To think only the super rich will be able to afford private schools?

[donniedarko89]

I live in a fairly affluent area, full of private schools. We are comfortable, not wealthy, and considered private for secondary eventually (and who knows, with the cost of living crisis), while enriching the state primary's offer with lots of extra clubs and activities. Noticing that more and more families are doing the same, even high-earners who would in the past have gone private by default. Are private schools going to become only for the ultra rich, especially if the fees spike up with a Labour government?

There is such a range though. From £10k a year to about £50k a year for fees alone. You dint need to be ultra wealthy to send one dc to a lower priced day school. To send 4 to somewhere like Winchester, you do.

Only the super rich will be able to afford to have children soon, never mind private schools.

Why does your child need private school if you don't mind me asking? I've never heard of a local authority paying for a child to go to private school before!

This.

I don’t think people realise how ridiculous they sound in the current economic climate when they’re saying they’re not wealthy but they send their child to private school, that they pay for, paying more for that than many people earn in a year just to afford a very basic standard of living.

This whole chat is making me eye roll hard.

Where I am in the southern USA, private (fee paying) schools and public (free government) schools are about even in numbers. There are many religious schools of various denominations as well as independent schools, progressive schools, STEM schools, ARTS schools, and schools affiliated with local universities. Most are day schools. Very few are boarding schools. Some families will spend 50% or more of their income to get the education they want for their children. I put all three of my children through a private religious school while working in a public school. It took all my money - I have no savings and no retirement but it was my choice.

@WesterChick it's not all that rare but it takes a lot of perseverance and a v good knowledge of the legal obligations of LAs to provide an appropriate education.

I struggle massively to meet the fees for mine, am in no way wealthy but they were failed by the state system, both academic ally and pastorally. I'm not choosing an "advantage" for my kids, I'm choosing their wellbeing. It's only just possible, with grandparent help and an acceptance of increased long term debt. There is always a lack of nuance on these threads and an ignorance about how many of the private schools who aren't Eton operate. They don't all have large margins or pots of spare cash / land lying about to absorb the rise. Until the state properly fund and staff schools, cahms and other associate agencies they need the private sector, just like in many other areas.

Oh and when I say not wealthy I mean mid 30s K ..one of mine gets assistance or else it would not be possible.

Having excess money does not make you super rich though. It makes you upper middle class or well off. That's a different ball park from super rich. Being fortunate enough to be able to take a family holiday and send a couple of dc to a local independent is different to owning a jet, super yacht, multiple residences, staff and 4 dc at a £50k a year school.

😂

Fund state schools properly for ALL children and there is no need for private schools. The Netherlands, Germany and France, equivalent countries mange to so why can’t we?

Do you not think that the private schools are lying through their teeth in an attempt to maintain their frankly outrageous “charitable” status.

Perhaps they could accept and adapt to change instead of frightening parents.

Ours costs us £1100 per month, appreciate that’s not affordable for a lot of people but it’s not “super rich” territory

You may all be interested in this article: https://thecritic.co.uk/private-schools-are-a-waste-of-money/

And it’s frills, not thrills! 😂

Yes, that's what I'm saying. Some are cheap. I'd consider £1100 a month a cheap school 😁

If you are thinking about private school, you are super- rich.

Oh yeah at frills not thrills 😂 I wonder what I was thinking about the time!

I keep muddling words up lately!

7% of all children attend private school. The matching 7% of parents are not ultra rich. So by definition, plenty will still be able to afford private school. The higher taxes (that both Labour AND Conservatives are talking about) will force some people out, but only those who are struggling. I don't know how many that is, but imagine it's a fair percentage.

Depends on the fees. Paying £12k in fees does not make you super rich.

Having a spare 12k to spend on fees makes you super-rich in my book.

Yup. 100%

The public schools that this policy is supposed to hurt because it’s politics of envy will sail right through. For example, I know a couple of people who are looking to move ahead of time at our DC’s school but the reality is it will be less than 5% of the school body maybe?

The schools affected will be those on the edge and those kids will end up slap bang into the state system.

its all relative though.
When the DC were at State Primary their friends thought we were rich, then at Private Secondary we weren’t and now DD is at State 6th form she jokes “I’m rich again”
I know we have more money than the majority but I know people who are what I see as “super rich” and we aren’t

So you think people are either struggling or super rich.

I said affluent.

I don't really care about who can or can't afford private school.

I'm more bothered about whether people can afford to eat.

People who had just enough for private school have realised that a house deposit is much more helpful. Obviously the very wealthy can still do both.