Private schools can't read inflation figures

[roguedad]

Is anyone else getting notices of extortionate fee rises right now? I had been hoping for maybe 1-2% in the light of inflation being zero, but I have just had notices from a Oxfordshire junior and senior of about 5.9% and 6.7% from this year to next. Both letters laden with excuses of course, neither really acceptable.
Those not able to access private ed might well say "serves you right". We have already said that to ourselves so please, no posts stating the obvious.

I think it would be wise longterm for schools to check how accessible they are to people. However, people now (sadly and wrongly IMHO) seem to look at things shorterm especially politicians.

I think it's a good thing as the privileged few will get fewer and fewer in this country.Fan bloody tastic if they're filling up with Russians.

Maybe those of you now priced out will care a bit more re equality and the state education system the vast majority have no choice but to live with.

The more they hike prices the better Imvho.

They aren't blaming teachers, they're explaining the effects of pension changes in business where the main expenditure is staff costs.

They are looking after their staff, by making sure that they are able to pay the increased contributions without cuts in other areas.

How do you think this is playing out in state schools, who can't increase fees to cover costs?

If there was oversupply in private education, then closures and mergers would rise (they've stayed pretty constant), or number of pupils would fall (it's rising). If either of those indicators changed, then so would business models.

I remember reading there was a set up of budget/no frills private schools a while ago. I'll see if I can remember the name and how they got on.

Current pension changes can't be blamed. A long time ago we had the DC in a nursery. State infant school didn't do breakfast and after school clubs back then so we happily moved them to a private pre-prep because they gave wraparound care and it only cost about the same price as nursery.
After having been lured in at the cheap end we had hefty % price increases year on year.
When it came to Secondary school, where the prices jump up anyway, we decided that we couldn't - or wouldn't - afford the never ending, above inflation escalation. We went back to State provision and haven't regretted the DC's outcomes. It's the best money we've never spent!

LaPetit the rise in school fees will not effect the privileged few, because the privileged are doing better year on year, they aren't tightening their belts, or worrying about paying school fees, they are laughing all the way to the bank. They will carry on sending their DC's to a relative handful of big name schools often associated with elitism and privilege thus helping maintaining their position.
It's the professional middle classes who will suffer and the schools that they can afford to send their DC's too.
For what it's worth granola my DH is works for the "privileged few," any increase in business cost is automatically passed onto the customer, they do not make cuts anywhere because this is not what this end of his particular market will stand. In fact what they've discovered is that price is not an issue even during the recession, the privileged have always been willing to pay for want they want especially exceptional quality.

Where I live there is a general shortage of school places, which means the pressure on Private school places is pretty strong. As a result everyone of the girls schools seems to have a building project. For school A - this is needed and seems eminently sensible (it was a bit of a mess, and had a very confusing layout). For the others it does feel that they are: a) building so they won't be left behind, b) building so that why they can get away with hefty fee increases they have invested in shiny new buildings so can compete.

But then I have read information saying that "students nowadays won't put up with less than ensuite bathrooms etc."; well often they aren't offered any kind of cheap accommodation - so they just don't have the choice.

mummy Im not sure if it's students who want en suite bathrooms or parents echo feel that for 35k+ this should be the norm.

There was a time when decrepit old buildings were almost a matter of pride. Schools boasted that they spent money on staff in preference to bricks and mortar.

Where I am, the Building Schools for the Future programme made a massive difference to the schools (secondary in particular). I think the private a schools here have felt some pressure to upgrade their facilities, as the state schools were looking shinier, particularly their science labs and art facilities.

"Chinese and Russian money might help these"

I am not sure if there are that much foreign Chinese and Russian money in these schools. They may account for 10% or so of the roll at most.

The roll of a top day+boarding prep seems to consist of DC of successful business families, the titled, a few on CEA, a few on expat package, City professionals and a few single child (non city) professional family.

DC of Professionals like solicitors and accountants who use to make a good show in such a list is now absence from the list.

Thanks, haapygardening, you have confirmed that it's those businesses which have decided they will cater only to the "privileged few" which feel comfortable about passing costs on to their customers regardless.

I'd have more respect for certain independent schools if they were honest enough to say that this "privileged few" is their exclusive market now and that the "clingers on" should abandon ship. Instead, they appeal to their alumni, a wide cross section of the professions, and ask for money for their bursary funds. That's a form of deception.

Btw, teachers at these schools are often unhappy about the direction in which they're heading. Yes, they chose the independent sector over state but they didn't choose to teach only the super rich without at least a few children of professionals like themselves in the mix.

@granolamuncher , Actually, teachers' children do get significant concessions in the school they teach.

In a way, we are just going full circle, these schools used to (100 odd years ago and before) cater for the superrich of their time, and now superrich of our time.

topsy The discounts offered to private school teachers have been eroded by many schools. A third off fees which have risen by a third in five years is not a great perk. The most exclusive schools are becoming less attractive places in which to work as a teacher. This is another consequence of their rush to the luxury end of the market.

