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/

I went to state grammar myself but a couple of years independent as my parents were posted abroad. I still get begging letters from the independent, not the state. I think state are only just starting with the alumni outreach network stuff. It costs money and time to tap the alumni network. I can see from my DC’s grammars right now that alumni stuff is becoming more of a thing, it starts with inviting students back to talk to Sixth Formers. I think it is important in state schools as well.
Cambridge uni on the other hand sends a ton of fund raising/donation requests and my college will publish your name if you donate and they ask to be remembered in your will (it is charitable giving).

This.

My son finished school with 10 gcses, 3 good STEM a'levels, happy, confident, polite, optimistic, with a year's experience from a part time job, a reference, savings and a place at a good university.

Our local state schools are not good (not London), so I'm happy that my money was well spent. I wasn't duped either.

Same US unis have such large endowment funds they don’t actually have to charge any fees at all. Most still do, and then it is all bells and whistles.

Thing is the Eton College endowment fund is so large that on a 5 per cent return they could cover 25k per pupil for all their pupils. They choose to spend 65k instead - of course the boarding element itself is very expensive, state boarding is in the range of 20k too now. If it were run just like a state school it would be free to all. So if they can increase their endowment, they might not even have to charge in the future. I suspect this is where most independent schools of the prestige kind want to be heading, free of fees and governmental interference entirely.
So I suspect the prestigious ones will be raising more money, not less. You just need a few billlionaires to feel generous and job done. There is something to be said for elite education open to all though free at the point of delivery.

Oh no the letters in our mums group private kids/ state kids/ no kids expressly state due “due to the unprecedented times and VAT on fees it is critical we pull together and those with the broadest shoulders should help our community X-school “support fund” applicants will be monitored no news cars, holidays, lifestyles etc for this additional support! (Taken from Fee money others pay in!) Entire “support” glossy documents and PDF where you can ‘donate’ monies specifically mentioning going to school repairs, projects, hardships, bursary basic school upkeep and maintenance.

Non “private” families offering to buy a coffee or lunch for those tied into independent schools as they have no money everything going to the school fees!

The Wealthy within the group complaining of the reduced quality of food and constant emails explaining why things are being pulled or cancelled. From experience it is the wealthy who are the most price conscious, they must see return of investment.

Regular Fee paying families at these schools are having an awful time. Sacrificing a lot. No summer holidays barely affording a coffee with friends. Constant dread with annual Fee increase.

Children within the same friendship circles of the same age groups thriving, no difference in education attainment. One family no financial burden and plenty disposable income the other drowning in school fees.

There’s London.

Then the rest of UK.

This is the data we read over and over.

Billionaires, millionaires are fleeing UK! They’re allergic to “economising” and Taxes.

Eton is at Windsor

Regional. The boarder UK.

Outside the South.

@Sidedoors - anyone drowning in school fees just isn’t rich enough for independent education and needs to go state. Although if a DC has struggled with SEND or mental health personally I would remortgage and make all sacrifices necessary.

I have 4 DC, we are well off overall but not rich enough for 4 sets of school fees and uni support/driving tests/braces/extra curricular. 4 DC in state school plus uni is already a huge cost with massive tax burden and not much back from state at all despite hard work and bringing up 4 future taxpayers. It is what it is even for those using state, we are also subsidising society at large. Like I said, I donate and help our state schools as much as I can, both time and money. It still doesn’t mean that I don’t want others to have a choice as to how they educate their own DC. I despise nanny stateism for something as fundamental as education. People can choose, caveat emptor.

That made me laugh!

Yes I’ve read the “sponsored brick” email too. In this climate you can imagine how that goes down in the mums WhatsApp chat!

I agree!

Yet the official figures are that is 1/3 of all families at private schools!!! Do you see the problem?

That figure will increase this year.

If the 1/3 who can’t afford to be there left these schools could actually focus on making money for the provision not the “hardship”

Labour know these finances are a corrupt tangle of kick backs within the administration and they have dropped a financial bomb and are watching the aftermath unfold.

VAT has resulted in demand for absolute transparency in Private school accounts. It’s a headache to have to explain and justify all the discounts and fee hikes.

Families will begin to understand

Unless your child’s at Eton,

They're not at Eton!

If you’re tired of struggling and subsidising the grifters every growing runaway hardship funds, you can just leave.

The status is a fantasy.

