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Original poster

Anyone sacrifice to pay 1500 worth of school fees a month?

73 replies

hercules1 · 22/04/2007 19:17

Long story but if you pay this amount is it because you have it to spare or because you go without and work bloody hard?

OP posts:
seeker · 22/04/2007 23:06

Here's my view for what it's worth. I am personally opposed to independent education for all the reasons that others have gone over lots of times in the past. HOWEVER, if people with money to burn want to throw some at Eton then that's their prerogative. What I think is a bad idea is families struggling and doing without to pay school fees - I think it puts too much pressure on the children. And if it means there's no money left for holidays, or riding lessons or trips to Alton Towers then I really can't see the point. Rant over. And I am speaking as the partially privately educated mother of two state educated children who have many privately educated friends.

islandofsodor · 22/04/2007 23:08

I currently pay £1,000 per month into an ISA. This is so that we can try and build up a reserve for when ds starts school in a couple of years time. Dd's fees are currently £2,000 per term and will rise to around £2,500 in senior school (obviously by then will be more with rises.

We do it by cutting back to the bare minimum. I work, ds has a day job plus we run a business as well and he teaches from home in the evenings.

islandofsodor · 22/04/2007 23:11

Last year we had a very bad year, we managed to do this on an income of under £30,000 by going into debt and using some pre-children savings we had. This year I reckon our income will be around £40k so we should be OK, I'm hoping that next year we will be on around £50k as dh has some extra work.

Original poster
hercules1 · 22/04/2007 23:16

Thanks again for the messages. We have a large mortage sadly although is on a 3.25 times our wages. We must pay out 350pounds on credit card and 200 on student loans a month. If we could get rid of those it would make a huge difference. Still I have a year and a half to do so. Might start ebaying

OP posts:
Original poster
hercules1 · 22/04/2007 23:17

That's a good saving Island. We save about 200 a month currently into a share scheme so is actually more and also just remembered we have some other shares though not sure how much. I must look into it.

OP posts:
islandofsodor · 22/04/2007 23:18

We do live in a pretty cheap area and bought a house based on my wages alone so only have a mortgage of £60k

islandofsodor · 22/04/2007 23:19

Forgot to say we withdraw dd's fees from the ISA each term (no way we can pay £1,00 per month plus £2,00 per term!!!)

Original poster
hercules1 · 22/04/2007 23:23

We live in an expensive area and our mortgage is 210k

OP posts:
islandofsodor · 22/04/2007 23:27

Blooming eck!!!

Our house cost £90k 5 years ago. It is now worth around £160-£170k (it is a 3 bed detached with integral garage and we added a conservatory)

We did think about downsizing last year when we were struggling.

Original poster
hercules1 · 22/04/2007 23:29

Ours is a 2 bed semi detached with fairly small back garden

OP posts:
Original poster
hercules1 · 22/04/2007 23:30

where do you live???

Our mortgage for that is 1350 on a special rate...

OP posts:
Original poster
hercules1 · 22/04/2007 23:30

I live in outer London btw.

OP posts:
islandofsodor · 22/04/2007 23:31

Staffordshire

Original poster
hercules1 · 22/04/2007 23:32

WE did briefly discuss moving to a cheaper area as both are jobs are fairly transferble in the hope of cheaper mortgage and cheaper fees. Might relook at that idea.

OP posts:
rabbleraiser · 22/04/2007 23:32

Strewth! We barely even earn that in a month - and yes, we both work bloody hard.

Flowertop · 24/04/2007 10:46

Hi With regard to the comment about the kids still being 'thick' once they have been through the independant school route. I would like to say that in my view sending them private is not about turning them into academics as in our case we know this will never happen. DS1 and DS2 are both staring private in September after a couple of years (I have posted many times of my concerns). DS1 particularly struggles and we know in the state system (as has been proved to us) he will be left behind. What we want is for him to find something that he is good at and help him to enjoy his school day. Unfortunately we have found that if you are weak at maths and english (as he is) you are largely ignored. So even if he does turn our to still be 'thick' hopefully he will come our with some sense of self worth from his school days. For me that is worth the money.

frances5 · 24/04/2007 18:41

It makes more sense to spend money on "thick" kids. It saves them from being in the sink sets of comprehensive. They experience fewer problems with discipline.

Lilymaid · 25/04/2007 16:42

Rather late in the day - but I'm another one who has "gone without" in some material terms to send DSs to independent schools at various times - DSs have also spent significant parts of their education in state schools. I'm just preparing myself for funding DS2 for his sixth form somewhere where he will be in small groups (local state sixth form college quotes groups of up to 25 for AS Maths). I am out of the house at work/travelling 12 hours per day in term time and do some extra work at home in the vacations. DH works full time in a stressful job and earns a little extra from time to time on consultancy work. We are both graduate professionals and our joint annual income is well below £100k!

batters · 25/04/2007 17:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

motheroftwoboys · 26/04/2007 15:03

Our sons 16 and 14 both go to academic/selective independent schools. Personally wouldn't bother with non selective. We have found it very, very hard. When they first started out our joint income was high and it wasn't a problem but my DH hasn't worked for a few years now (very long story) so I am the only earner and £23k does not go far to paying all bills AND school fees. DH doesn't get any benefits as is freelance. We did the downsizing thing which worked for us, put the money away so we know fees are sorted till they leave. BTW, very few people who send their children to private schools are rich - although there are a few. And LOADS of children at private schools have parents who teach in state schools so not sure what that says! Personally have never regretted it BUT if I lived in an area with a free Grammar or a good state school then I don't think I would have taken the option. Neither of us went to private schools but are old enough to have been educated at Grammar schools . We now pay for what we got free! We live in the north east btw. Ours have never bothered about wanting to go on school trips so that has never been a problem. BTW the excellent school that DS1 goes to (and where I now work) does not offer scholarships to people who could afford to pay anyway but we do offer bursaries for bright children who would not have a hope of being able to come. We have about 10% on full bursaries atm.

motheroftwoboys · 26/04/2007 15:04

Our sons 16 and 14 both go to academic/selective independent schools. Personally wouldn't bother with non selective. We have found it very, very hard. When they first started out our joint income was high and it wasn't a problem but my DH hasn't worked for a few years now (very long story) so I am the only earner and £23k does not go far to paying all bills AND school fees. DH doesn't get any benefits as is freelance. We did the downsizing thing which worked for us, put the money away so we know fees are sorted till they leave. BTW, very few people who send their children to private schools are rich - although there are a few. And LOADS of children at private schools have parents who teach in state schools so not sure what that says! Personally have never regretted it BUT if I lived in an area with a free Grammar or a good state school then I don't think I would have taken the option. Neither of us went to private schools but are old enough to have been educated at Grammar schools . We now pay for what we got free! We live in the north east btw. Ours have never bothered about wanting to go on school trips so that has never been a problem. BTW the excellent school that DS1 goes to (and where I now work) does not offer scholarships to people who could afford to pay anyway but we do offer bursaries for bright children who would not have a hope of being able to come. We have about 10% on full bursaries atm.

confusedandignorant · 26/04/2007 16:35

you might find that the children in private schools who have parents as teachers are often the scholarship winners

motheroftwoboys · 27/04/2007 18:01

Teachers would earn too much for their kids to win a bursary at our school. It is for really low income families.

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