AIBU to question rising private school fees amid declining GCSE results

[Sidedoors]

Private school GCSE decline.

What happened? Is this an example of what’s to come?

Fees are rising well beyond inflation annually yet, results are in decline.

State schools prioritising, ‘reserving seats’ in house for 6th Form. Risky investment?

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/gcse-results-day-2026-6-key-trends-from-this-years-data/

Most of the Selective Private Schools around us have had their ‘best GCSE results ever’ according to Instagram etc.

Completely meaningless data. Doesn't control for SEN, prior attainment, selection policy, disadvantage or any of the multiple other factors that influence results. Some private schools closing may also have had an impact.

If your child is at a private school or you are planning to send them to one then the only thing that matters is whether that school is right for them.

Lol. The gap is huge!
comprehensive to independent.
Many state are just not pushing for the top grades.
perhaps if the progress 8 determined that all kids getting over 110 should get 7-9 in most subjects.

Sadly my kid had over that but school are except perhaps the top 2 maths sets, not pushing towards 7-9 in any subject.

They think my kid (who got 120 on spag) is heading for only a 6 at gcse spanish. No thats poor teaching. They still have 2 years to gcse. I did spanish gcse in 1 year from no knowledge at all and got A*. So..
Clever students are completely able to get 6-9 grades.
Also several students had higher maths sats than dd (who struggled with accuracy at the time) and while at secondary they have dropped down.
Some bright students did get 7-9 but… either they were drs kids, tutored or just extremely bright.
Maybe a survey of the parents of state schools should be done after gcse to show how much extra parents are having to do.

Are they
buying the revision guides
online access to say maths/eng
tutoring
moved house
picked schools other than local
tutored child themself
did all the teaching the kid to read themself
sports clubs to get the pe gcse

as an aside - swimming lessons as they wouldnt have learnt with school

Parents don’t aways send kids to private schools for grades. You know that don’t you? It’s a much more enriching experience. They come out of it much happier and more confident. That probably helps them more in future life than being a few grades higher in a few subjects.

If I could send mine to private independent I would. I know she would achieve better but I just can’t afford it.

If anyone sent their kids to private thinking private = better grades, sure there would be a question mark.

But in my experience literally no one does. We all send our kids because sport / art / music / pastoral care.

If one were solely focussed on grades, the money would far better be spent on comprehensive + round the clock tutoring. Would be a miserable existence though

All exams have become easier.

Its the comparison overall between state/independent where the gap continues to narrow.

This thread ended abruptly. Posting stopped.

The debate continued on into GCSE results

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5566464-aibu-to-discuss-a-level-success-without-private-school-spending?page=40&reply=154248860

Link to discussion

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5566464-aibu-to-discuss-a-level-success-without-private-school-spending?page=1

I used to work in an independent school. It wasnt a super academic high flying massively over subscribed one. But it was good enough. The VAT thing was a huge issue for most the sector and there was loads of research going on in the run uo to that.

Anyway, I attended quite a few marketing seminars for the sector from different organisations and it divided the market into different groups.

One of the big changes was families with tight finances who had several children would previously send thier strongest child to independent, and often kept other children state wheras now they put thier weakest child independent.

Actually longitudinal studies shows no significant differences between happiness and life satisfaction between private and state educated pupils once adjusted for socioeconomic status. I don’t doubt on an individual level some children are indeed happier but as a population there’s not much difference. Of course huge differences in academic achievement as you might expect.

A bit off topic sorry!

Results in decline, so to, ability to fund co curricular.

https://independentschoolmanagement.co.uk/features/beyond-school-labels/

Thoughts.

The other possibility is that more students from comprehensive schools are using online resources, there are loads, self motivated to bring their grades up.

Using the internet as a fantastic tool it can be so that parental financial or otherwise support is not as essential as long as you have wi-fi access.

Which is surely a good thing, don’t we need the more academic children from different social economic backgrounds getting access to higher education options for a more fair and balanced society going forward?

https://www.isc.co.uk/media-enquiries/news-press-releases-statements/isc-ceo-a-third-of-students-at-isc-schools-receive-some-form-of-fee-assistance/

1/3 at Independent ‘private’ school cannot afford the fee (2026)

This is really interesting! I haven’t read the full study so not sure of their methods but would be cautious about using the top tenth as a proxy for wealth and whether it is a very reliable measure. I’d be interested to know where the rest of the private population fell (eg if they’re 10-20 then that’s telling) Perhaps looking at where the private school population sits within the ‘deciles’ of wealth would be more illuminating. Certainly if it was the case that 80% of private schools were in lower bounds than would be a compelling argument, for example. But as I say I’m on my phone so haven’t deep dived into it!

I don’t really understand the point of this thread or the other one you started?
What are you trying to say?
Surely it’s more that State School results are improving rather than Private’s declining which most people would agree is a good thing? And I say that as someone who has shelled out £££ on my DCs secondary education.

So you agree Labour are doing a good job in their levelling up of education?

Research

https://independentschoolmanagement.co.uk/features/beyond-school-labels/

On the basis of the only two I know of this year. Ds' friend (on spectrum) taking GCSEs at top independent school got 7 sevens, an eight and 2 nines. Parents are thrilled.

My ds, took a'levels, got AAB, against a forecast of ABB. and his first choice of uni. Not that grades were my motive for sending ds to independent. It was more to get him away from bullying, disruption and massive class sizes.To see him happy.

So regardless of what the state sector is doing, independent school parents I'm aware of are still happy. I wouldn't change anything.

But a third of a small percentage of pupils is still a small number.

Maybe some private pupils aren’t as motivated because they won’t need exam results because of the family cushion, so why slog?

Added to ambitious, bright, supportive but poorer families now using YouTube tutorials, bbc bitesize, can see that there are still benefits to taking education seriously rewards are still out there.

There could also be the changing in middle class household incomes coming more from non-traditional trades, meaning there might not be quite as many with as much traditional academic support in private schools?

Or teaching standards and methods in comprehensives are improving to level academic standards?

There will be a myriad of factors.

State school can also deliver an 'enriching experience' and happy, confident students

Independent schools (bar those in London who are wealthy) their revenue source comes directly from fee payers.

If their internal benefits bill has already reached its highest ever handout 1/3 of families in hardship how long can this last? Families paying more in annual fee hikes to subsidise 1/3 on benefits. Bursary should be means tested for disadvantaged in society earned under test criteria. This 1/3 is not going to charitable cause. It’s going to middle class friends of the administration who cannot afford the fees.

Lots of parents send their kids to private schools due to special needs, disabilities, removing them from crap comps, etc., rather than only for top grades.

My plasterer took his son out of a crap comp at age 14 as he was in with the "wrong" crowd, getting into trouble, etc., and he actually wanted to change but couldn't do it when surrounded by his "friends" at school. They sent him to a private school that had a good reputation for "troubled" pupils, and he turned around to get decent GCSEs and A levels and went to Uni, just basically from a change of friendship group and being a boarding school (in the middle of the countryside!), so less chance to get back with the wrong crowd in his home town.

It "can", but too often it doesn't.