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Original poster

Private school fees - have yours gone up for next year and by how much?

197 replies

Hulababy · 08/04/2007 11:23

This is DD's first year at private prep school - in PP1. We have just had the letter announcing the rise in fees for next year, and was just curious if the level of rise is standard.

Not complaining or anything - we knew it would happen most years, but keen tof ind out more!

DD's fees have gone up by about 15%.

OP posts:
marialuisa · 08/04/2007 13:06

Ours have gone up by about 10%

Original poster
Hulababy · 08/04/2007 13:36

We were told by our IFA, back when we firsts tartig thinking about private school fees, to expect 10% too.

OP posts:
Judy1234 · 08/04/2007 17:57

They haven't announced September's yet for ours. What wage rises have teachers got from September or extra pension obligations of schools to pay? Those factors often have an impact on fees.

OrvilleRedenbacher · 08/04/2007 17:57

he he he

Lilymaid · 08/04/2007 18:16

I'm not up to date, bu DS1's fees went up by 10% each year between 1998 and 2005. After he left the increase was slightly less, but way above inflation. The need to recruit good teachers (especially specialists) and pensions costs are the main reason.

Judy1234 · 08/04/2007 18:20

Worth every penny. I just don't think my slightly dyslexic eldest would have got her first job of the kind she has doing what she wants if she hadn't been to a private school although of course one never knows for sure.

wangle99 · 08/04/2007 20:08

We haven't had the letter yet, I'm sure it won't be long coming though lol

Gobbledigook · 08/04/2007 20:20

Now now orville

SueW · 08/04/2007 20:35

Ours have gone up by a little over 3% from £6,249pa to £6,438pa (KS2). Fess are structured Foundation, KS1, KS2 bands.

However.... fees at DD's school have been/are being hugely re-structured. IN the senior school, they recently 'abolished' a boarding award which was awarded to most pupils and reduced the headline boarding fees by almost £3k pa and their day fees which used to range from £9k to £12k iirc from Y7-Y12 with changes at Y9 and Y11 are now £9.5k to £11.6k with increases at Y9 and Y10 (remaining the same to Y12).

Ladymuck · 08/04/2007 21:20

We had different rises for different years but seemed to be from 4.5% to about 7%. 15% is high without specific justification imo. Some of the other local schools have had increases of around 10%.

OrvilleRedenbacher · 08/04/2007 21:21

thing is they have you oevr a barrel odn t they

Original poster
Hulababy · 08/04/2007 21:24

As I said before not complaining as such, just a bit suprised it was quite so high this time round. Was expecting a rise, but not quite 15%. At present, yes it is worth the money as DD is lovely going to school there.

Have no idea what rises the teachers have got, etc. But they are introducing a new preschool from September so fees may well be to cover costs of building works and st up costs of that.

OP posts:
SueW · 08/04/2007 22:17

Over a barrel? Maybe in SE England but up here it's still quite competitive, the private school industry, with no-one being entrely sure they'll fill all the spaces, even if they are 'over-subscribed' (perhaps read: parents have registered their children at multiple schools). From all I hear, parents seem to be able to move their children from school to school without too much difficulty, as long as they can meet the entry requirements for that school.

Judy1234 · 08/04/2007 22:52

Actually here in NW London parents will try for Watford Grammar or Bucks grammar schools and those state schools can compete with the private schools of which there are many and not with particularly high fees comared to inner London and the boarding schools. So in fact you get some of the bst value in terms of A level grades per pound spent etc.

CAM · 09/04/2007 01:47

Ours have gone up by 5% for this September, it has been as much as 8% in the past. Bearing in mind that our fees are at the expensive end of the market (SE England) its not a huge rise (but still a huge sum in the first place!)

Original poster
Hulababy · 09/04/2007 12:34

Hmmm, wonder why ouras seem higher than average then. Surely the new preschool can't be that expensive. I know they are having building works, etc. but no that much! Oh well, good job it's a good school!

OP posts:
SueW · 09/04/2007 12:49

DD's school is also having major building work done - a new dining facility and an extension to the prep school as well as converting the former dining hall to a library - but there must be some careful budgeting going on to keep the fees down this year.

It wouldn't surprise me, tbh, if they shoot up in the future. On top of financing the building work, there is also the pressure to ensure that more bursaries are available to children who could not normally afford to be educated there and another local independent primary is offering large (up to 75% I heard) bursaries to pupils aged 6-8yo who want to join the school.

Bursaries will have to come from reducing/removing current financial non-means-tested scholarships and making them honorary sholcarships, fundraising from current parents and alumni, etc. Not sure if they can/do/will use current fees income for it.

CowsGoMoo · 09/04/2007 21:51

My dd's fee increase notice came with her Easter report. Although she is only in the nursery of the prep school, the fees all round have risen 15% which I think is a huge increase!

However the school is very very popular and in huge demand, they filled their pre prep reception class for this Sept, by September 2006 and along with our fee increases for Sept we also received a letter asking us to confirm whether our dd will require a place in the pre prep from Sept 2008 as they give priority to those in the nursery dept, as they have already nearly filled all places (2 form entry pre prep with 16 in a class) for Sept 2008!

So I suppose they do have you over a barrell! you want to stay in the good school you have to pay top whack! (we are on the South Coast)

My daughter will be leaving to go to the very good state school instead, with her going back to private at 11! goodness knows what fees will be like by then!

LIZS · 09/04/2007 22:01

Ours is only about 5% like for like but ds will move up to the next section of Prep with longer hours so the actual amount for him goes up more than that. Our fees go towards the operating costs (salaries , maintenance etc) for which we get a % breakdown rather than capital outlay such as you mention with the set up of a preschool which are dealt with separately as far as I can tell.

CocoLoco · 09/04/2007 23:07

Haven't had anything about fees going up this year, have already had the bill though so don't know when they will tell us! I think the fees have gone up by around 5% a year since we started at the school.

Chandra · 09/04/2007 23:40

ours are going up by 10%

anteater · 10/04/2007 12:56

Our school fees are tied to the teachers wage increases.
10% sounds a lot but I guess it all depends on 10% of what!

PrincessPeaHead · 10/04/2007 12:58

they've told us that they will be going up, can't say by how much, but won't be by any more than 5.3%

I'm guessing it will be 5.3%

PrincessPeaHead · 10/04/2007 13:01

I think anything above a 10% rise is completely unacceptable without an explanation as to why it is so high. 15% really much too much.

I would ask them to justify it. I would ask them why the rise was so high, what justification there was, what assurance could they give me that it would not be this high again within the next few years

Is it a privately owned school? Or a trust/charity?

NKffffffffee0f7f95X1118efd8f2d · 10/04/2007 13:06

Don't they operate a cartel? I vaguely remember reading an Observer feature about it a year or so ago?