools suit each DC and both are thriving, one is not better than the other.
DC in private school was so badly bullied failing everything and a shadow of the child he now is.I now face having to send him back to the school he left with the children who bullied him, who are now bigger and nastier.

Some of us made a choice in the best interest of our children, would have preferred as a single mother that I did not pay school fees but my child was suffering badly. Child in state school is thriving and v happy -mature enough to understand that each are getting a great education and has seen the difference the school has made to sibling-no more bruises, tears and a happy sibling.

OP - and the rest of those who have an irartional hatred of private schools- grow up. I choose to spend my monies on making my children happy and educated in different ways - my monies, my choice-I sacrifice thigns for this choice but it is my choice, it is not a luxury, it was a necessity for my child physical and mental health

Who has an irrational hatred of private schools?

"I choose to spend my monies on making my children happy and educated in different ways - my monies, my choice-I sacrifice thigns for this choice but it is my choice, it is not a luxury, it was a necessity for my child physical and mental health"

So does everyone that has children. For the most part (except for kids clothes) they pay VAT on these purchases.

My child isn’t speshal and as I said in the last line of that particular post, I am not sending my dd to private school to have a superior education or for her advantage, I’m sending her there to get an education as she couldn’t cope in state. And I have explained what I meant by the demographic in a later post. Perhaps doing a ‘see all of Mummyoflittledragons’ post would help explain dd’s situation. I’m the one with the mentally ill child, ie anorexic child, which is largely caused by not coping with her medical condition, where her heart stops beating when triggered. She is anything but ‘speshal’ and does not deserve to be described in this manner. She has additional needs not catered for properly in her former school. I also had issues at state primary but it was easier to fight the head at a medium sized primary than at a secondary with 1500 kids.

You are absolutely right that there needs to be a massive investment in state schools but that is not what Labour are proposing. And it can be done without impacting the most vulnerable pupils in private schools.

"V And it can be done without impacting the most vulnerable pupils in private schools." Aren't the most vulnerable people in private schools the ones with SEN who are being protected?

Oh and Labour are proposing to improve the number of teachers, which will fix many of the issues that cause difficulties in the state sector.

They’re saying SEN but only with an EHCP.

Have any schools announced the likely impact on fees yet? There seems to be a lot of labouring about Year 13's having to leave, along with grandchildren, budding sport stars and numerous state school refusers.

This has been mooted for years, why haven't the schools given out better (any?) information.

Where did I say they were retired? They are paying out of an inheritance. That’s how the money has been set aside already, with standard annual fee increases factored in - not increases plus 20%.

You don’t feel sorry for the kids who have a dad on 8 figures. Why would you? Their school fees are covered. I’ve just given them as an example of kids from working class backgrounds in private school. Nothing changes for them. School fees are court ordered, even if he drags his feet over settling the bill.

Yes normal schools have sports. Normal schools don’t generally have the ability to get Ivy League universities in the states, who offer huge and generous sports scholarships, often covering tuition and then some in full, to take interest in their students, however academically or physically talented.

They won’t dump his bursary but the bursary doesn’t cover the full fees. I don’t know of any that do.

You know. Opportunities that state schools can’t offer. None of the ones I’ve worked in have had anything that comes close.

Going to state school isn’t awful.

Changing schools in year 9/middle of GCSEs/at any time really is pretty awful. Having to leave all your friends and go to a school where you don’t know anyone is pretty awful (for any teenager, not least ones that are going to end up getting picked on for being posh or pov, take your pick). Trying to find a space in established friendship groups, at the time your social life is starting to take off. Pretty awful. The change in culture is awful. I’ve actually worked with kids who moved to state school after being in boarding schools (parents in the military or worked in oil for example). I usually ended up working one to one with them. Might seem minor to you, it’s not to a teenager. These are formative years. It doesn’t cost anything to understand that and have a bit of sympathy. They don’t control the finances.

So funny. I trained as a teacher under labour. They were filling shortages then too. Offered thousands of pounds for us to train. At the time something like 30% of teachers were quitting in the first 5 years because it was so bad.

Teachers don’t just quit under Tory governments. Can’t wait to see how they plan on filling the gaps. Suspect it’ll be with unqualified staff.

