Can’t afford school fees any longer

[Whichwaytooo]

We have 2 DC (Year 3 and Year 5), both at private school. Our bills have more than doubled this year, but the big issue is our fixed rate mortgage ends in 7 months’ time and our monthly costs are going to go up massively.

Added to that school fees are increasing by 8% due to CoL, and then it’s looking like there will be VAT on top of that. It’s just no longer affordable for us.

We’re wondering whether to take younger DC out of their school now, and try to weather the storm for a year with older DC and then go state for secondary. But both love their school and I think it will cause huge resentment in younger DC. I do have the option of working 6 days a week to bring in more money but I feel that I hardly see my DC as it is. We have to pay next term’s fees anyway as haven’t given a term’s notice, but would it be easier to move both to state school at the beginning of a new school year?

Another issue is that there isn’t space for both DC at the same local school, so easier to justify keeping elder at current school for a year.

Sorry, a bit of a ramble but any advice would be appreciated.

Take them out. You can’t afford it. You have no other option

Move them for the new academic year, you can’t take one out at a time if your youngest will feel hard done by. It’s not fair. Sorry you’re in this position but don’t worry, I’m sure the state school’s education will be great.

Sorry, but if you can't afford it, then you can't afford it.

And don't treat your DC differently. That's an awful thing to do.

Give notice now and you relueve the financial pressure quickly and they are both treated equally.

Both need to move schools or neither of them. It'll give your eldest longer to make friends before going up with them to secondary.

I have moved my son in year in primary twice. I really don't think it makes that much difference if you do it in September or at the end of the notice period. Yes to moving them both at the same time. Your year 6 would normally walk themselves to school (assuming you are in a town not out in a village), you could start building their confidence now by letting them go to the local shop for sweets, things like that. Open days for state secondaries can be as early as July but usually September/ October. Good luck with it all.

I'd say the sooner you pull the eldest the better. That way they are settled into the state system before secondary.

Pull them both. Your eldest can then do Year 6 and create a friendship group to go forward to secondary school

You need to take them out of private school. From what you've said you obviously can't afford to keep them in and there's no shame in that. It's brilliant that you've recognised this before your financial situation spirals out of control. I think as others have said it's best to take them out together as they will only be at different primaries for a short amount of time and they must feel that they're being treated equally.

If you can't afford it then take them out now.

Let your eldest do a year in state primary then go to high school with friends.

It would be horrendously unfair to send a privately educated child to state secondary without and prep.

I say that as someone who went to both private and state school.

I'd negotiate a fix next month, see what the inflation rate looks like & where it is heading in September (prior to school return), then give a month's notice before term starts if needed . You can renegotiate or get another supplier for the mortgage later on when the old rate ends, which may be better anyway.

Take both of them out, unfair to just take out one.

Move them both out asap. There is going to be a lot (more than there is already) of pressure soon.

Do you need to give a terms notice?

I would move them both for September.

I know you have to pay notice, but honestly, I’ve moved a couple of times with my children and it’s always been far easier starting a new school in September.

My eldest started a new school in year 6 once, he was fine moving up to secondary for year 7 with the friends he had made.

You'll be liable for next term's fees for both of them anyway, as you need to give a full term's notice before withdrawing them, so you might as well keep them both at their current school until Christmas. I know it's not ideal to split them up and move one and not the other, but if the state school only has space for the younger one and the older one will finish at the private school next June, I'd probably him/her there until then and then state the older one at state secondary next Sept.

*START the older one

Speak to the school and make sure you have explored all your options. Ours has a hardship fund for parents who find themselves in situations like this. They might be able to help you.

Pull them both out. Never treat them differently.

I would talk to the school and see if they could cover one set of fees if you keep them both in for the year. You never know. Plus it might mean they are better off than with neither of them for 2 terms.

Private school parent here. We only have one and are fortunate that we can still just about afford it. However I have great sympathy - it's heartbreaking to have to move schools if your children are happy there. I reckon, up and down the country, there are many, many private school parents in your position. Maybe speak to the school in the first instance and see what they can do? I know our school have said the bursar's door is open to any family who are finding fees hard to pay - they will try and help you find a way to make it work.

Don’t forget you will need to make the application for secondary school in the autumn .

Talk to the school first and see if they can do anything to help.

if you have to move them I’d move them in sept. It’s just easier at the start of a school year.

I’d take them both out for Spring term after you’ve served notice at private school. Jump on it quickly as state school places will get snapped up as more and more people can’t afford private school.

my dd has lots of ex-private school friends at her comprehensive and they all adjusted no problem. Don’t worry!

Take them both out.