School dilemma - is the 20% increase going to happen?

[FredandAmy]

We have one Y7 DC at private school and a younger DC due to start school later this year. Both DC are dyslexic (youngest not yet officially diagnosed but obvious to me and nursery staff have raised it) and the private school has excellent learning support. It has been amazing for DC1.

Planned to send both private but now worried about the potential huge rise in fees when Labour wins the election next year. We can currently afford fees for both by making sacrifices but if two sets immediately rise by 20+% it would mean one would have to leave.

We have a good state school close by, and hopefully she’ll get a place there but I’m worried that the DC will resent not being treated equally. Also worried that DC will not receive the support they need.

Am I worrying unnecessarily? I don’t want to start her at the private school and have to pull her out when she’s settled, and then find the state school doesn’t have any places. Not sure what to do for the best.

I’m not bothered about charity work, or the fact that parents pay twice, it’s the brain drain and the departure of motivated parents who take education seriously that does the bulk of societal damage.

Oh Jesus, wells and toilets? How did Africa manage to build anything before we started shipping over over-privileged children looking to flesh out their cv? 😂

Our local private schools have teamed up with the local state schools and share training and best practice. The results in the state schools have improved.

Another local private state school is part of a group of schools, which includes both private and state schools, with management, teachers, training etc, all being shared. How is that going to work?

Umm yeah sorry, there are things I care far more about than private school fees and VAT. I imagine many in the country feel the same and will (hopefully) be voting labour.

Anyway sorry for the derail OP, as pp confirmed fees can change anyway I’d consider removing older child and starting younger in state, then use the money you’re savings for tutoring and enrichment as needed.

You’d think… however 1997 saw them in with the class war centred around fox-hunting. They’d fucking love this shit.

Put your kids into state school. Use the money that’s currently going to a private school to hire tutors where subject appropriate. Get your kids music lessons. Get them to do summer art camps (our local arts college does summer holiday art boot camps for 11+ some activities are 13+) or summer sports camps.

Significantly better for both kids to have the same access to tailored support in your local community. you’ll have more options to give them.

You’re putting money into the hands of local people too.

many state school kids have dyslexia and absolutely thrive mostly because parents work with the schools to get the right adjustments in place.

Yes, I agree with this. If Labour win winter 2024 (which i Hope they do), the earliest it could be implemented is the start of the school year 2025-26, at which point your older DC would be year 10. You could look to move them for a levels.

i think it would probably take longer than a year to actually come in, though (consultations, other priorities etc).

however, I am expecting up to 10% fee increase this year (last year’s 5% was before trussonomics) - there will be price rises even without vat

Just to balance out all these comments, I did go and view a private school and it was shit. Really dated and half the staff weren't qualified teachers. Going to build toilets in Africa 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄, seriously ?

About £6,800 per pupil. Additions for pupil premium, looked after children etc

Fox hunting was a LOT easier to progress. You didn’t need to calculate the impact on a major state service!

But this is how they want to fund all of this stuff….

And there’s huge issues with that type of charity Tourism. There’s a lot of evidence to show it rarely helps the communities it’s supposed to and it’s more an exercise in making oneself feel good about helping ‘poor people’ and being able to post about it on the internet.

If Labour are going to scrap our school’s charitable status to pacify their hard left

• *it's not the hard left. I'm definitely left of centre and I think this is the right thing to do . Personally I'd like the Finnish system. My dd is considered a disadvantages student at her uni because she is a minority of state school kids. That just isn't right and the lack of understanding from a childhood about how a range of people live is why we are in this mess. Private schools buy networks not necessarily well rounded thoughtful people.

BTW my right of centre dh agrees with the policy.

The vast majority of parents who can afford to send their children to private school don't need more reasons to vote conservative.

...cue dozens of absolutely true stories about how the average private school parent works 20 hours a day on minimum wage,lives in a shed, walks to work and eats only bread and water.

My older brother went to private school while my sister and I went to state. It did cause resentment and I've never forgotten it. In my opinion you can't send one, you have to send both.

So if you can't afford private school you're not motivated and don't take education seriously? Ok.

OP, I would also consider the financial stability of the schools. This will cause some private schools over time to shut, for sure, if they are not already comfortable for pupil numbers

People saying that the OP needs to send both - the younger is about to start private primary whilst the elder is at private secondary. The elder has already had a number of private school years.

I’d send my primary aged DC to state school, and pay extra for dyslexia support and tutoring if needed.

That would take my eldest through to end of secondary in private, at which point presumably you could then send DC2 to private for secondary.

Private schools have a lot of capacity or cut costs if they find the fees becoming unaffordable. A lot have ridiculously expensive facilities.

Fees have risen hugely in the last 10 years and the schools are still thriving so the market doesn’t appear to be particularly price sensitive.

Hi op whatever happens if they do rise the tax and you can't afford it.... Make sure you fight with every breath for your dc to get the proper same support at state school.

That will unfortunately cost the tax payer more but obviously that is what your dc need so the state should provide 8mit

I’m not bothered about charity work, or the fact that parents pay twice, it’s the brain drain and the departure of motivated parents who take education seriously that does the bulk of societal damage

This is bollocks. I taught at a top comprehensive for years. It frequently screwed the local private schools on A level results.

And this just sums up the problem about entitlement. Vote conservative and continue with this shit show because of private school fees 🙄.

This would make me even more motivated to get rid of them.

How much will it actually raise? Lots of parents won’t be able to afford it so will take up their state place instead. There seems to be an assumption that all current parents will be able to find the money, but what if they don’t, and quite a few private schools close? I know some people want that to happen, but it will reduce the amount Labour are planning on raising if there are fewer schools to tax.
Just wondering how realistic their calculations are.