There are a few schools which always catered to the super rich but which also offered places to poor scholars. They tend to be wealthy establishments, like WinColl discussed above, but there used to be many other less well endowed schools which catered to a much wider customer base, including the salaried professional middle classes. If some of those schools were better led, they could continue to cater to a wider cross section of society (including extending their bursary provision) but they have chosen instead to pander to a small sliver of the super rich, which is a new development for them.

Hilarious to see DH & I described as 'the super-rich' based on no evidence.
Granola, do you actually know any of these people you hypothesis about? I see below that 'it was decided' that and NHS worker was actually a consultant, even though I personally know that to be incorrect.
And as to appealing to alumni, I think a far better appeal is to raise money for bursaries for the very disadvantaged - I am happy to contribute to that, as are many very far more generous alumni. I hardly think an appeal to raise money for the entitled middle-class - Times leader writers and the like - who just don't want to sacrifice any of their own lifestyle to pay for their Dc education, and who are pushy articulate enough to access good state schools will be persuasive to those donors..

Those donors might be being conned, then, DontGotoRoehampton, if the number of people getting help with fees at places like Winchester is to be believed. I don't believe everyone there who is getting a discount off the full cost is "very disadvantaged."

DontGo, yes, I know many super rich parents and quite a few private school teachers too. I know many of both who are unhappy about the current trend in a number of schools whereby the professional middle class is being squeezed out, leading to an increasingly rapid loss of social diversity in those schools.

As a number of contributors to this thread have been saying, if fee rises exceed salary rises, it's those who rely on salaries who are adversely affected. There have been replies which say, as you do, that you should have a DH who's in business or, as others have said, you just go and work harder or you should go and find a job which pays bonuses or you should have bought your house when you were you were in your twenties etc. I think there should be space for voices which say that schools could look to retain the professional parents. After all, it's these professions which so many of these schools actually educate their pupils to aspire to.

How could an NHS consultant afford fees for two DS at St Paul's School with only 10% of those fees paid by the school out of its bursary funds? Based on the figures discussed on the other thread, theirs would have to be a well off family and/or the consultant would have to be doing plenty of private work on the side. Quite possibly the "NHS worker" is a high ranking NHS trust manager instead. It's a crazy situation. It's precisely because bursaries should be going to the very disadvantaged that these schools should be looking to push their costs and fees down while their bursary funds are built up, otherwise they are just going to have to give financial assistance to some of their existing well off parents, which is indeed, as you say, an unattractive proposition.

Oh for goodness sake it isn't the middle classes being squeezed out it's the less rich.Anybody that can afford more than a salary on one child's education is rich not middle class.

I'm m/c, I know hoards of m/c parents and none could before or now afford private education.

And as for having to sell the forever house I'm sure the nation's heart will be bleeding.

It's simple you can't afford it so join the state ranks like the other 90% of us.

Pmsl at an NHS consultant bring part of the poor middle classes.

And you honestly expect pity.

No doubt that's an option, LPM, but it's also the obvious reply that OP expressly asked not to be given.

LePetitMarseillais - don't you see that is just the point; no one really sees a Hospital consultant or senior manager for a multi-national or Solicitor etc. as "poor" but most of those I know cannot afford private education for their children (or only afford if for 5 years of their education, using state for primary and again for sixth form).

Who's asking for pity, LPM?

I have queried whether it is either a viable business proposition or one deserving of charitable status to hand out, from limited bursary funds, financial assistance with fees to families that are, as you rightly indicate, objectively rich.

Schools could look instead to reduce costs and keep fees down. It's up to them. I'm just suggesting that OP could say as much to the head at her DC's school. If more parents did so, we might see a change. Meanwhile I wouldn't want anyone to shed any tears.

They can't afford luxury yachts and aeroplanes, either.

Ok well I'd like fees of £1 K a year then we might be able to afford it. Obviously I'm guessing as many more Joe Bloggs could also afford it I'm guessing you wouldn't want fees that low.Low enough so you can afford it but high enough to keep the riff raff out would be far more preferential.

No, quite the opposite, LPM, if parents could only afford £1k, it is they who should be receiving bursaries. I don't think fees should be set at a level to exclude people but that's what is happening so long as bursary funds are small and fees rise out of line with salary rises.

At DC school bursaries go to people who are very poor and they get full fees and more (for trips, uniform etc), not 10% off... And in term of NHS, this means nurses, not consultants or trust managers.There are no longer scholarships, the only fees remission is for bursaries and staff DC. And many of the staff DC have children at the school. As parent I am happy with that, like others raise funds for bursaries of this kind, and will congratulate the governors on clearly having a policy that is fair. As non-oligarchs, we were fully aware of the costs of fees before we got into it, and did not make a naïve assumption that they would only rise with inflation, or whine that fees rising would curtail our lifestyle. I fully support teachers' getting good pensions - they work hard for our DC, and our DC appreciate that. Struggling to see what the problem is - if we could not afford it, we would educate our DC elsewhere - there are lots of good state schools ( I am myself a state school teacher). In this country everyone can have a free education - in other countries, not so much. If there are Russian and Chinese pupils at the school - great! They haven't mentioned them , but if they are there, hope my DC get to meet them and find out about life outside the London bubble. Increasing diversity far more than would a few extra Times or BBC journos...