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.)

Oops, one too many states there..

I get very irritated by the 'sacrifice' argument. Many families could sacrifice housing and eating and still not have the money.

From my bedroom I can see directly into the classrooms of the state school across the road. The crossing is literally within 10 metres of my front gate.

Could. Not. Get. In. and have heard nothing whilst being on the waiting list for 2 years - when I used to call (gave up), they would say there was still a waiting list, sorry.

It is especially frustrating as I pass the same people going to that school every day on my school run going the other way.

ManicMother - I can see what you mean. My parents 'sacrficed' to send me to private secondary after state Primary.

What they sacrificed for was a not very good private school (actually quite awful) but it was better than appaling state Comp that was the alternative. If I had lived 20 miles further West I would have been going to a state grammar school that was better than my private school - no question about it.

That is why I feel quite agnostic and annoyed about the whole state versus private debate. It is a totally false dicotomy.

Agree BeenBeta about the false dichotomy, but the point I'm making is that for most of us there is no debate to be had, private education is just out of the question. There seems to be a lack of basic maths on the part of some people (and I'm not saying anyone on this thread, just the sort of thing you read in the papers), - the cost of sending a child to private school exceeds your total income. Full stop. End of story. Especially with more than one child. So talk of sacrifice is just daft. It's this view you come across of 'oh if only you give up all your fripperies you too could send yours to Winchester!' that makes me .

In principle I have absolutely no problem with private education .

This 'sacrifices' thing is all relative.
People who supposedly scrim and save mostly still own a house, two cars and are able to afford some sort of holiday once or twice a year plus extra curricular activities for children, etc

Most people who use private school from 4-18 for two or more children are very wealthy and can afford it.

(excepting those with GParents paying fees, large scholarships)

Pixie- would you really not make any sacrifices to send your DC to private school? That begs the question- why are you doing it?

my parents pay for my three DCs to go. And a large number of children at both the schools my DCs attend are paid for by grandparents.

My parents are paying as they would rather the money was invested in the children then given to them as cash and the government get 40%.

After discovering that nursery was more expensive (one of the cheaper ones round here) than having a child doing 4 A-levels in the school we were considering I researched all the options I had.
I choose the school what was best for my child. I am very aware that I am fortunate to be able to make that choice.

BeenBeta talks much sense.

UQD: thanks for the link. It confirms what I suspected, namely that the private school proportion in my area is well above the national average. Oddly, so's the proportion of 'excellent' state schools.

It's like the mystery of house prices. Nobody I know can afford a house with a garden here in Edinburgh, they all live in flats. There are thousands upon thousands of houses with gardens, owned by people who presumably have about five times our income.

Yet you never actually meet these people who keep the prices sky high. They must be the majority though - they have caused prices to rocket steadily for 20 years.

My local private schools have very generous bursary schemes - available to families with an income up to £75,000 per annum.

My friend is sending her ds to private school for £100 per annum because her income is low. So, no, you don't have to be mega rich to afford it.

One local school actually says that fewer than half the children pay the full fees.

ManicMother - yes I agree with you again.

It is not just a matter of sacrifice for the vast majority of people. They get to choose a school on the basis of catchement area and only then they can afford a house in that area. No way to run a school system.

I choose private because I need to and because I can afford it. That is not right, I am very well aware of that and I would like it to be different. It is not.

Does that mean that private schools are actually charging more than they should be, in order to fund bursaries?

Yes they are. This is the bizare thing. The solution put forward by teh previous Govt was to force private schools to gve more bursaries,. In most cases that just meanst putting up fees so oter parents (without bursaries) could not afford it.

In my view, many private schools wil go back to the state sector once Michael Gove's proposals are implemented. They will take state money but opt out of LEA control.

Well, the proposals only apply to England and Wales, so will not be applicable north of the border here. I'm not sure what the situation is in N Ireland.

A fairly young (early 30s?) couple have just moved in over the road. They are first time buyers. They paid £440,000! Sometimes I am really astounded at the amount of money sloshing around in the fairly ordinary neighbourhoods of London. I wonder what my 65 year old Housing Association neighbour makes of it all.

This morning was DS1s induction day for his private secondary. What we saw today simply reinforced my belief that this was the right thing for him. However, I do realise he is incredibly lucky that his father can afford it and I will insure that DS1 realises this too.

The school is part of a genuine charitable foundation and awards a good number of bursaries each year, as well as academic and sports scholarships. They are a big landowner of prime property in the town and a lot in income is through rent. Having said that, if part of my sons fees does go towards offering a less well off child the chance of attending, I am happy with that.

bibbitybobbityhat - slight hijack. I grew up in Winchester, too and, yes, there's loads of money sloshing around there, but also some very, very, good state schools (may have changed now - I'm fairly ancient!)

as far as I know, DH's cousins all went to private school but their father was in the Army and so they fees were either free or subsidised. three of them went to private school.

Pixie- I think I understand- you would be perfectly happy for your children to be at a state school if the funds weren't available.

You are very lucky to have a DH who earns so much that you can comfortably afford the fees for so many children!

Yes, Juicy, I'm tremendously ancient and went to two of the very good state schools in Winchester .