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

[Mojomummy]

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 ?

i have a friend who works in a private school as a junior school teacher

he says there are people from all walks of life who send their children to private - people like me who work their ass off, sacrifice etc etc and others who to whom school fees mean fck all

and some children go to state schools then private others who go private from day dot

its not like it used to be

my main concerns would be

a. if dd1 got in and then dd2 didnt

b. 'extras' that you dont budget for like school trips, uniform, musical instruments etc

i think i need to go back to school and re-do grammar...

piglit, may i ask what school you went to? do you mind? i have an interview with dd1 this week at a school in ed

Does "St G" help you? I know most/all of the private schools in Edin. Which one are you going for.

its mary erskine, piglit

st g was v v v v v nice and helpful tho, i am considering them too, but they are v flexible and i am going to contact them later when i have been to mary erskine, who basically said "come this week"

st g is also a bit more expensive. i like both very much

Both v v v v good schools. Although ME were our arch rivals!

Whichever you chose you can't really go wrong but my experience of St Gs was 13 very very happy years. Lots of lovely friends and a damned good education. Also very sporty and arty. They are also very big on encouraging girls to do whatever they set their minds to. Fab school.

I'm glad things are going better Enid. I guess that is increasing her confidence, which is great

oh piglit thats good to know

dd1 is v arty

Good luck with it nailpolish!

By just having the one child. Also by both of us working full time. I did consider giving up work and sending DD to state school. But I want her to be in a small class (20 kids) and a school that has a Catholic ethos. The kind of State junior school I went to in 1970's in the provinces, but that insist availabe for DD unless we pay.

we send ds and dd1 to private school. ds's fees are paid for by grandparents. I keep wanting to ask all the parents how they afford the fees! In our school there are some very wealthy people, but most of the parents are very normal, in normal jobs and living in normal houses/flats. I did hear some statistic that most fees are paid for by grandparents.

We are in a dilemma as to what to do with our 2 younger daughters. I'm not sure in the long-term we can afford to pay fees for them all the way through and I really have reservations about whether it is worth it at primary level anyway.

I'm printing off this thread to show DH.

He's already to pack it in and get the hell out of here.

This will light a fire under him even more.

Apparently there are a few children at ours whose entire fees have been paid for upfront by grandparents . Great income, standard of living and social status variation though.

One of the things that surprises me is the number of parents I talk to in our area who say they will be sending their children private when they reach secondary - little realising that the schools are vastly oversubscribed and that the competition to get in at secondary level is horrendous. Though I know that's not the case everywhere....

Liz - I know for definite that there are several children in DD's school where it is grandparents or other older members of the family who are paying for the children's school fees. Dh sometimes suggests it to his clients as a tax planning strategy.

Well they might be able to get into a private school, just not a selective one .

Though acording to one of the local schools, whilst the competition seems to be 800 or more for 100 places, due to the fact that most people got for 6 or more schools, most people get something?

I think that I'm a bit south of you. And I was referring to private schools/grammars, not state.

batters, what no place at all ? What happens to them then ? How/where are they educated ?

wtf is a grammar school

That seems like madness, batters.

omg batters

wht is a grammar school please

Naily, grammar schools are selective state schools. Selection is via an 11= entrance exam.