To think the demographics of families using Grammar schools, are the ones that used private schools in the 80s and 90s.

[mountford100]

I look at my DDs grammar schools and notice many of the parents driving mid range Mercedes and Bmw and Volvo's. Whereas The private school families can be seen to picking up their kids in thier 'Betaganya's and Cayanne's ' (Bentley's and Porsche's).

This is a culture and wealth difference that has developed over the last 30 years or so . I can remember my father having an aforementioned Bmw 7 Series.

This was the 'best car' at my grammar school and was equal to what my friends families with children at private schools had.

It seems today that £60k cars are the norm of grammar schools and £150k cars are normal at private schools.

This i think explains why Private schools have become the domain of the Wealthy. Private schools have removed if not by fees than socially even the offspring of Doctors ,Accountants and other professional people.

30 years ago were able to attend Private schools because their mother took a part time job up to pay the fees.

This is no longer available !

I went to private school in the 80's/90's. We had one income, a SAHM and help from GP's. We now send 2 DC to private school, DH and I both work in the City but bought our respective first houses in the late 90's so have a small mortgage. We also drive knackered old cars as do lots of the parents. School fees inflation is out of control.

My kid is at a private school, I drive a Ford Focus. I am by no means the worst car picking up. On the other hand there are those in Bentley's and Porsches.

We afford to send them there, by not having posh cars or foreign holidays and me working full time. Its a stretch of course.

I too went to a private school, my dads car was very old and beaten up, again by no means the only old car at picking up time.

I earn on my own proportionally more than my father did as sole breadwinner when my parents sent two of us to private school in the 90s, at an even earlier stage of life. My husband earns more than me, just about. We have only just got to the point where we can think about just about affording a house, with parental help on both sides.

I actually don't like private schools and wouldn't send my children to one if we could afford it, but it's not even on the radar. And we don't live extravagantly, either, unless you count rent.

@BertrandRussell, completely agree but it does also depend on where you are - my parents did it in the north and we live sarf now. But if we were in the north we'd earn considerably less doing the same roles, and I know what fees my school charges now, so I think it's still very true that we couldn't do it.

That said, we'd have had a house ten years ago in the north so perhaps. Still wouldn't do it for non-cost-related reasons but it's a moot point for us anyway.

To add to all the other comments, we are a very average income (we get tax credits) family with 2 boys at the local grammar school. I get the impression that grammar places are much more competitive in the south and you need to be tutored within an inch of your life to get in, but both my eldest two got in withoug tutoring. All their friends seem like us - ordinary families, none likely to have been at private school in the past. We are in the midlands.

Ds is at private and I drive an 04 reg Beatle, and my mums just dropped me off a bag of shopping as she knows I’m bloody broke at the moment.

We are up north, so maybe it’s different, but there’s every type of parent here. The ones who live in a castle but drive a 15 year old Volvo, to the guy in the Porsche, to me who’s a single parent and brassic. No one gives a toss really!

I’ve found state schools I’m naice areas to be worse as people feel they have more to prove. The more established just don’t give a shit!

Our kid is at private school and we drive an 8 year old heap o’shite, so bucking trend. But that’s probably because we don’t value cars very much. There are nicer cars about nowadays at all school pickups as most people PCP or rent them. I agree though, school fee inflation is nuts.

So we need grammar schools more than ever This to help the children that might have had a chance though private schools, but can no longer access them !

I know that is a controversial thing to say. However, why should a child who would achieve great things via a selective education be denied this.
Especially on the basis of expediency, solely to a socialist ideology.

I went to a private Grammar school in the 80s. We didn't have the fees and drove a proper banger. Really, I could hear my mum coming to pick me up from two roads away. Hole like a fifty pee in the exhaust.

But I was never bullied for being poor. Which we were, compared to some of the fee paying kids families - but by no means all. A lot of the kids now looking back were in the same boat, when all was said, done and paid for.

Grammar schools are a relic, won't be with us for all that much longer. They still made a degree of sense back in the day when the C grade at GCE was aimed at the top c20% of the pupil population, wasn't for everyone, you needed to segregate at some point. Nowadays the segregation is an end in itself. Not sustainable.

I was at boarding school early 80’s. In todays momey fees were about 14k. They are now about 37k.

Lots of reasons behind the rises.
Some of the London grammars are as good academically is the very best private schools and lots parents choose them if children get in even if they have places in private school.

DD went to grammar and DS is currently in grammar. I don't drive and we live on a council estate. I live in a bit of an odd area educationally speaking. Hardly any private schools a massive Labour stronghold but has 6 grammar schools on a tiny peninsular. The grammar schools my DC's attended are very left wing and DS's school was the school of a former Labour PM and DD's old school is very proud that a former pupil is a current Labour MP.

No Russian billionaires at my sons prep school. Some families are having help from grandparents for fees, others a mix of middle class professionals and local business owners. It’s a Grammar area here though so really the aim of most of us sending to this prep school is that we hope to be Grammar parents for secondary!

Both DCs at local prep. DH and I on about £90k each. It's a struggle to pay the fees. DH drives a ten year old bmw and I drive an old 4x4. Ive just checked my bank balance and I'm -£150 already this month.

The school parents drive anything from brand new range rovers to old hatchbacks. No one cares. It's not that sort of school. I think lots of the parents there can just about afford it, like us!

No idea what we're going to do for senior school. Most private options around £30k per year per child. Impossible!!

I went to private school on a full scholarship. My parents drove a Ford.

I have one DC at state primary, one at state secondary (we're not in a grammar school area) and one at private prep school (long story - just until he's old enough for the state secondary). I drive a Ford too.

I went to a birthday party last week. It was a joint one between a private school child and a state school. The main thing I noticed was that the private school parents were all pretty old. Dad’s were well into their 50’s at a 6 year olds party.

I was born and brought up in a grammar school area. The demographic is the same as it ever was - blue collar and monied trades (self employed sparkies) but with a higher proportion of children from Black African/Indian/Pakistani/Chinese origins.

Rare to find 'posh' people. Certainly some people have done well for themselves but by and large the pupils are Michael and David rather than Tristram and Cassius

I’ve one at a SS and one at a normal grammar. Parents are overwhelmingly middle class. The SS is more diverse - parents from different cultures (that probably value education more than ours).

My friend whose DC is also at the same normal grammar also has an elder DC at a sec modern and was utterly horrified at the difference in the cars in the car park at the two. (The grammar stuffed with BMWs, Volvos etc).

Conversely, at the local secondary indie, there’s more of a mix. I know of one who has 5 DC go through there but drives an old banger. Cars aren’t the best indicator TBH! As pp said, indie education often paid for by grandparents, special trust funds, bursaries etc.

I find the difference at sec modern vs grammar (both state) more shocking.

I'm confused as all the grammar schools near me are private

Most grammars are state Sleeping.

We live in one of the few remaining fully 11+ counties. Kids take test aged 10 and 25% get into grammar school. The rest go to sec modern or indie.

The 25% that get into state grammars near us are overwhelmingly middle class.

I went to school in 80’s and 90’s. My parents had old Volvo or fiats. I don’t remember posh cars at my private schools. Muddy farm cars yes.