private school costs - can average earners afford these?

[coffeeforone]

On the back of a recent thread taking about very cheap private school it got me wondering. If we pay £1500 per month for nursery fees, as most parents in the area do, can we afford private school long term? The fees mentioned in the thread were so much less than this.

Is it an option to consider if we don't get offered our top 3 choices of state primary and are not happy with the school the LA offer?

Currently looking at schools for DS next September, I don't think any of the parents at DS's nursery are considering private education, and neither are us? But I'm now thinking why not? I have done no research at all on independent school costs, I just thought they were well out of the reach of average earners, maybe I'm wrong?

Depends on the fees. The private school nearest me only charge £1910 per term throughout the primary years. No increase as the child gets older, however private senior school is a lot more expensive!

Watching this with interest!

Oops..posted on wrong thread ..how do I delete?

id say, let him / her have a normal childhood like most kids, not be considered a snob, get to know kids from all backgrounds in normal school, its the real world after all, and then with the money, take them away for weekends to paris or the alps, educate them that way, and get a holiday yourself !!!

'id say, let him / her have a normal childhood like most kids, not be considered a snob,'

My dc has a very 'normal childhood' and certainly isn't 'considered a snob'

But then I wonder what a 'snob' would be perceived to be in your opinion?

Any dc that has a private education perhaps? That's how it comes across.

id say, let him / her have a normal childhood like most kids, not be considered a snob, get to know kids from all backgrounds in normal school, its the real world after all

You do know private schools actually let their children out now to mix with the masses 🙄

Private school children mix with all kinds of children never mind neighbours and people from state schools for sports matches, in the street, in life. Most private schools are day schools and most children in them are not snobbish, however you define that. My twins are at Bristol University and have friends from state grammars, comprehensives, day private schools, boarding schools, all sorts.

@Kidlacky

I’m going to take a wild punt here. You don’t have much if any actually experience of private schooling?

And you’re basing you’re view on some kind of Oliver Twist view of the world

Obviously you can't judge all private school children on ones you've met, I think it's more the money bubble. I have uni friends & some school friends that went to private schools & they are no different from me. However when I ended up working for certain companies (desirable industry, not good pay) I found a large % were from the 30k a yr private schools. They weren't snobs as such, some just had no real experience outside of their little world & had very sheltered life's, eg the driver taking them to & from work as opposed to tube, on the housing ladder at 21 in a 1.5m house, going on a city break with a teen actor, etc.

Private school children mix with all kinds of children

I'm sure that some do, but equally some won't mix with children outside of those that go to their school. (this isn't restricted to private school children of course but you're more likely to have range of children from different backgrounds at a state school).

My niece and nephew go to private school and my DC are the only state educated children they know (and we only see them once or twice a year, so that doesn't really count as mixing). From what their parents say, it's not remotely unusual for children at their school to do all their activities at school, so they don't mix with others at clubs etc, which is the main place where my children have met others from different schools.

I think the consideration is if you have more than one child.

If you ca do it, do it! DH and I did not considered indie at all for our DC as we were not privately educated, but that was then... I have taught in both sectors and would crawl over hot coals to send own DC to indies.

Which school @Bunter888? (First letter will do). Love the username, btw.