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Unexpected extras at private schools

29 replies

starfish4 · 02/12/2016 10:08

Has anyone had any unexpected extras at private schools? Also, does anyone have any idea how much extras come to on average? Just trying to get others experiences.

DD has the opportunity to go to a private school on a bursary and we can manage the balance, but won't to make sure we don't get any shocks.

OP posts:
DimeBar66 · 02/12/2016 13:57

Dd has bursary as private school. Not many hidden extras but will depend on the school. Our school includes exam fees, books etc. Meals are not included but we knew that in advance. Individual music lessons or Lamda cost extra but you dont have to take them up. A sports mouth guard offered by school for £50 on day 1 was only taken by half the class so that was optional. Trips seems to get discounted pro rata as per bursary level. Uniform, sports and maths equipment obviously cost outside of bursary.

A lot of people cite lots of extras but actually not in our experience.

WonderWine · 02/12/2016 12:45

Yes - speak to the bursar, or perhaps ask if you could speak to other parents higher up the school who have kids on bursaries about their experience.
Some schools pay for extras like trips etc if you're on a 100% bursary.

I would agree with all of Liz's list. Ours charges £18 ticket to come to the school show, so it can mount up!
The other thing to consider is how you will manage your DDs expectations when she might be surrounded by friends with bigger spending budgets and expensive tastes.
My DS was grumbling recently that one of his friends wouldn't come with him to a music festival until I took him to one side and pointed out that his friend wasn't being difficult/unfriendly, but that his family simply couldn't afford the £120 ticket or whatever. (Knew his mum, so knew this to be the case)

LIZS · 02/12/2016 12:29

Exam fees, music and drama tuition and exams, check whether lunches are included and if not whether compulsory, trips to support curriculum ie. Theatre approx £40 a time, Duke of Edinburgh and/or ccf , residential and team building trips, language exchanges, music tours, sports tours, team/form/house/school photos.. Dc school publishes a 2 year planner for trips with a rough idea of costs,

Zodlebud · 02/12/2016 10:25

It depends on the school. At the one my children attend, pretty much everything is included apart from residential trips which are optional. They cost about £1,000 for a week and there's only two trips available over their time at school. Otherwise it's a pound here and there, donations for raffles etc and your time volunteering. The uniform is expensive but I take great advantage of the second hand uniform shop. If I bought it all new it would be in the region of £500 £600.

Another local school charges for everything, lunches, text books, curricular day trips. You need to add about £1-£2k per year on to fees, and that's before any of the optional trips. The bursar should be able to help with guidance as to what you can expect as each school will charge differently.

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