Private school parents - fees for next term....

[STST]

So, you're already part of the tiny percentage of people who can pay for their children's schooling.

You've committed and planned to pay for schooling for 15 years (age 3 - 18).

One terms fees out of 45 is a drop in the bloody ocean. Seriously. You've committed hundreds of thousands to this. You've essentially chosen to work several extra years of your life to pay for this. That is a very very generous thing to do for your children's future.

And now people get gripey about paying for a service that THEY demand.

You CANNOT decide not to pay your fees. The gardeners, cleaners, matrons, secretaries, teachers, support staff are paid through your fees. By not paying, they don't get paid. It is really simple. If you don't pay, other families have no income.

If you are still receiving your full salary, you owe it to the school to pay your fees. In full. Without complaint. That's if you want a school to go back to when this all ends, fully staffed by dedicated teachers.

Those staff, ALL OF THEM, rely on their income to provide for their families too. You should pay. That is what you signed up to.

If everyone pays their full fees, then there is a cushion to help those who genuinely can't (job loss etc). If you are still being paid, then you should just bloody pay up.

I can't bear this quibbling over getting money off. Fucksake. What about the bloody staff at the school? They don't get to decide if they want to pay Sainsbury's for their shop, or Halifax for their mortgage. Because they commit to paying for a service that they want/require. And so should everyone else.

You chose to pay for private school. You want that facility there. So bloody pay for it. In full.

We have children in private school. We have not lost our jobs. We will pay, even if our children do not spend a second in the school between now and god knows when. Because that is what we committed to, and there is no way I could sleep at night knowing that by not paying, someone through no fault of their own might lose their job or not be paid.

@pingbloodyping yes keep up that attitude, what you fail to realise is that if private school parents can keep paying then (a) that's more money in the economy for everyone and (b) less risk of private schools going under and overwhelming the already stretched state system.

For those advocating the closure of private schools, yes that may be something which is achievable one day, but to ensure there was enough investment in the state sector to cope with it would take years. If this happened suddenly with the collapse of private schools do you really think that is the upper/ middle class kids who will be most impacted ?

I am a school governor in a deprived inner city school and a parent of a child in private school. She is in private school because she has mild to moderate SEN. This is the right environment for her. Yes I am
lucky we have this choice, but I am also freeing up space and resources for others in the state sector (where let me be clear parents of SEN children who have the resource and ability to push for better support fair much better than parents who don't).

I can see from the threads that there are mixed responses on how children are being supported by their schools state and private. Let's be a bit kind to all teachers who are struggling with this new world too and see what next term brings. I used to be very much of the view that "those who can do, those who can't teach" before I became a teacher. This is entirely wrong. Teachers are generally amazing, patient people who do a job, for limited pay, which I would never be capable of doing.

Of course I'm paying the fees for the next term. My child will be remote learning (as she did for the last week of term). They run the same class schedule as normal and she is at her desk from 8.50-4.30 - they even had them do games (burpees, pushups etc). The teachers mainly taught from their homes but there are over 40 kids of key workers who will be able to go to school throughout the crisis, even through the Easter holidays. The boarding element has stayed open as many children couldn't go home and also for key worker children, and they have waived half the boarding fees for this while providing all sorts of activities.
I feel the school has done an amazing job to get the system up and running, has kept us informed daily, has dealt with their own staff shortages yet still managed to provide a comprehensive schedule of classes and activities.
I would hope with the resources they have that private schools in the main could be doing similar for all their students.

What a weird, self indulgent, self congratulatory thread

Sums it up. Op don’t pay yourself on your back too hard you might break your spine.

Pat

Utter rubbish @Piglet89 .... everyone can better themselves.

Problem is people don't, they think paying for it is the answer.

They can't furlough all the teaching staff.
They need enough in to do the childcare and enough available to work to provide online home learning.

If furloughed they cannot work at all.

Where we live the independent schools have an awful lot of key worker children as we have a large teaching hospital group (with four big hospitals.) I know at least two local independent schools have a fair number of pupils still in school as a result. They are also running a lot of live lessons and providing a lot of home learning - even for their year 11 and 13s.

I think 20/25% discount is reasonable.

That’s assuming that the quality of teaching online is high. And you can afford it,

We have two DC at private school and wouldn’t dream of withholding fees. We are fortunate to be financially secure and I feel for those without that cushion.

@bulletjournalbilly everyone can better themselves...but it’s a lot easier to better yourself if your parents pay to surround you with good teachers and facilities and other kids whose parents are equally infested in their children’s education.

*invested

Yes I do agree @Piglet89 it is a very valid point.

I don't see the wrong in that personally, but then that would make me bias because of my paid for education. (They were all unsuccessful actors and musicians mind you! )

Equally, if we know that surrounding yourself with successful, articulate and worldly people why don't people do more of that then, you don't have to pay for that.

I'm not having a go by the way @Piglet89 I do find it interesting.

