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

[Hulababy]

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%.

Thannks Darrell and of course you are right.
Just find this 'nose looking down' so annoying and actually quite ill conceived

It does seem to start a very heated debate even when the thread is purley about fees. Like them or love them private schools seem to stir up deep emotions in people.

Woo! People from independent schools no fun! Not good socially! Come and visit the school where my DH teaches and my DCs attend. it's fab! And it's not as it all state school children are brilliantly articulate is it? Quite a few of the kids I teach only seem to grunt!!

Ours went up by nearly 10%.
School fees are set as part of an illegal cartel, there are letters in the hands of the authorities from bursars saying "we should make sure we all go up the same, don't let on because this is naughty". They broke the law, knew they were breaking the law, but have the "grey haired white man" defence, so got told they were naughty.

But you must expect fees to rise faster than inflation. This is because on average wages usually outpace general inflation, (the only one the BBC understands). School cost are in large part salaries, and they don't benefit from improvements in technology or outsourcing of production to low wage cost countries.

Pensions can't be helping one little bit either.

from what i see there seem to be a lot of self-serving people emerging from private schools

But OttersPool - you now seem to be doing the stereotyping and generalisation too.

Surely we are really now that children are the same wherever they are - some good, some needing more guidance!

i know hulababy i just get riled

Oooo OttersPool you really do have a bug up your arse about private schools don't you.

Having been to both state and private, I preferred private but that is because the state schools in my area performed very poorly and unforutnately bred a lot of bullies.

I would love the opportunity to send my son to private because I had such a lovely time there but won't be in a position to. I have no doubt that some state schools are better than private and vice versa.

I think maybe you need to stop looking down your nose at people that choose private educations.

Otterspool - How wonderful that your DCs have such a good state education, at least based on exam results. But since you know their schools ratings on the league tables you must also know that a lot of state schools fall way below that level of attainment. Some people in less high-achieving catchment areas can afford to extend their choice of education provider. I see no problem with that.

And btw, all my privately-ed friends are confident, articulate and funny. Obviously there are some from the indep. sector that are rude, stupid and dull. But they're not my friends

i dont make silly comments about state education making people 'better'

i may believe it but would not dream of voicing it

Otter-you are indeed lucky to have such fabulous state schools on your doorstep.
Where I am-we have no choice-residents of our village are sent to one school in a nearby town which has a dreadful ofsted report,poor attendance,bullying and zero pastoral care.
If I have to,I will sell my house to fund dd's education,not because I am pro-private schools but I am pro doing the best for my daughter.Stamp duty alone would pay for several years education on the average house in SE commuter belt country.

BTW-delighted little otter is better.

thanks whooosh
i do hear your point of veiw

Sorry Otters but you're protesting a bit too much here! You were the one who was gloating about how you think your DCs state school tops the league tables over someone elses. Actually in the independent sector, I think you'd find that a lot of parents aren't actually so fussed about their kids having to jump through meaningless government hoops. The main reason we opted for independent school was because it offers what we believe is a real education - ie drama, music, sport and so on as well as academic excellence, rather than just relentless testing. And yes, the buildings and grounds are beautiful! And quite frankly I prefer to be surrounded by beautiful things so why shouldn't my children!

Well call me selfish but boy could I have more wine,nights out and maybe the odd holiday if I had a good (not brilliant-just good) state school for dd....maybe tha answer is to move but then there is me finding a job and giving Gordon Brown all that stamp duty but think of how much wine....

its the attitude i object to - its ill informed
my son is in school plays - does rugby, football ,rowing - is in the debating society -film making club - plays guitar,mock trials etc not noticed him or his teachers 'jumping through hoops'

i dont assume a privately educated child has more or less opportunities than a state educated one but apparently you do..

oh yes - he goes over some hills on his way to school and the building is old and pretty

Otter-where are you?????

I feel the need to move......

Otter, your child is very very lucky. One of the school's my husband works at does not have a debating society, but it does have its' own policeman on site.

Otter - I think it is actually you that is being presumptious!

You are assuming that all state education is like the one your family is lucky enough to enjoy. Sadly that is far from the truth so some of us have to dig into our own pockets to pay for that which you gloat over!

Really, your posts on here are a disgrace! Ugly behaviour in the extreme.

Your school does sound great otter. I am 99.9% certain you don't live in the London Borough of Greenwich

so i get told that yet xenia is applauded - now that is ugly - and no i do not assume its the same for everyone but the smugness on here makes me

no i dont marina i am in the north!

To be honest Otter, Xenia is so OTT that I tend to think yeah, whatever and let whatever she says wash over me.

well thats fine then otter - your child is obviously in an excellent state school. But they're not all like that! I know - I teach in the state sector. And in a lot of schools, even though the teachers work damn hard to provide all kinds of extra curricular activites, there isn;t the general culture among the majority of the pupils and parents that academic work, drama, sport, music etc are valued. That's the sad reality for many people. The state schools in my area aren't at all bad compared with many other places, but we have the option of independent because of my DHs job teaching in an independent school, and we've taken it! If we wanted state, we'd go for state!

i know how lucky we are - i truly do
i would not feel right about it if the child next door could not have the same opportunities

that is UGLY soapbox - the inequality