Are private school fees really likely to increase by 7-10% a year?

Ani57 we don't have any money from our family and I pay the school fees out of my income but I have saved up a buffer in case... so it is do-able. Most families we know have 2 working parents. We decided to stick with 2 children rather than 3 due to the cost and are happy with that. We also do alot extra curricular with our kids.

We did state school for KS1 which certainly helped to save a bit. And we are not doing boarding school for 13+ which saves a ton. Some of the boarding 13+ schools are already > £41,000 per year. So stick to day schools and start as late as you can. Try the state school first and only move them to independent when you feel they need to. For DC1 this was year 3 and DC2 it was year 2.

I have one DC at private school in Scotland. Interestingly for the return this year there are a lot of new starts for the crucial higher year. Normally there is a bulge at the start of the senior stage and a trickle over the remaining years. Despite all the bad economic news a lot of parents have taken the unusual decision to opt into private at this crucial stage.

OP, We earn slightly more than you - about 20% more - but at one point had 5 kids privately educated at the same time. You can do it on that income. We still go on holidays several times a year, not premium, and have some modest savings. No second house. We don’t spend much on ourselves (clothes, cars, restaurants very rarely, I don’t have a cleaner/ cook) but kids have expensive hobbies (no limits there really, as long as educational). School isn’t just education, it’s also their circle, for many for life - neither me or DH have friends from school. My privately-educated friends’ friends seem to be all mostly from school rather than uni, 20 years after graduating.

Ours has never gone up more than 3% in the last 11 years, 8.5% this year though, I was just grateful that DS1 has now left so just DS2 left there. We are not massively high earners but have no mortgage which is why we can afford it, it will be quite a struggle but only for 2 years now. I am assuming it is due to utility bills however I know the school has taken on a lot of new students as a huge private school round the corner had closed so wasnt expecting the increase to be that much.

Apart from the big hitters most independent schools are not populated by children of millionaires. They will not be oversubscribed for long if fees are 11% higher each year.

As long as they continue to be oversubscribed, fees will increase by more than inflation.

I can’t see it rising 11% a year or no one other than Russian oligarchs and footballers will be able to afford it. The schools will have to cut their cloth and scale back on new buildings and other elective stuff for a bit.

You can expect fees to track inflation and that is around 11% at the moment and is likely to be high for some time. Private education is getting relatively more expensive and the average annul fee at secondary is £20k according to the Times. A lot of pupils at my DCs schools were funded by GPs

I thnk I need to exit this thread now. We have families scared to death that they will not be able to afford their homes this winter and at the other end of the scale we have people saving money by 'only' paying school fees for the five years of secondary.

No wonder we are in the mess we are in.

So many children do brilliantly in state schools - secondary not just primary, the nice and not so nice type of schools . This thread is hilarious. Lots of bright state school kids go on to do brilliantly on their Uni courses, proving to be independent workers with huge talents. there are many ways of getting a good education beyond just paying school fees for socially prestigious institutions. Blimey.

So State Primary schools are to be means tested now? You can only send your DC to an excellent State Primary if you earn below a certain amount? When DD began Primary we couldn’t afford Private School so should I have pulled her out in Y5 when our circumstances changed?
And she is now at State 6th form because that’s what she chose to do - I didn’t actually know it might help her get a lower Uni offer. Her school didn’t have a 6th form so where should she have gone?

5% for us this year.

They warned us it could be 7% but managed to keep it down somehow.

The numbers in independent education jump to 20% at 6th Form.

The percentage of pupils on free school meals at some of the more desirable state schools is 3%.

Let's hope no one takes up a much coverted place in an excellent state primary from a child who who comes from a deprived background, just to send them private in Year 7.

Let's hope no one takes up a place in a state sixth form following private education up to year 11 in order to give their child a chance of a contextual offer from a uni intendended to help children in genuine need of that little extra support.

Let's hope....

Having paid for every second of our DTs education from age 3 to 21, I would second those saying save your money at the prep stage and go private for secondary. Unless your local primary state options are truly dire, you can make up any shortfall at home.

