Does anyone REALLY send their children to private school?

[Mosschops30]

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"I just want to dispell this notion that the 'rich' folks down at the private school have it easy. They don't generally, they just have different priorities to you. "

oh must have mistaken you

I've got 2 children and am going to privatly educate them. Dh earns about £16-18k and i earn £13k. We couldn't do it with more than 2 children or without the fact that I don't have a 2nd car as I have a company car complete with free petrol.

I think Koo's statement probably came out a bit wrong and was a reaction to all the bitterness from Rhubarb.

This country is a democracy, private education will never be abolished, if it and home ed ever did become illegal then I would risk the consequences.

As private education costs around 10K a year (after tax) per child everywhere I have looked, I have no idea how you can privately educate two children on £29K a year pre tax.

my god.

I agree with aloha, but would like to add:

so people who privately educate their children prioritise school fees over the rent do thay? that's what we'd have to do.

also, it's probably rude but i have to say it: if you think working 4.30am till late in order to pay for your kids education is going to give them a better start in life than working a more normal day andactually seeing them sometimes, you are sadly mistaken.

Aloha - loads of private schools cost a lot less than £10k (even when you add in the various extras). They may not be the ones you would choose, but they certainly exist.

Locally private prep school fees vary from £3-£7k per annum. Outside of London it can be even cheaper. Some schools offer discounts for siblings.

Aloha - it depends where you are in the country. Our local private school costs atm £5.5k per year, plus c.0.5k extras. On "low income" you can get a bursary of 1 terms fees, and you get 5% (gee whizz) off second child. So if you qualify for the bursary two children at the same time would cost c.£8k plus £1k extras. (But many of the extras - uniform and lunches and instrumental lessons you would incur at state school too).

Obviously the costs are coming off net income.

Its only 6k a year for secondary (less for prep) plus a discount (originally thought it was 20% but its actually 10%) for the 2nd child. Dh is self employed so thats what he gets after tax.

By my reckonong its only the same as if only one of us worked and lots of families manage to survive on just one income if the mum gives up work after children.

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you're mad.

Although I am not rich by any stretch of the imagination I also do know I am priveliged as the average FAMILY income in my area is around £14-16k. That is mostly with one working partner so we will live to those means and spend the other income on educastion

Looking at one of our secondary schools, standard fees at £9975 per annum (this is in South London). However bursaries apply to family incomes of less than £44k, and if a family had 2 boys at the school and earned £31k they would be asked for £4k per boy. If they earned £15k they would be asked for £573 per boy.

Between scholarships and bursaries, over 50% of pupils pay less than full fees.

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its just the trading down your house bit - and the 5 year plan to have 3 shops, and the surfing and stuff - good for you - truly i mean it.

that doesnt mean that other people dont work as hard as you work.

the buck stops with me too. if i dont work we dont eat we cant pay the rent we are homeless.

you are fortunate.

other people work just as hard as you but are not as fortunate. and have exactly exactly the same priorities as you with regards to education but cannot afford it.

and its not down to them not working hard enough to make it happen. some people have no capital behing them at all y' know - they cant move to a different area and sell up - they can't trade down, re - mortgage or gather as much capital as some can when they own their own home.

and its not through lazyness or not working as hard, or not wanting it as much. Everyone has different circumstances in life.

so how is the 4.30am start relevant if you work normal full time hours?

I do get wound up about this as really do believe that private school is not worth any real sacrifice. Doing without boden and a new 4x4 is not real sacrifice though.

absolutely agree with Custy.
recent report said that 50% of people wanted to send their children to private schools. only 7% do. That is a fundamental gap.
FWIW I got a 100% scholarship for fees to go a private school when I was ten. I didn't go though because my parents added up what it would cost in school uniforms, sports equipment, travelling costs etc. couldn't do it.
My father worked two jobs. my mum worked too.

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I am happy to admit I'm a lazy fecker and don't work hard. But I feel it's not my kids' fault they've got a wastrel mother, just as it's nowt to do with your kids that they've got such a wonderful 4am worker bee, koo. So it's great that their school is free and good so that they have a small chance of achievement despite the wonky role models that fate has dealt them in the form of a mother, I always think.

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yeah it is. ive got three kids i cannot send them to private ed. and i resoundly resent the implication that i haven't worked hard enough

pregnant at 16 married at 17 i worked barmaid jobs. packing jobs agency jobs. bought my own home

had a good couple of years. got pregnant for second time.
through circumstances we lost our home - it want becuse we were too lazy to keep it - it was becuase of the economical situation at the time.

second pregnancy is twins.

we re start. i work at asda and have 3 kids under 3 i also go to college.

time goes on i go to uni
time goes on i graduate
time goes on i get a decent paid job. the bank wants 14k from the loss of sale on the house. plus a mountain of other debt we incurr whilst trying to survive - one of those being student loan.

how can i put 3 kids through private ed?

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scummy is lying. she works hard 2 jobs and goes to college. shes an excellent mother and one of the nicest people with a good heart.

still its a good way to make a point scummy. your points taken

and your point is koo?

Custy- Just accept it honey. We're failing our brats by not working hard enough to send them to private school. Pretty disgraceful of us. We must try and be more like koo. Shall we at least stay up till 4.30 on the night of the mumsnet meet?