"Normal schools don’t generally have the ability to get Ivy League universities in the states, who offer huge and generous sports scholarships, often covering tuition and then some in full, to take interest in their students, however academically or physically talented."

Well, neither do UK privates, none of the Ivies offer sports scholarships, or even merit scholarships of any kind.

For foreign pupils at Harvard, Princeton, Dartmouth and Yale (and from this year Brown) there is the possibility of getting need based scholarships. Pirnceton aim offer anyone under 80k (GBP) per year (100 USD) a full ride. However, the rates of getting into these colleges are far lower than Oxbridge, and actually far more competitive because they receive more applications. On top of that, the actual admissions rate is lower than stated because of legacy applications/Deans list/Staff children. At Harvard this makes up 42% of all white students!

"t doesn’t cost anything to understand that and have a bit of sympathy."

I think everyone has sympathy. It is not ideal.

It looks as if you'll have till the 25/26 academic year to sort something out though.

‘Normal schools don’t generally have the ability to get Ivy League universities in the states, who offer huge and generous sports scholarships, ‘

No school does - Ivy League schools don’t offer sports scholarships.
Other USA universities do - but they take children from ALL walks of life and the school doesn’t get them in -
genuine proven talent and drive does -
along with playing Jr Wimbledon for tennis, or
playing for your national football team as a teen, as Alessia Russo did.

There are very clear pathways to
sporfs scholarships in the USA which start when kids are13/14… being posh and mummy and daddy having sent you to the right school holds a lot less
sway.
But as then young sportsman you were referring is very talented ( and deffo not just playing against other posh schools) he’ll be fine.

‘Where did I say they were retired? They are paying out of an inheritance. ‘

ah of course.
My mistake, PROPER generational wealth where even the grandparents have spare
cash from inheritance.
Gosh, IS there no end to the suffering?? You should try to get their plight highlighted on coverage of the ‘issue’ - I’m sure once people hear of this they’ll absolutely start caring about the possibility of private school fees going up.
i mean, if ones grandparents inheritance money can even cover it, what hope
is there?

I know of a candidate who got into Yale, Stanford, Cornell, Brown, Georgetown, and Duke.

She had EVERYTHING, school government, sport, drama, volunteering ( consistently and impactful, the Ivies won't take notional). She also had a 1590, A level predicted of all A and an already achieved A at EPQ. Plus a string of 9s at GCSE.

I also know of highly academic children from other backgrounds, with similar scores, who have all the academics, plus meaningful internships in the field ( including be named as an author in a publication at 15). Who didn't have the whole "all rounder" thing.

What people never acknowledge with the Ivy league is that the admissions criteria is very skewed towards those who come from socio-economic backgrounds that can support all the involvement they require.

Whilst it is merit based, it isn't merit based on everything.

I don't know why that post put A rather than A star.

Oh and Labour are proposing to improve the number of teachers, which will fix many of the issues that cause difficulties in the state sector

Look, I will be voting Labour for many reasons but their stance on education isn't one of them. I'll also be the proverbial turkey voting for Xmas as an independent school teacher. Labour will not suddenly, or even slowly, magic up the 6,000 teachers they think will fix the problem in the state system. It requires a massive overhaul, a shift in societal mindset about what is good for children and a fundamental change in how we treat teachers. Give it 10 years with an exbog standard teacher leading. We'd then have state education to be proud of

@notbelieved

I agree. There are so many wrong things with teaching atm. The biggest one, for me, is current teachers involved in training PGCE and NQT level teachers act as gatekeepers.

I've always been very sympathetic and not demanded perfection, but in my last years in the state, I was asked to take over NQT and PGCE training on several occasions. Trainees who had been given no real help or advice, but asked to produce schemes of work and LPs that a qualified teacher would never do, and never were asked to do.

There is a reason that so many trainees leave and its the lack of support, and gatekeeping inside the profession that causes it.

I was the subject lead for a London borough, and went into schools who asked " why do my teachers in this subject keep leaving?". Because you overloaded a 24 year old and made them HOD because you had no one else at 24. 1 year after NQT.

As has already been pointed out to you there are lots of DC in private schools with SEN who don’t have an ECHP. It’s only those with an ECHP that will be exempt.

How many teachers per school are the Labour Party proposing? I know the answer but do you?!