If you were privately educated in the UK, what job do you do and how much do you get paid?

[MNisMyGuiltyPleasure]

You often hear that people who were privately educated had a better start in life and that's why they are more likely to secure better-paid jobs.

I was not privately educated but I am well paid. So I'm curious to see what jobs people who were privately educated in the UK have as adults, an how much they earn from those jobs.

I know 3 privately educated people:

1. Is a banker, living a very good life in Switzerland. Don't know how much he earns but it's a lot
2. Is a teacher at the local comprehensive earning about £40,000
3. Is an admin assistant earning around £23,000

I also know many state educated people who are extremely successful and earning lots of money. I would never send a child to a private school in the hope they'd end up in a highly paid job. I would never send a child to private school anyway, I just don't want them only mixing with wealthier people. We are lucky that we've had very positive experience with our local state primary and secondary schools.

@SallyWD
i just find it weird that if you’re not wealthy why you’d send your kids to one? It would just be super awkward (among other reasons). You just wouldn’t fit in!

My kids go private to ensure they get the support for their SEN that state schools around us simply can't provide due to poor funding and no mechanism for us to fund it directly.

DH is privately educated and earns 100K plus. I'm state schooled all the way and shit ones at that. I out earn him by 2.5 times.

Frankly if I am able to get my children through school I'll consider it a win.

@Terryscombover do you get a free place for your child as they have sen

I too have not seen anyone concluding that they have wasted money on private education for their children. There are people who hated their own private education. That's fair as many people hated their own schooling for various reasons.

A colleague of mine made a firm statement before before having children that she would never send her children to private schools as it's against her political philosophy. She lives in the North London lefti bubble. Now having children and seeing the school choice available, she has redacted and contemplated private schools, making applications and getting offers for the children but hesitating at the cost.

Like any parenting decision, starting with birthing plans/sleeping arrangment etc, only those who have been through the experience know what is right for them and their children

@Joesghostkyconscience no! I couldn't get support that they had SEN at the state school. They were "well behaved" so clearly no issues. Both diagnosed when at the new school with the right support from the teaching staff.

I don't blame the state school. 36 in KS2 classes. I consider all the staff there absolute saints.

I'd say that state schools in leafy catchments full of expensive houses are pretty likely to create a homogenous pupil body where everyone is of similar wealth.

On the other hand, most independent schools have very generous bursary programmes that allow substantial numbers of children from low income families to attend if they have the academic potential.

Or whatever KS years 3 to 6 is!

And @Joesghostkyconscience even if a good state school has a wider range of family income levels, it's well-documented that streamed classes very often divide the kids into groups with similar economic backgrounds. That was starkly evident at the comprehensive that I attended.

Privately educated, lost any confidence or self-esteem I had while there, bullied a bit, low-paying admin job now. My children go to a state school where they are happy and I make sure their self-esteem and confidence is built, not knocked down.

State or private, it's about where they're happy. A quiet, unassuming state school child would be 'eaten alive' to use a popular phrase, at the likes of Eton.

I just find that if you spend and stretch yourself to put your kids through private it’s not fair on the kids as most of the kids in private will be rich and be going on holidays abroad, etc etc won’t be fair on the kids that perhaps aren’t able to have all these things. Whereas in state it’ll be more balanced I imagine and your more likely to find kids from a similar background.

My observation among a wide range of state and private educated peers is that having a substantial house deposit given to them by parents has made more difference to standard of living as an adult than education.

So, unless you are wealthy enough to afford both, if you're looking for good outcomes you should save your school fees and give your child a house deposit.

That’s a valid point too!!!!

Absolutely hit the nail on the head with your last paragraph; when parents have sacrificed everything for their child’s education, of course they will expect it to be “worthwhile” in terms of future career and salary.
I think it’s really unhealthy and unfair on the children in these situations to have such a pressure placed on them through a decision they more than likely didn’t make.

when parents have sacrificed everything for their child’s education, of course they will expect it to be “worthwhile” in terms of future career and salary.
I think it’s really unhealthy and unfair on the children in these situations to have such a pressure placed on them through a decision they more than likely didn’t make.

Wow, you're making a lot of assumptions here!

How do you know that parents who made sacrifices to pay for their children's education don't simply expect happiness?

How can you judge that it's 'unfair' on their children?

DH was anti Private schools, totally unnecessary and a waste of money apparently.
When it was time to look at Secondary schools for DD we visited 2 State schools (one we were very unlikely to get a place at) and 2 Private schools.
He ended up more determined she went Private than I was.

Of course it’s unfair to have so much pressure on them. Look at some PPs on here who are saying it’s “not worth it” if they don’t get a high paid career.

It's unfair for parents to "expect" anything.
They chose to spend their child to private school; it wasn't the child's choice.

Of course it’s unfair to have so much pressure on them.

Yes, it would be unfair!

But my point was that you do not know that parents are actually putting pressure on their children, you're simply assuming it!

Parents may be willing to make sacrifices simply so their children are happy!

I was a teacher and left when i was earning £40k. I decided to change career and went back to uni for 4 years to retrain. I start FT work in July (hopefully) and will start back on £26k.

It's unfair for parents to "expect" anything.
They chose to spend their child to private school

Exactly. Parents choose how they spend their money and generally want the best for their children!

DH still has ‘but we sacrificed so much to send you to school’ thrown at him as a bargaining chip / blackmail by his parent - and he is mid-50s.

I suppose the other interesting thing to think about is that if you live near a half-way decent state school and simply invested the private school fees you would have spent from reception-sixth form it would be a nice next egg for your dc when they turn 30 - well invested I suspect it could grow nicely and/or provide a half decent income (or be a fully paid up pension).

DH still has ‘but we sacrificed so much to send you to school’ thrown at him as a bargaining chip / blackmail by his parent

Well, that's just terrible parenting in general!

Nothing to do with the school your DH went to!!

Personally I don't think private adds much

What matters:
Decent IQ / CATs (110+)
Any SEN managed well
Highly engaged, supportive professional parents
Highly educated parents
Family income top 30-40% ish eg not hard up
Stable home life and key parenting figures
Good peer group
Safe local area
Stable housing eg same bedroom for teen years
Economically up area eg can see opps within 2hr of where you live that pay enough for a home, car and holidays

Many families can do this and have reasonable enough schools nearby.

We're staving tuition fees & allowance (1k a month for the kids currently) and have some buy to let accomm can release house deposits from

Private education is a rip off in my view.

I earn £160k, bank director & DH earns £185k in IT. Both went to state schools. Get 20-30% bonus each too. Work very hard.