AIBU to discuss A level success without private school spending?

[Absorbthecost]

Parents/carers who have not spent a penny on Educating their children and they have just received great A level results.

The sacrifices made all the struggle,

I’m interested to discuss families where the child has succeeded without need for private school

https://www.gbnews.com/money/private-school-fees-soar-vat

https://www.ft.com/content/091b214d-231b-414a-8f3e-9ef9fc021926?syn-25a6b1a6=1

Those who did pay,

presumably to secure great results at A level

The same kids off to Uni, placements easier to secure as less international competition. Uni the playing field evens.

And now time to pay for Uni,

https://inews.co.uk/news/education/university-tuition-fees-11000-2030-4705197?srsltid=AfmBOorss52PSHD6xJzisWMdeNxcXDen3IrCGS49nnGH1ZyDnmvTOh_k

A child who did outstanding (without spending a penny) the same result as a family who spent £250k + The above article is a low estimation for a selective U.K. day/ boarding.

The kids holding the same result off to the same Uni, How are families feeling!?…. Did you save to help towards the Uni Fees/accomodation.

Unfortunately this isn’t correct. Some children have needs which currently can’t be met in state education.

Only 6 % are privately educated. The vast majority of bullied children with SEND are state educated because 94% of the country can’t afford private school fees.

Sick to death of SEND being grabbed by the private school advocate party to whine about their fees going up.

Private education is not a right and fees always go up. Any parent who doesn’t prepare for the absolute financial worse as regards school fees only has themselves to blame.

You have to give Labour time.

Conservatives brushed SEN under the carpet for 14years.

SEN kids need their needs met.

I still find it fascinating that state school kids have studied in state education of blended ability and needs and still performed exceptionally!

To an outsider looking in.

Its a stalemate.

Surely people are unhappy on both sides and must now petition those in power, the government (private schools are only businesses, no say, no power) to improve state education FOR ALL.

Again - what does improving state education for all mean?

what is currently missing?

my local very average large comp has just got amazing academic results. Why more do most schools need to get better results? If you mean more money for sports and music, SEND - 100%!

Go and look on some SEN threads with parents tearing their hair out trying to get the appropriate, legal provision their children are entitled too. It's not just about bullying but sensory overload in 1000+ comps with little scope for flexibility. The proposed 'hubs' are not inclusive, just a separate classroom where kids can withdraw, so not in lessons, not getting taught by the subject specialists. So many kids not 'bad' enough for specialist schools but not able to cope with those environments. This is where small, quiet indies come in. So I'm sorry if 'whining' bothers some posters but I wont stop because its hugely important. Every child matters, even if they are in a 6% minority. The point is that all kids, SEN or not, wealthy or not should have access to the right provision. The state's failure to provide it or actually listen to parents and teachers in the system about what they need is appalling.

That's a completely separate issue and is not what this post is about

Level the state up to the private.

Both are struggling.

unsustainable. London may survive but what about all regional private schools they don’t have the funding to continue. They’re getting poorer each year.

Can you imagine the talent in sports, the arts, music, If every child had access to give everything a go at school. This is where we need to see Labour invest the VAT and also in behaviour management.

So private school parents have a tangible option and wouldn’t consider looking elsewhere.

Yes many threads on SEN this is not one of them.

I believe the government will do all they can, they need time and support.

I’ve been saying this all along- £20k per pupil is about the right amount the government needs to spend to give the same funding for every child.

Why aren’t they doing this? Completely within their power to give that level of funding. The choice they have is where they cut spending elsewhere.

To be fair we cannot judge a new to power Labour government. Conservatives did this.

The introduction of VAT on private school fees not only covers the standard rates, but it also covers the SEN support costs.

I find this aspect particularly abhorrent. Charging VAT on SEN learning support is directly and deliberately taxing disability.

This is a long thread and has roamed over many issues about the value of PS education and access issues. @Pittachip was extremely unpleasant about SEN parents whining and I responded.

Why aren’t they doing this.

Because we have 13 million pensioners and 10 million adults who are economically inactive; combined with a working population who are largely net receivers after tax/benefits.

But now benefits-culture is encroaching internally at independent schools. They will collapse under the weight of their own benefits bill.

Taking the financial security of many families with them.

The only option is for the government to level up mainstream fast and tailor SEN to special schools or mainstream after consultation with every family.

These are not quick fixes!

For now those contracted in to private school will just have to pay or look to off ramps and join state. State school will have to wait the promised government investment to level up as too SEN. We’re all waiting for those in power to act. Whether you like that or not we have a Labour government for a minimum of the next three years. Better to support them.

You’re talking to the wrong person. I have children with SEND who have to make the best of what the state has to offer. 94% of parents can’t afford “quiet little indies” and actually SEND expertise is often better anyway in the state sector. Quiet little indies struggle with money, don’t keep their staff updated and claw back money from things like SEND. Labour are spot on with the plans they’re looking at as regards SEND and should look even further. What we shouldn’t be doing is taking what little we have to pay for private school fees for a tiny minority of SENd kids with sharp elbowed parents. Thank goodness Labour have seen the light that it’s unfair and unsustainable. Increasing and improving provision in the state sector is absolutely the way to go. The Tories were completely negligent in not sorting this during 14 years of power.

Everyone wants the “dream”

We are all aspirational whether for a strong U.K. economy or the best seat for our children at school.

There must be the finance to secure these things. U.K. has changed. We need new ideas, inclusivity. Education for all. Talented thriving workforce.

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/26470287.derek-james-looking-history-thetford-grammar-school/

Benefits culture is devouring everything.

The UK spends £862 million A DAY on welfare.

Because priority in education for them was only ever the 6% of children.

They are entirely responsible for the inactive youth employability.

Labour will prioritise the 94% of all children and let’s see what they can turn out.

OP isn’t meant to be name changing within a thread! Two accounts?

Are you willing to personally pay more taxes to improve state schools, or are you expecting someone else to pay more?

Absolutely!

More than happy to pay more taxes and to claw back money from Tory waste eg

Major Scrapped and Failed Schemes

• Rwanda Asylum Scheme: Cost roughly £290 million to £700 million in initial expenditures and legal preparations before being entirely abandoned by the incoming government.
• Cancelled Infrastructure: Scrapping major road and rail upgrades—including portions of the A303 Stonehenge tunnel and eastern legs of HS2—led to hundreds of millions in wasted sunk planning costs.
• Test and Trace: Billions of pounds were channeled into outsourced private-sector consultants and systems during the COVID-19 pandemic, widely criticized for poor cost-effectiveness compared to local public health networks. [

Procurement and Pandemic Spending

• VIP Lane PPE: Billions were spent on personal protective equipment via fast-track "VIP lanes" for suppliers with political connections, with roughly £1 billion of that equipment later deemed unusable or written off.
• Defence Procurement: Cross-party committees repeatedly labeled the Ministry of Defence procurement pipeline "broken," citing overspends and troubled equipment rollouts like the Ajax heavy armoured vehicle.

Whitehall and Card Spending

• Government Procurement Cards (GPCs): Investigations into public sector credit card usage revealed thousands of pounds spent on high-end hotels, fine dining, and alcohol for diplomatic hospitality, which critics characterized as a pervasive departmental spending culture.

That and the ridiculous idea of spending precious SEND money on private fees for a tiny few whilst cuts had to happen for the majority with SEND to fund it.

I can assure you I’m not the OP!

Are you saying that currently none of the 94% go on have any success? What does prioritising the 94% mean? A huge amount already do just fine- what more do they need?. Don’t your mean prioritising the maybe 20% of schools who do need extra support?