To wonder how the bloody hell people afford private education for their kids?

[HarderToKidnap]

Thinking about TTC and getting WAY ahead of myself I idly googled the local private schools. Bloody hell!! HOW do people afford this? My DH and I earn 100k between us every year so certainly not poor, but with a mortgage (on a two bed terrace) and other, what I consider to be reasonable, outgoings there is just not a way it could be done. So all these children being privately educated, do their parents earn masses and masses? Or am I missing a trick?

(Incidentally I wouldn't send my kid to private school - comprehensive was brilliant for me and if a child is going to do well they will do well, I believe. Was just wondering.)

Posy - not everyone has a choice. Some people can - either as they can afford private fees (perhaps involving some lifestyle decisions), others can afford to move to the catchment area of good schools.

But for others, regardless how much they care about their DC's education, they just don't have this choice.

So some people don't have a choice. Why should that affect those who do have a choice?

Do we all get a say in what other people spend. Is it OK for me to tell someone not to buy cigarettes, a trashy magazine, jeggings, etc? Didn't think so.

Quite right MmeRedWhiteandBlue! Well said.

because it creates an unfair system where kids grow up thinking 'what can the world offer me' rather than ' what job can i do to help the world'

I really don't think it does that, it's the parental influence that gives some children an air of superiority, not the school. There were parents at ds's school who would interupt if someone was talking to the head, very poor mannars IMO.

You are deluded if you think moving a few private school children into the state sector would make a difference.

How about tackling the existing inequalities within the state sector first and leave us alone?

so you send your son to a school where the parents interrupt the head?

It's only when you spend some time in the school that you see it properly.

leave us alone? no i will not when i read about university entrance grade expectations on this site.

Are you thinking that the high entrance grades are due to the children who have been privately educated?

yes

Do you not think that it's the universities who are to blame rather then the private schools? The schools don't set the entrance requirements.

muminnwlondon I know that - you are right. This is the case for far too many people

I live in an expensive solidly "middle class" even upper class area. My dd is at a shit school and has an even shittier option for secondary school. Is it just a coincidence that almost all the local children are educated in the very expensive independent schools that litter the area?

I have no axe to grind, we have admitted that we are looking at independent schools for dd. But I do think that the reason that my dd school is so bad is because it has become a ghetto for the children of those who are fresh out of prison, unemployed or just don't give a fuck and a few wishy washy liberals like myself.

high entrance grades to university are due to dumbing down of A levels and gcses

there is a weird 'upper' working class type
person about lately

not sure if they're middle class. but aspire to be

I am too busy earning a living and fretting about whether my dd is going to be pinned up against a wall and threated to aspire to be any class.

Class means nothing, it's how you behave and see other people, this is what is important.

I agree totally belle.

back to the OP,
our joint income was far below yours but we managed to send our two to a private school. We managed it by running old cars, sacrificing glamourous holidays (camping instead) budgeted very carefully 0 i.e. made shopping lists and only ever bought essentials

Believe me 2 bed terrace in London can cost a lot. We bring home similar money to OP but nearly a third goes on the mortgage

Not all areas of the country have fees so high.

Going rate for private at primary age around here (Lancashire) is £5000 a year - under £400 a month.

Nursery daycare for 5 days in the same town costs more.

we are in the north and secondary school is 10-11k ish for bog standard independent school but some primary aged things that run to age 13 cost infinitely more than that..

madness