Reconsidering private education/labour gov

[Bluevelvetcake2]

As it looks increasingly likely that we will have a Labour government at some point, I’m wondering if anyone who was considering private education for their children is now re-considering it? We have put down a deposit for a prep school we really like which we could comfortably afford at the moment but not with significant fee increases. Just wondering if anyone else has concerns along the same lines and if so what are you thinking…

State school mixed secondary are a shitshow for SEN kids and girls. The recent panorama showed the increase in sexual assaults with 8 out of 10 girls having been harassed or assaulted.

OP I would say primary state education is ok, I put mine through that then she went to a private school for girls for secondary.

Two reasons, one girls do better in single sex schools, two she has ADHD and ASD and classes of 30 are like putting her in the middle of a Harry styles concert and expecting her to concentrate. She is in a class of 12.

Make a decision based on what your children need, as individuals. Because not all private schools are great, they should be the right one for your child.

The long waits for SENDIST are extreme and only going in one direction. We are currently waiting on a July date. I just wanted to check you knew you could appeal and get the independent school named in section I.

If you’re wealthy enough to afford private school, you’re wealthy enough to suck up another few hundred quid. Stop whingeing. Private schools put up their prices all the time anyway. My son’s school changed the way they charged us so that it ended up being £200 a month more for ten months of the year.
Anyway, right now people are not even getting enough to eat and you’re crying about luxuries being more expensive? Read the room.

Oh and my son has multiple SENs and I thought private would help him. He’s now at a state grammar and the support is a million times better and FREE.

Many areas don't have grammar schools. The nearest one to us is hours away.

OP, if Labour get in, they will fund state schools properly so you won't have to waste money sending them to a private school, you can send them to a state school instead, and save that money for their uni.

Why do private schools have charitable status? Seems a little odd

I appreciate you may not have read my earlier post, but I did specifically say "private education (except for children with disabilities / other different cases e.g. parents in the forces who may genuinely have no alternative ) is the definition of luxury". That wasn't an exhaustive list either, for example some people living on islands/other unusual situations rely on private schools to board their kids.

I'm talking about people who have kids without severe difficulties/special circumstances, which must be most (especially as so many private schools are selective).

@GoldenCupidon I am really sorry. I have read the pages all out of order so I think I missed that, its a subject that is close to my heart but I shouldn't have been rude to you.

It's a bit of a myth that private schools are really selective in all cases. In my area 3 out of 4 aren't selective in the way people think.

If you take that option away what would you have for them? The sad facts are that state education in some areas are awful, in others it is amazing, if I lived 15-30 miles up the road the options would be significantly better. I hate that we felt it was the only option we felt was suitable, I was very against private education prior to my DCs starting school. My DS1 said to a friend after he started at a private school when she asked how he was enjoying his new school, he was 7 and said it is really nice, no one throws chairs at the teachers so we get to learn stuff. A very simplistic view from a child but the situation he was referring to was the 1:1 was on long term sick and there was no provision in place for this poor child.

Why was this not the case previously then. The state schools near me were still shocking then.

If there was a general election tomorrow they would win a landslide but there isn't going to be.
The boundary changes and voter ID legislation will be brought in.

I find it unbelievable that people can fixate on personal circumstances to such an extent that they hope a non-functioning government for which the poorest people pay with their lives continues so that they don't have to pay a bit more for something which is already a privilege. Your children would live in a better society under labour (or frankly anyone other than this set of megalomaniacs).

Don't worry about it @FlirtyMelons - sounds like you've had to fight for your kids

My heart bleeds for you

Given inflation I think you need to prepare for 10% annual increases anyway

A 20% increase due to VAT/charitable status would likely lead to private school closures.

Thank you, certainly not as much as some. The provision for SEN, particularly those who appear outwardly that they can manage in main stream, is awful in many parts of the UK.

Why be so nasty? It could be a really difficult time for this poster to move their children. It’s not their or their child’s fault that state education is underfunded. Having their kids cramming into the states system will only strain it further.

This - the Labour government vastly improved state schools.

@LovinglifeAF and your point is?
If you have nothing constructive to say, then move to another thread 🙄

Not all private schools have charitable status anyway, check the schools you are interested in. DD's school didn't but the fees were similar to those that did

The state school system will be fixed once the charitable status and vat will be imposed on them in the same way that taxing private hospitals has made the NHS provide exceptional service 🤣🤣🤣.

Nobody said it was a cause and effect issue in education (or in health). It is a question of whether you think money should go into public services or individual pockets. In the case of this particular Labour party it's a bit of both I'm sure but it will bloody DO at this point. Public schools being charities has always been a tax dodge.

The value of charitable status is about £200 per pupil per year.

I expect that will easily be covered by a fee increase - it's less than the variation in fees between schools anyhow

Also worth thinking about how all the private school teachers who inevitably will end up back in the state school system will fund their TPS pensions. In private schools, that 23% contribution is paid by the school, via fees. If they end up back in the state system, that’s an additional cost for the taxpayer to pick up.

DC’s school employer contributions to teachers pension schemes last year was over £1m. If 500 out of 1300 private schools close, that’s a lot of extra funds for the tax payer to pay. And 500 fewer schools to be charging VAT to.

Looking at my own family, we have one child and, having worked in state education for many years, considered independent education for her when she starts school. Our salaries, if we continue to work full time and climb the ladder, would JUST cover it, there would be very little left over.

However, the concept of a 15-20% rise means there's no way we can afford it and we won't be putting her in if there is a risk we will have to withdraw her later. We cannot "absorb the cost" as the extra money is simply not there. If we're not paying for private education, we'll probably reduce our working hours to enable us to do more supplementary activities with her.

So, thats:
£8000 pa for her education in the state system
£2000 in reduced payments of income tax due to reducing hours

We were considering a small independent which would be likely to close if the number of pupils drops. Several of the teachers we spoke to said they would not return to the state sector under any circumstances, so they will then be job hunting, likely to take a pay cut or be out of work altogether. That's another swathe of income tax.

This scheme will not only cost a fortune and make very little back, it will also make independent schools the preserve only of the super-rich and price middle class people out completely.