If someone offered to pay for private schooling, would you take up the offer?

[janiesmith10]

If someone offered to pay for private schooling - primary and secondary - would you take up the offer? Freely paid for. No strings attached.

It’s a windfall. Sorry for not being clear.

Well mine are too old now. Ut absolutely I would have done.

I’d consider it and look at local schools.

actually I was in this position with grandparents (although it would’ve been taken off inheritance) but decided against it as local state secondary is very good and one older child was already there.

No.

Not now as DC very happy with great friendship groups but eldest is autistic and if he struggles in the future and I felt that private was going to work for him and it was totally free why not.

And neither do I think it makes for a good rounded education for either.

What’s a rounded education? Mine, at private, study 2 languages, do drama, art, learn and play instruments in bands and the orchestra, played rugby nationally, represented the school in the swim team, went on overseas trips and their friends are from every corner of the world. My son’s group of friends include Europeans, Indians, an Egyptian, someone from Uzbekistan and someone from China. Their GF’s from school are Japanese and Italian.

Whats not rounded about that?

No such thing as no strings. But hypothetically, yes I would. Although if someone was offering to spend that amount of money on my children, I'd far rather them spend it on other things than private school.

This is interesting as one of my good friends is a SENCO in a mainstream state secondary school and they have had a number of Autistic students move over from Independent schools as their parents felt their needs were not being met. I think there is often an assumption that SEN provision in private will automatically be superior to state but it's not always the case.

Only if the kid was super unhappy and underachieving and being bullied in their current state school. I don't really agree with it in principle though of course it benefits those who attend. Not all though. I know people who left private and went state and were much happier.

No I would spend it on other things which I assume would be allowed if there is no strings attached lol

Still no. There's other things I'd rather spend it on.

My DS is about to finish school (state school), predicted top grades in GCSE and is planning to study vet science at university. There's nothing more that a private school could have offered him. He didn't need it.

Yes because I don’t want to make the sacrifices needed to pay for the fees myself.
So this way I can keep my Range Rover, annual holiday, and eat as much Avocado on toast till my hearts content ! ( tongue in cheek of course)

Yes, absolutely.

I'd ask dd what she wanted and I think she'd say stay put in the local comp so nope.

No but I would ask them to invest it in DCs Junior ISA instead with a view to funding uni fees and a house deposit further down the line. Assuming you are talking about a relative here. The ISA would have to be funded over several years.

Yes.
Same with private health care.
Madness not to unless it really wouldn't meet a particular child's needs.

What if there's plenty of money available for all of these things?

Not if I lived near good state schools.

No, certainly not for primary - my kids primary was great, and it also meant they built up a lovely social circle of local friends, which is also really important for children, especially as they get towards years 5 and 6, and want to go out to play/explore.

Possibly for secondary - our local comp is not great, but all 3 of my kids went to super-selective grammar schools, so we were very lucky with their schooling anyway. If they hadn't got in to these schools, I might have considered private if I'd had a large enough windfall/someone else was paying.

“What if there's plenty of money available for all of these things?”

There is always something else to spend cash on. DD would chose a Stradivarius violin over private school, DS a fast electric car, DC2 funding for the many PhDs he plans to do and DD1 would like a flat to rent out to her friends (although she probably won’t end up charging them because she is frankly pretty piss poor with budgeting).

If I were a multi multi millionaire or had a parent in that bracket and went back in time, then I would be living in Chelsea and sending my kids to private school. Hell yes! But only to an academic school like Westminster, not a posh school for girls like Francis Holland.
But because I am not, and the older ones have been through the system I can’t suddenly send the youngest to Wycombe Abbey or Westminster once they go co ed, can I. Even if my hypothetical now suddenly billionaire tech brother whizz kid offers. Will just tell him to buy a Stradivarius.

Well I would welcome the windfall, then I would stash some cash for helping the kids in future with post-18 Uni/deposit or whatever they choose to do, pay off some mortgage, pop a bit in our own savings and plan a memorable holiday together.

I wouldn't spend it on private school, for a start, my teens wouldn't want to change schools as they are happy where they are.

No. We have plenty of money and could pay for private school, but I find it ethically indefensible. Whether or not we could pay for it is irrelevant.

The LA are paying for my son’s private secondary school. ILs also offered to pay but we feel far more comfortable with the LA paying especially as they pay for a taxi too!

I probably would in all honesty but DH would be such a staunch no (very against private schooling) it would be moot!

Not for primary as DD has a place at an amazing little village school. But yes for secondary.

Ideally DD would go to DH’s old school but it’s £20k+ for day and that’s before Starmer fucks it.