Parents sell home so son can attend private school - how far would you go?

Not that far!

Children fail A-Levels while private, and others go to Oxbridge from sink schools. Its about the child, schools can only help so much.

The parents are utterly deluded and ridiculous. They have ruined any security they have by selling their home, and say they are unable to do day trips or holidays because they want him to go to this prep school. The dad is the sole earner so I find it hard to understand that if the mother is so unhappy with an 'outstanding' rated state primary why she wouldn't home educate instead? They could then spend the money that they have on enriching activities and allow their child to study at his level and his interests. Or she could get a job to pay the fees? Baffles me that selling their house was their first port of call.

Also find the suggestion that bullying doesn't happen at private schools hilarious, it most definitely does in my experience, and with their income their child will be a target for being 'poor'. He will also have the enormous pressure to succeed because his parents have given up so much to allow him a private education. I felt that pressure and my parents could comfortably afford it, it meant I made choices I wouldn't have done to appease them and be in line with the schools rigid views on what is successful. I have struggled with MH because of this pressure and I wouldn't wish it on any child.

They would have been better off saving while he was at a state primary to pay for secondary private education in the event that he doesn't get a scholarship or bursary. I personally think prep schools are a waste of money, we won't consider it for dd even though we can afford it, she will probably go to a private secondary school though because that is where the advantage lies imo.

Utterly stupid. And unfair on the child.

The couple in that article have taken leave of their senses. They expect to send their second son to the same school even though it sounds as they're stretched to the brink as it is. Crazy, utterly crazy.

Love that they tried to crowdfund £115,000 to pay for this folly.

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Bonkers.

Plus that puts a lot of pressure on the child to succeed in life.

'But we sold our home so your could attend X, we gave up everything for you, what do you mean you want to be a musician?'

I know a family that sold their home and went into rented so both their boys could go to Eton - it does happen.

That story is 2 years old I wonder how they are managing now and what situation is for their second child. Fees will have risen significantly in the meantime and will do so further at secondary. Tbh if he was that bright they would probably have qualified for a bursary. It is a fair commute from Hastings to Battle too, so need to factor travel costs in.

Selling your home to fund private education seems to me to be a step too far. It undoubtedly puts a lot of pressure on the child to keep up academically. If he is bright, then a good state school will stretch him as necessary. Most private schools are very good, but then there are some excellent state schools too. It is also rather naive to suggest, as I read in the article, that bullying is confined to state schools. It may be better dealt with in a private school, but bullying children exist in all schools. Another disadvantage is that the termly fees are not the end of the story. There will be lots of incidentals to pay for such as school trips and presents for staff. There will also be the fact that most of the other children will come from reasonably wealthy families, and some from very wealthy ones. Will the child feel inferior? Private school parents can be quite snobby.