‘ping bloody ping yes keep up that attitude, what you fail to realise is that if private school parents can keep paying then (a) that's more money in the economy for everyone and (b) less risk of private schools going under and overwhelming the already stretched state system.‘

For me that’s right up there with the ‘let’s give the wealthiest people the biggest tax breaks and then they’ll spend more of their wealth and we all benefit’ argument. AKA the total bullsh&t argument.
Maybe some of these elite private schools ( with their bullshit ‘charity’ tax avoidance status) could think about selling some of their resources if they get in financial trouble. The land, the paddocks, the bloody zoo ( like the one by us has).

@squirrelntbum
I’m not privately educated but even I have the wit to see that letting elite people have the tax breaks, the money, the privilege does NOTHING for anyone else. It perpetuates inequality, keeps the rich wealthy and hoards the money and resources for the few.

So, no, I’m not going to weep into my cornflakes this morning thinking about the plight of a business that caters to the few not having its usual income because it’s clients don’t want to pay for a service that they aren’t receiving.

Apologies for the bold! (Told you .. thick as mud)

I am a teacher in a private school and a lot of our children are kids who for whatever reason, haven't managed to have success in mainstream. It certainly isn't a school for toffs, or worthy of some of these ridiculous remarks.

I have 2 children in mainstream local school, and 2 in private. One really didn't thrive in the local school and when he was able to get a grant due to a diagnosis, we were so relieved. He is thriving. My youngest comes with me because logistically it is easier, and I was offered a free place when I started working at the school. If that was taken away, I would put him in the local school with no issue.

FWIW, I am working around the clock, so much harder than I normally do (and I put in a lot of hours) to make sure that my lessons are comprehensive and comprehensible for everyone. As I am not delivering lessons online, I have to make sure that the parents can guide the children. Which of course, they have not been trained to do.

So it isn't easy and my anxiety is through the roof.

But going back to finances, we all have a duty to sustain our obligations if we can. My boss is continuing to support the catering and cleaning companies for school. I am continuing to pay my childcare and cleaning costs for as long as I can (she is a single mum and relies heavily on me, I do feel a massive obligation and gratitude towards her.)

OP YANBU

Surely it’s quite simple. If the teachers are still providing a good online learning service and you can pay, pay. If you can’t pay because you are now in financial difficulties, speak to the school.

No point judging other people’s situations when you have no idea what they are going through.

Details of the furloughing scheme say that 80% of the furloughed employee’s wages will be covered to a maximum of £2,500 per month plus the related employer’s NI and 3% employer pension costs. Teachers pension employer contributions are 23%, so the school I assume would still have to make a 20% pension contribution for a furloughed teacher.

Furloughing teaching staff wouldn't work because the hope that parents will continue to pay fees is based entirely on the idea that teaching staff are continuing to teach online and provide resources etc.
If the staff are furloughed, they are not allowed to work, so none of this could happen and the parents would definitely refuse to pay.

If not enough parents pay then it’s likely some will have to be furloughed I think.

I think if you're a key worker and your kids are still going to school you should be charged the full fees. But if not then there should be a discount assuming the school can claim from the government

Admittedly, talking within the realms of people who can afford school fees BUT there will be a lot of non-essential workers that are earning a lot more than keyworkers and may still be receiving a good income. Keyworkers don't have a choice about whether they should go to work (rightly so in this situation) but seems harsh to make them pay when others get a discount and potentially have the time to do work with their DCs.

I hope if you can pay you do pay. My DH has been here all week, taking every single lesson online, doing form time, responding to emails from students, marking, having online staff meetings etc.

All the local independent schools round here are running full online lessons with lots of love sessions during the day.

Similar here - 'love sessions' arranged during the evening and school holidays as well. Usual timetabled lessons online, plus independent work and marking feedback for my year 7 and year 13 dc last week - continuing next term. My year 13 dc has had individual chats with several teachers to go over mock exams - we have been told they will receive pre-university extension lessons in June for those confident with their exam predictions for A levels. Happy to pay for that.

The govt will now be paying 80% of fees won’t they?

A lot of parents might have lost jobs, closed businesses, being furloughed and be struggling themselves.

There is discussion around fees on our area, among parents at three if the main private schools used.

So fat, the people I have seen moaning on the What's App groups are the same ones that will want the school to be up and running as if nothing has happened in September. The ones that want millions spent on new sports halls and the like but not the fee increase to pay for it. They don't seem to grasp that at a private school the parents are the magic money tree, so to speak, to keep the show in the road. The schools rely on fees. I am just a bit baffled that this didn't factor into their thinking when they chose this path.

"So far"

But agree if online stuff is being provided it would be nice if parents continue to pay if they can afford to.

I’ve “furloughed” my dog walker who I strongly suspect works cash in hand. I’m continuing to pay her. If I lose my job down the line that might change but while I can I will.