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Original poster

How do you afford to send your Children to Private School ?

147 replies

Mojomummy · 20/01/2007 14:32

DD1 will be 4 in June 2007. We are just about to apply for her schools, entry to state will be at Easter 2008.

We have looked at an 'experimental' school, know throughout the country, with excellent results. Children do regular curriculum, but learn alot outside in the grounds & through practical experience.

We are in the process of moving to get her into the catchment of another more 'results' orientated school, but as the cut off is soon & we are nowhere near to an exchange, we aren't hopeful.

This morning we went to view a private school which just seems to offering so much. 16 to a class, 1 teacher, 1 assistant. Swimming pool, theatre, languages, drama, music etc etc. The downside is the cost of course. £2,200+ a term for reception. Guestimating on about £600 a month for the school year.

Dh is earning a good salary at the moment, as he is contracting, but no guarantee how long this will last.

For anyone in a similar situation, how have you decided which way to go ?

OP posts:
Kittypickle · 22/01/2007 13:34

I nearly passed out when I first found out some of the fees

How is your DD1 doing Enid, did you see the lady who had been involved in setting up the SEN unit and if so, how did you get on ?

Dinosaur · 22/01/2007 13:38

I do hope and pray never to have to go down the private school route.

But if we had to, then given that we live on my salary at the moment (and I only work four days a week) then I could go back up to five days and DH (who is a chartered accountant) could go back to work when DS3 is at school.

Aloha · 22/01/2007 13:51

In your position, with the move imminent, I wouldn't be thinking about the private school, particularly as your daughter is only three. You will be moving soon, and there is every likelihood that you will get a place in the good state primary, so that will mean you have a great option. While your daughter is at the primary school you could save the equivalent of most of her fees and invest that cash to pay to go private, if you want, at secondary. If you decide to sent her to a state secondary you will be able to pay off most of your mortgage instead! You will also be able to see how paying out the money will impact on you life.

Enid · 22/01/2007 13:52

KittyP, thanks for asking. She has been seeing the lady once a week for 7 weeks or so now

she is BRILLIANT! so encouraging and enthusiastic. She suggests that dd1 does indeed have some mild dyslexia and possibly dyspraxia - hard to say whether it is that or extreme lack of confidence and memory issues but, as she says, we are doing the best we can for her. She has moved off the bottom table in her class this term

CODNoMore · 22/01/2007 13:52

( anyone else popping on here in a voyeuristic fashion to see whot eh money bags are? ;0)

nailpolish · 22/01/2007 13:53

why else would i be here cod?

weepootleflump · 22/01/2007 13:55

My dd isn't school age yet, but my employer pays 90% of fees - only if she boards . So, probably won't use that perk - unless she decides she really wants to do that when she's a little older.

nappyaddict · 22/01/2007 13:56

are there any other private schools in the area which might be cheaper? our local private school only charges £1,725.00 per term for reception.

nailpolish · 22/01/2007 13:56

i ahve to say tho, if we move to Edinburgh i will be considering private schools

i wont be a sahm mum, i will have to go and work my arse off full time, and just hand my monthly wage to the school

we dont have a car and we wont be able to go on holidays of any luxury

i am v good at budgeting and saving

its all relative/priorities/blah blah blah

CODNoMore · 22/01/2007 13:56
CODNoMore · 22/01/2007 13:57

lol
shuts!

expatinscotland · 22/01/2007 13:57

Another reason we will be leaving Edinburgh.

nailpolish · 22/01/2007 13:58

lol @ shits

expatinscotland · 22/01/2007 13:58

I went to a private school until 'high' school, at 14. I chose to go to a state school at that point.

My sister went all the way through.

I can only imagine the cost.

itsmeNDP · 22/01/2007 13:59

Same here nailpolish. We are considering private secondary for DD, but that can only happen if I am working full time handing my salary over to the school. We could afford to educate her privately but it would mean lifestyle sacrifices that neither DH and I would be prepared to make, unless the standard of state secondaries around here was so dire that it was our only option (they aren't).

CODNoMore · 22/01/2007 14:00

ndp
you ponce

expatinscotland · 22/01/2007 14:01

But if they went in at secondary school, wouldn't all the cliques be formed?

They were at my school, a poncey girls school w/many catty little bitches at it.

itsmeNDP · 22/01/2007 14:01

sorry, I meanr we could afford..... on DH's salary alone

slayerette · 22/01/2007 14:02

Ds is 4 and we have applied for out of catchment state schools but our catchment school is appalling. Due to job, we can get discounted fees at private school and so ds is going there in September. I am not against state schools and would love ds to go to one but it has to be a good one! Our catchment secondary is one of the worst in the county so we'll be fee paying for years yet unless we move. Budgeting already to get used to living without treats and luxuries. It seems such a lottery - dh and me both state eductaed and have done well out of it but can't send ds to schools I know are terrible so have to pay!

itsmeNDP · 22/01/2007 14:02
Lilymaid · 22/01/2007 14:03

Think whether you will be able to afford paying up to the age of 18 (many come into private education from state but comparatively few go from private to state)- when average fees outside London for secondary day schools is around £3500 per term (or will you hope she gets into the grammar school). Also consider whether you would do the same for a second child, should you have one.
I sent DS1 to independent school at 11 and the cost was crippling (10% fee rises each year). We went without - no new cars, fancy holidays, new furniture etc. It was worth it for him, but now bitterly regret that we were not able to do the same for DS2.

slayerette · 22/01/2007 14:04

'educated'. Obviously, state education not that good for me! lol

itsmeNDP · 22/01/2007 14:04

expat, we are considering moving DD to private primary from her state primary in Y5 or 6, so she will have a chance to settle and make friends, get used to the ethos etc.

I have been told that lots of kids move from state primary to private secondary so it is unlikely that she would be the only one new to private education.

julienetmum · 22/01/2007 14:06

OUr local secondaries hava a GCSE pass rate of around 20%. I just look at the opportunities that are available to the children at the senior school where dd will hopefully go and think, wow, what could I have done if I had the chance to go somewhere like that.

I'm not just talking academic opportunities but the whole picture.

I'll do anything to keep the dc there.

piglit · 22/01/2007 14:10

I was born and brought up in Edinburgh and I'm afraid to say if you want to "get on" there then a private education is the way to go. I went to a private school and Uni there and I loved it but one of the reasons I moved away dahn sarf when I left uni was because of the whole yukky cliquey thing that goes on there when applying for a job. Oh, and the much bigger salary in the big smoke was another factor.

We are sending our dses to a private school. We've already made provision for their fees so that if anything unexpected comes up we shouldn't have to take them out of school. My parents made massive sacrifices to send us to private school. It was often a struggle but they managed it.

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