Private school fee negotiation

[LoubylooLucy]

We’re considering relocating to another area, 300 miles away from where we are now. The new area is completely overrun in their school system and the nearest school places available are in failing schools. We have 3 dc, so any private school bill is going to be huge!! Is it possible to negotiate fees with private schools?
All dcs in state schools at the moment and as they are 2 dds and 1 ds, private school sibling discounts don’t apply as would need different schools.

Thanks for any help!

It’s not normal at all.

If they’re willing to negotiate, they’re probably a fairly crap school. Several private schools are closing, and is worth they’d be next.

My eldest is in a private school. His fees per annum are around £14k. If I send his sister there, her fees would be discounted. It is worth shopping around for school places. Also, check out any bursaries and scholarships on offer.

I’d look for a mixed private school to get the best deal on sibling discounts.

There will be siblings discounts - try for a mixed school ?

Not normal

Schools may have a sibling discount, and are very likely to have a bursary policy, so you can try those routes.

But cutting individual deals outside those frameworks is exceptionally rare, as it would piss off all the other paying parents, and no school is going to invite in discord especially when it could erode the school’s reputation with potential new joiners.

Thanks all. I didn’t think it would be normal but had seen it somewhere on a US site.

This , in spades

Some schools will allow you to pay several years of fees in bulk at the current rates thus effectively inflation-proofing your fee bill. Of course this involves a massive initial outlay and commitment to the school. That’s the only thing I can think of outside sibling discounts and scholarships/bursaries.

You could apply for a bursary - which they can consider other school fees in the application. If you can get a scholarship I think it then becomes easier to apply for a bursary.

With 3 if you can find a school which would work for all of them you may get a good sibling discount.

you could also look at scholarships that are not means tested. My dd has an academic scholarship, 10% reduction in fees.

As others have said, not normal. Sibling discount usually not generous, 5-10% maybe. Less likely to do pay in advance now too given how much fees are going up by and the uncertainty of the election and Labour. Contact the admissions team for full info on bursaries and scholarships but that's about it.

Thanks again! Appreciate the replies x

Scholarship?

Otherwise no, you have no chance.

This is probably a far out option but often people who work at the school get a large discount for their kids. I know someone who got an admin job to get the fee discount

Beat way to get a discount is a scholarship or bursary - if you have three DC to pay for, worth having a chat with the school to see if there's a sibling discount.

Which are the failing schools with places?

As others have said, if your kids can get sport/music/academic scholarships you might be looking at 10% reduction. Otherwise no. To get a bursary you have to be really skint.

We get a sibling discount and plan to have all 5 at the same school. So your fees won't be the same for each child. Ours is 10% off for second child, and 5% off for every child after that.

Look into bursaries and scholarships, and maybe speak to a financial advisor to see how you can move money around

Aren’t you lovely

Sometimes you can negotiate. This is my experience with three different private schools, two schools negotiated and made an offer (in the form of larger sibling discounts than those advertised), one school laughed me out of the room.