Affluence within social circles are those happy families they work hard have holidays, new cars, tutors, sports coaches, luxury gym memberships…. Quality family time.

It is not those who can barely afford a lunch or a Starbucks with friends!

People talk. People share and gossip.

As much as private schools would love to maintain the elitist “image” they simply can’t afford to.

As much as private schools would love to maintain the elitist “image” they simply can’t afford to.

That is hardly new. Eton had to start admitting the middle classes in the middle of last century. Up to then their results didn’t matter because their students wouldn’t have been looking for jobs.

It is all relative. Struggling families on FSM in state schools receiving begging letters and donate to this that and the other and X Y Z for school trips must feel exactly the same! DS state grammar decided to take FSM kids as priority places and then had to cancel an annual trip because they obviously cannot afford it. Next year they want to raise money for FSM school trips. I am sure some people who could afford to donate will complain about this because they feel they pay a lot of tax already. You get all the same issues in the state sector.

That is hardly new. Eton had to start admitting the middle classes in the middle of last century. Up to then their results didn’t matter because their students wouldn’t have been looking for jobs

Really? Up until 1950s no Etonian would have needed a job? My father went there in the 1930s and he and all his friends from there had jobs.

But the difference is the government are the financier! Not the individual family.

Families are furious, struggling to meet fees and notifications that those monies will be used to “hardship” at school discretion.

Fee money and the annual hikes!

1/3 are not paying their way.

So what is it that you want to happen?

If someone is that stupid that they prioritise perceived status over a normal family life with holidays, hobbies and christmas gifts, it is their problem.
Noone is forcing them.
The fact that a part of families pays less is not the issue here (especially with staff discounts - those are part of school's overall economic strategy), the issue is that people prioritize status and fall for marketing when they can't really afford it.

(SEN families doing everything they can to help a child which would struggle otherwise are a different topic)

Our school has a fund, but you only know about it by visiting the website - I have never been asked for contributions beyond fees / opt in extracurriculars like music lessons, all of which is very clearly outlined.

they may be targeting alumni rather than current parents, though. Doesn’t really bother me but then I graduated from a US university that has an annual fundraising cycle despite a VERY large endowment and nominal fees about 3x our uk private school fees.

It’s not “someone”

it is ONE THIRD of the families at Independent Schools!!!!

Do you get this excited about all of your purchases? Like, do you picket M&S because of their use of vouchers / discounts - ‘1/3 are not paying their fair share for Collin cake!!’

yes, I pay list price for dc education and i am aware that some of their classmates pay less. I have made a decision about what their education is worth to me, and while I would love a discount it really isn’t worth my life energy raging about others perceived advantages.

And come to think of it, I might very well be part of the dastardly one third - we get a sibling discount on one child which gets us a 5% reduction in fees for the second child!

I think you have contributed more than your fair share.

Private schools must be transparent then people can make informed decisions. “Discounts” must be broken down and specific.

Like I said families are circulating all communication so people will begin to make up their own minds on Value for money.

@Sidedoors - your argument does not stack up. A Labour Government probably would want the model you outline where the richer pay more for private education and those with less pay less. In fact, in places like Germany/Switzerland there are Steiner schools where families pay fees based on income on a sliding scale and dependent on how many children they have. They still have richer families sign up who believe in the philosophy.
The whole of society is predicated on the richer paying more into the pot. DH and I pay far more in than most and we are therefore contributing far more to the NHS and Education pot than most. In fact, a lot of Brits do not cover the cost of themselves via taxation. Just because NHS/Education is free for all at the point of delivery does not equate to it being free! A lot of us contribute shed loads towards it.
Anyone choosing private education knows what they are getting into. Namely headline fees plus a typical 4-5% annual rise plus extras. The rationale person who used to do 4-18 is simply now doing 11-16 or 11-18 instead. It is not as black and white as you make out. And plenty of people have grandparents paying and contributing to minimise inheritance tax as well. A lot of families believe in the private education philosophy and whole child education and are willing to put their money towards it, as opposed to expensive cars/luxury holidays/a second home etc. Some people only have 1 child and want to give them a nice experience etc etc. Grown ups are able to make the choice for their children.

So long as everything is transparent.

Its not acceptable to be offering discount at one end while hiking fees beyond inflation at the other.

These are businesses, a service people have the right to choose. Everyone inside and outside of private schools are sharing the communication so ultimately they can make up their own minds.

That’s where everyone’s fleeing to!

The wealthy have left UK.