This thread is modern Britain at it's worst. Grim reading for the 90% plus parents for whom private education is beyond their reach and radar.

Tips and tricks at how to work the system. Welcome to 2022 UK.

Thank goodness that there are bright kids and supportive parents in the state system.

By the way: DD1 went to a state primary and others had to catch up with her at senior school!’

Although she hadn’t done French at all at primary she was top in y8. She was always in the top sets snd got the best set of GCSEs. A decent primary really can teach bright children and they won’t be behind!

I’m not sure many people here have experience of a top prep. They really are very different from a state primary and probably take DC to 13. The differences will be music, art and drama taught by specialists and in dedicated classrooms. Sports of various types and coaching. Sports hall and a pool plus outside space. The best schools will prepare DC for scholarships and awards at senior schools. My DC have been to both and the difference is obvious. A little private school with no ambition that’s a haven for delicate DC isn’t what I would pay for but many do. A decent state school is definitely better than these!

Senior school: didn’t pay extra for meals as such, but they boarded. Day pupils had meals included. Day fees go up to £9000 per term at our school.

You will find they have to afford bursaries out of fee income. New building projects and other long term improvements are vital and fees make a contribution. Plus paying staff enough to attract the best. Some private schools are not great but when you can access a top one, you really do get something extra. Ambition can be one thing you notice amongst parents and DC. Unfortunately you do need to factor in above inflation rises. Our fees started at £6800 per term in 2003 for DD1 and were £10,250 when DD2 left in 2013. Boarding is now £12,800 per term for 22/23. Some schools will charge £13/14,000 for boarders.

I've got one who started in yr 7 in 2019,

He went to a small state primary, consistently rated good, and says it took him two years to catch up with classmates who had attended the pre-prep. But he has caught up, and well before his GCSEs start.

I used the primary years to save up, (I'm on my own) allowing me to pay fees now.

@Ani57 our fees have typically gone up by 5% a year, but each school is quite different. Some schools add a surcharge on quite ordinary subjects like music tec, art & music. Some are fully inclusive of everything, including UK based trips and UK residentials. Second uniform supplemented with new swim suits, base layers etc, is perfectly normal at virtually every independent school I am aware of.
Another option which is incredibly popular is state until 7 / 8 and independent for years 3/4 onwards. We also know people who have opted for prep until 11, state for secondary and back to the independent sector for 6th form, typically boarding.
State plus tutoring and extra curricular can be a hard slog for both the child and the parents, unless the state option is a fabled leafy comp surrounded by 1.5m + houses, and there is a stay at home parent to facilitate it all.

I've often read posts where people suggest that independent schools entrench inequality, but in the same breath say they saved the cash or are saving it for university and or a house deposit for their child. I would say all are equally privileged positions.

@carltonscroop I wasn't saying rises will be limited to 10% - just that the OP asked if 7-10% was real and I said no it will be routinely higher than that going forward. By how much will depend on the school. Ours has historically been quite low so it may take a while to reach 10% but it will get there...

@beachcitygirl your fauntleroy reference is v outdated. not come across many of those in the 12 years at independent schools so far. dd could have taken a grammar place at 11+ but instead we are paying. So someone more deserving has that spot. Had the school fees been 20% higher (with VAT) then we would have had no choice but to accept. No way the state can afford to educate even half of the 7% who currently go private so be careful what you wish for......

I’ve taught in both state and private. Currently in state.

I wouldn’t bother with primary private unless SEN is poor in local state and needed.

but for secondary school if you can afford it; do it. Since the conservative government came into play schools have been woefully underfunded and the lack of funding is really now affecting all the additional aspects of schooling eg quality of resources and extra curricular activities. That inflation rise in fees allows private schools to provide these that state schools can’t because of budget cuts.

Save your pennies until your children hit 11 and that should then cover the cost of the inflationary fee rises. It will save you 7 years of fees.

Ours were frozen last year and have gone up 2.5% this year