School fees have risen by 19% in the space of 12 months

[Findingfactsaboutfees]

AIBU to think this is outrageous ?! Fees are exorbitant anyhow and in the last 12 months we have had an increase of 19% by way of 2 increases in a 12 month period. Fees per year for the senior school are £16690 per year and do not include state of the art facilities as other local schools do. The junior school fees aren't much less either! This is a school in the north of England. If you are paying for education, where are you based and how much do you pay? I wonder whether it is comparable.

Private education will only be for the ultra-rich if fees continue to rise at the rate that they are. It is unsustainable for most working professionals who are comfortable but not ultra-wealthy! Parents locally have tried to take their children out but can't as there are no state school places to be had within a 12 mile radius. The only other option is home schooling which isn't possible when the parents are working full time. We're not yet at the point where we are thinking of taking our child out of school but hearing the plight of those who are in the process of trying to is worrying. I've always been a labour voter but if they do go ahead with the introduction of VAT, I fear it's going to get even worse.

You can't really believe this? That 'most' high schools are like this? 94% of the country's children go to state school, your statement just makes no sense. I'm not British and neutral on the subject of private schooling but the suggestion that most/all state schools are like this is ludicrous.

Has anyone talked about making sacrifices yet?

AIBU to think this is outrageous ?! Fees are exorbitant anyhow and in the last 12 months we have had an increase of 19% by way of 2 increases in a 12 month period.

Awful innit OP.
Meanwhile, the price of my fave loaf of bread rose from £1.70 to £2.30.
An over 30% increase, but let the state-educated eat cake, huh?

Not that I expect a response form what is obviously a goady fucker poster.

I'm genuinely really sorry. I wasn't trying to make you feel like that and I'm definitely not one of those private school is everything parents. For context, I went to a state school- my sibling went private. My parents spent a lot of time and effort on supplementing my education but I never had any formal tuition. My mum worked nights and dad worked days to make sure one of them was mostly around. Academically I performed better than my sibling. My reasons for choosing a private education might be silly to you but they were personal to us. Again I'm sorry for the way my post made you feel.

OP is entitled to chose private schooling and I have absolutely no objection to people making that choice for their kids. The private schools are often better in many ways so if people can afford it it is their right and choice. We live in a democracy. I don’t see how anyone who has chosen private health can criticise. It’s an individual choice. Perhaps it’s about choosing excellence. I would chose excellence every time whether it’s for health or
education (or clothes or skincare products or hotels etc the list goes on).
If OP wants to complain about the increase in fees - why shouldn’t she? Everyone else is complaining about inflation.

Not on this thread. We've now reached (along with the feral state school children) the competitive fee bragging: 'you only pay £15k a year? Good grief! I pay eleventy million and it's frustrating but what can you do?'

What a lovely thoughtful reply

Can you at least TRY to be a little sensitive Curlew?

Some families have had to cut their holidays down from 4 a year to 3. That's a 25% decrease, FYI. The 4 million UK kids living in poverty are used to their situation, & don't feel the absence of holidays in any way as keenly.

Nobody is disputing OP's right to free choice. Just the tone-deaf complaining about her luxuries being harder to afford, while millions of people have struggled just to stay warm this winter.

So 94% of the country aren't well educated? Again, I'm neutral on the concept of private schooling but the strange and illogical idea that because private schooling might provide a better education then state (for practical reasons such as smaller class sizes) then it follows that state must provide a bad experience, just doesn't make sense. There are excellent state schools. There are rubbish state schools. There are in between. Many good reasons to send your child private but to denigrate the entire state system is ignorant.

Why does it turn into a state vs private all the freaking time…?!!

OP yes that’s a lot of money. Who knows what will happen, this country is a mess.

Goodness, I hope you're a troll.

sorry but the forum is for everyone. Should someone not moan about their children because someone might not be able to have children…..

Yes she’s entitled to choose. I don’t object to that as much as her choosing to moan about it. It’s crass and tone deaf.

and this “choosing excellence” stuff is nonsense. As is the “priorities” bullshit here as well. Do you not think a nurse or a supermarket worker would like to “choose excellence” as well? It’s not a choice, it’s a privilege. One that you have worked no harder for than a factory worker or taxi driver works.

Well said @BitOutOfPractice

In which case I would object to paying two full years for A levels, but I bet they do …

You may be upset about the fee increase but the current fee is a lot lower than the two schools I know, A. London day school, was originally a state school, now 20.5K plus lunch, school bus, laptop etc. and B. more well known public school, not in London / SE, 34 K for day pupils.

As others have highlighted, the LA must offer a place at a state school. If families can’t find a place then FAP will be used if needed. Families may sometimes wait a few weeks, but a school will be found and a place offered.

Another option is state boarding, then you only pay for the boarding, the education is free.

The biggest influence on a child's educational attainment is parental income.

So if you can afford private school fees (whether you send them or not), they're already statistically likely to do very well in education.

You may have to get a part time job to supplement your income or look for a better job, or sell jewellery. Everything has pretty much gone up by 20% or more, including the cost of your mortgage, your food, your energy, your car, your holiday. Increases in salaries aren’t even coming close to bridging that gap, and people are having to make sacrifices at every turn. It will be the same for the school. They’ll be cutting costs where they can, but they have to maintain a quality of service so that the parents paying through the nose for their kid’s education remain satisfied they’re getting their money’s worth.

This. I was eaten alive at secondary school and if I could pay to have my child not go through that then I’d do it 100 times over. People on here are reverse snobs. And probably were like those bullies in their time at school.

She’s talking about a parenting concern on a parenting website. There’s been a lot of this recently.

Agree. There’s a massive pile on whenever anyone tries to discuss something that indicates they might not be hugely struggling with money.

Expect this has already been said but…

All those saying “good, private schools should be priced out or banned” are a little short sighted.

Do they not realise that families who would previously have chosen private school but can’t because it’s banned, or just out of reach financially, will take the six figure sum they are saving on school fees and use it to buy a house in the catchment for the best state schools? And/or tutor their kids heavily to get into selective state schools? Thus pushing out families who currently get places but have less money or less sharp elbows.

The state system is far from egalitarian. Plenty of parents are using money to game the system already, and this will only increase if private schools become less affordable or banned - and it’s the poorest and least clued up families who will suffer. It won’t be the rich. It’s never the rich.

Someone is being goady. It’s not the OP.

It must be destabilising. No idea why anyone would commence if they didn't know they could fund to end.