Do you think private schools are losing pupils due to Covid?

[MarieFromStTropez]

A couple of girls from DD's class have very suddenly been offered places at the local heavily-subscribed private girls' school starting in January. Even though the parents put their DD's names down years ago, they could not guarantee them a place until Year 5 (they are currently in Year 2). Then out of the blue both girls were offered places.

I am wondering if it is because of Covid and maybe parents are taking their DC out of private school due to financial concerns. Has anybody else noticed this?

.. and finally to add of the 5 pupils joining DS1's year 6 prep class who are all from state schools, all are needing to 'catch up' maths due to lack of lessons in the summer term during lockdown.

Our prep is full - and fuller than usual - and of the other local preps I know well, all are also full and two have laid on extra classes in the pre prep due to a spike in demand. We're SE - commutable from London. I can't say if that's covid related but seems likely.

my children are currently at a prep school and we have had alot of children join at the start of this academic year.

Im not sure about a local senior school which we are considering sending the older child to. They keep calling me and emailing asking if we want to look around. I know they have alot of international students, makes me wonder if they are struggling .

Opposite here too (Greater London), we have struggled to get a place at a local prep school, moving out of local state, but finally managed it for an in term transfer (thank goodness!) amd our DC aren't the only ones who've started this year at the prep.

I believe preps are very full in most places, seniors are struggling more due to loss of international pupils. State secondary schools were much better at provision than state primaries so I think thats also a reason alongside the fact parents are less likely to move a child in secondary.

Our rural school has had 12 new starters since March. That's a 25% increase.

Interesting stats from Barnaby Lenon Chair of ISC in Tes this morning - he says Independent schools have a 1% drop in numbers but bigger percentage drop expected during upcoming recession. He says budgets currently very difficult in many schools.

TES - Private school funds 'shot to pieces', mergers expected

He revealed that across the ISC's 1,300 member schools, there had been a 1 per cent drop in pupil numbers.

Mr Lenon added: “But this small decline is being driven by much bigger declines in boarding schools but particularly international boarding schools.

“There are a small number of schools where all the pupils come from abroad and clearly some of them are down by 50 per cent, especially if they took a lot of pupils from China for example, because most of the Chinese pupils have not yet returned.

He was asked what financial toll the coronavirus pandemic has had on the sector – through fees being frozen or discounted, or bookings and lettings being cancelled.

Mr Lenon said: "Essentially, everyone’s budgets for 2020-21 are shot to pieces. Now for some schools, they managed to get in a reasonable amount of income over the summer, they already had a decent surplus so they are fine – but others that were operating on very small margins are less fine."

DD is at long established school with a small group of very rich parents. Some or all have topped up the bursary fund to help keep kids at school whose parents have hit hard times. It's been a tough time for some families in hospitality/entertainment. I think our numbers are fairly steady (but it is usually over-subscribed).

Some schools were better than others at educating in lockdown, so I can see why some of the less technically adept schools might be leaching pupils.

Not round us. We are looking to transfer our 2 DC from their current prep to another one locally. We would have like to have moved them in January, but no availability until sept 21. The current school had 3 leavers and 2 joiners in yr 3 and 1 leaver and 1 joiner in yr4.

Not in DC's school. Three pupils have joined the year group since September.