Private School - Extras

[Fractiontoomuchfennel]

For those with experience of putting their children through the independent/private system in Scotland - approx how much would you normally expect to pay in additional costs over and above fees (as a % of fees) on a yearly basis? This includes optional and non optional costs and other things that might not be so obvious. For reference I am thinking about a city day school for secondary. This isn’t an affordability issue. I just like to have all the facts and hate unknowns. I am getting lots of conflicting information. I guess that trips are hard to quantify as they vary so much but a rough idea would be appreciated. Thanks.

It varies hugely school to school, but should usually be plainly listed out in the fees section of the Admissions tab on the website. If it's not, check with the registrar. Our school doesn't have any compulsory extras but the fees are high. I've seen some schools advertise lower fees but then charge for everything, even lunch. It's not a blanket rule for all private schools.

Sorry I missed the Scotland bit.

Mine at Edinburgh day school.
Fees approx 15k per year which includes all texts books and stationery (at some schools this is not included)
Compulsory extras are school lunches approx £700 per year.

Nothing else, apart from uniform and sports equipment at fairly astronomical cost, is actually compulsory at our school.

BUT we have spent money on the following which they are expected to attend ** but not actually compulsory-
S1 and S2 camps/activities week approx £300 each.
Subject specific field trips in S3 and S4 eg, biology, geography etc £200-£400 each

2 or 3 school social events each year £10 each

Mine do a musical instrument which is approx 1k per year for tuition per instrument.

So looking at that we spend about 2k per year over and above 15k fees (excluding uniform costs)

There are also holiday type trips (available (in non-covid times) such as ski trips but they are entirely voluntary and certainly no expectation everyone would go.

Sorry I forgot D of E from S3 upwards. Our school contracts this out to a company so that's approx £200 per year plus purchase of walking boots, rucksack if you don't have them.
Again it's expected they will at least complete bronze and most also do silver. Less do gold

Thanks for the helpful replies. Exactly what I was looking for.

Mine is also at Edinburgh day school. Fees about £14000 a year, not including text books and stationery. Books probably £150 a year new but they dont change much so easy to get second hand. Lunches are extra but packed lunches are allowed. Uniform is compulsory, a blazer is about £120 new but there is a good second hand shop run by parents which also sells sports kit. Music tuition is extra so about £1k a year plus cost of instrument. Compulsory school trips are included in the fees but holiday type trips and extra curricular trips are not, cost of those varies hugely. Some extra curricular activities run by teachers are free but you pay extra for others where there is a cost to the school eg riding, surfing. Concerts, drama etc cost about £10-15 per ticket to attend as an audience member.

Mine are at a central belt day school - very much in line with the replies above.

To add some details:

Textbooks are included but jotters/stationery are not.

All school sports matches transport is included (that would be significant if extra for a sporty child, I think)

Bus travel to school now free on public buses, but charged on private coaches (so it depends where you live)

School away trips are a bit of an unknown due to covid, but pre-covid they were in the range of £300 - £1500 depending on what and where. Ski trip at top end of this. None of them compulsory, they were popular but by no means all children attending.

Thriving market in second hand uniform!

I was at a standard private day school (convent) in London a few years ago.

Fees included exercise books but not text books.

School meals were extra - I had a mix of both and also packed lunches.

Our school trips weren't compulsory and I did a few of these - all extra.

School uniform - when I first started it was last minute so got second hand blazer and rest new.

Music tuition or anything else you wanted was extra.

Funnily enough I was taught GCSE German by one of the nuns for no extra cost - parents offered but she refused payment so DM just donated to the order. They didn't have German on the curriculum. My fees back then were something like £2K a year but this was a long time ago (mid to late 1980s!).