School fees going up loads! Anyone else?!

[Abuildingwith4wallsandtmrinsid]

Regular poster who has name changed for this post.

My DC’s school is putting up school fees by over 7 per cent from September 2022 for existing parents, more for incomers.
Is this the norm now?!! I realise prices are going up but shouldn’t they try and contain costs/be as lean as possible? Apparently they need to build their bursary funds and go green. We have tons of parents who already struggle with the fees.
Other DC thankfully in state school. I don’t think it is good value this whole private school thing. But once your kid is there you are trapped.

@ShanghaiDiva

Am not sure what you expect from this thread. If you believe the increase is excessive move your child to the state school your other children attend.

I think this is a bit harsh - we don't know why the parents have chosen to go private for this child

Some of the people I know who have moved state -> private its because children's SENs were not being supported in their schools

I would welcome an independent school that writes into the parental contract that they will not increase school fees, except retrospectively in line with a predefined inflationary measure, to cover costs.
I would expect an independent school to put their existing pupils above any notion of new students so if certain parents fall into hardship, I would expect those parents supported first.
In reality, you have ambitious heads trying to fundraise for elusive bursary funds - which some argue don’t actually go to the most deserving students to whom it would make the most difference, but rather to parents already in the know of how the system works and a certain type of pushy parent (who has also applied to 10 grammar schools across the country and got places anyway).
So I argue for greater transparency and regulation of independent schools. I also strongly argue for greater funding and support of the state sector.
As explained, I only put one DC into the independent sector, due to his medical condition. Other DC are in the state sector, where I do my bit, both in terms of volunteering and some sizeable financial support.

First world problem. Prices everywhere are going up - it only makes sense for private schools to do the same.

I actually think there should be an added tax on private school fees that should go into subsidising the state school system. It feels so wrong that some children get such an unfair advantage over others just because their parents happen to be wealthier. I saw a program which documented two children from different schools. One attended a private school and the other child attended a state school. And thevdifference was shocking.

@itrytomakemyway now that I am in a big name school and can see who actually receives the burseries I can see what a sham it is
Between this and the generous donations made by super wealthy parents.year after year ...

I wish that I lived in a part of the country with good schools for DC to attend. The stress at this stage is not worth it , I just wish I jumped ship two years ago when Covid first arrived .We will be now., it' couldn't come at a worse point in DC's education.

Based only on mumsnet, I thought they went up 5% a year anyway?
Everything is going up ( or being cut when it comes to public spending). So yabu to be surprised.

[quote BeingOscar]@EstoPerpetua we would be wasting our time.
I don't want to go into my experience during covid but it was the complete opposite to yours. They have a vast network of very wealthy parents who not only pay the fees but donate huge sums of money. Our DC will be replaced immediately.

It will be a relief to be honest. This stress is no longer worth it.[/quote]
@BeingOscar I'm really sorry. I had the same experience as you with one of my other DC's schools during Covid (a less well known school), and it was a nightmare. They were, fortunately, coming to the end of their time there so left with a debt which I'm still paying off. It has been horribly stressful. Other DC's school had a vast network of the kinds of wealthy parents you mention - some of whom increased their fee payments (which are already upwards of £45k pa) during Covid in order to support the children of parents whose incomes had been wiped out. I have no idea who these parents were as it was all done anonymously, so can never thank them - but I dearly wish I could!

“Off topic but if you can easily afford the fees why are you only paying for one child. The families I know where children have been so differently educated haven’t generated good sibling relationships. So unfair.“

Because said DC is type 1 diabetic and neuro divergent and loves sport - which does not make for a good combo without extra support. Other DC understand why and which their sibling to be as safe as possible.

@Cheesecakeandwineinasuitcase do you know the name of the documentary? I'd like to see it.

Private school suffered hugely during covid. Our dcs school went bust.

I understand the price rise. Everything is rising in price. Many of their costs will have risen by well in excess of 7%. Heating and power for example will have doubled.

@BeingOscar - best of luck to your DC and all of you.
I am so sorry you had to go through this, I hope it all works itself out somehow.
Nobody can take away your DC’s inherent potential. The most important thing is to build DC’s confidence & happiness.

Did they actually cancel the fees for you @EstoPerpetua? We are in a similar school, we were given a tiny amount. We had to remortgage , it was a terrible mistake. I have lost all my faith in the school my DC was so excited to be attending.

Our school has a type of parent that they help. Obviously we weren't it

Cheesecakeandwineinasuitcase - “I actually think there should be an added tax on private school fees that should go into subsidising the state school system.”

We have a lot of Asian parents in our independent school that make huge sacrifices to send their DC to the school. A few work 2-3 jobs including Uber and delivery type second jobs. They really are not the rich white middle/upper class cliche you would expect. I don’t think many did include 10 per cent fee rises in their calculations. Culturally, many of them, put education above all else in good faith and believe that private would be much better and that it would be fair value.
So to those of you living in lovely middle class areas with high house prices and great state schools, lucky you. It is just not like that where we live, at all.

Private school close to me rinsed the furlough scheme though. Furloughed teachers during the holidays to avoid paying wages. That I find shocking.

Thank you @Abuildingwith4wallsandtmrinsid.x

@Abuildingwith4wallsandtmrinsid our school hasn’t said anything yet.
But they have a nice financial cushion to help them weather covid and the likes. So I’m hoping that the rise won’t be too bad.
(Aka inflation but no reduction on anything else)

My children have left private school and for me it was worth every penny despite the increases every year. To finish the younger ones education we took out a mortgage which has now nearly been paid back. Do I regret it - not at all!

Its difficult to get off the merry-go-around and my children went to a prestigious boarding school. I went to a bog standard sec modern and very bog standard it was too. Teachers who did the minimum and seemed to be striking more than teaching and no real interest in the pupils.

Having said that what I did notice was the vast difference between the teaching offered during lockdown state and private. Some schools were literally locking up with voice mails full and no way of contacting anyone. One of my nieces schools said that the teachers needed to have broadband installed hence the few weeks delay getting everything started for online lessons. When it was pointed out that surely they had BB already they were told that was a personal bb and couldnt be used. That was shameful behaviour on behalf of some jobsworth teachers who saw it as an opportunity to have the spring and summer off. If that had happened in the private school - well it wouldnt have happened would it and didnt!

@Vijia

What tosh about how bad state schools are! Honestly

Enjoy watching your hard earned ££ go up in smoke while the rest of us who are more open- minded about state schools but probably no less snobby send our bright children to state schools in good areas while being able to afford the gardener, cleaner, horse riding lessons, skiing holidays and personal tutors

What a tosh that so many people living in well enough areas think that state schools are lively and good enough. You obviously haven’t been in an area where even the ‘good schools’ are still below average nationally Eg our local secondary has had very ofsted reports, is considered one if the best one in the area etc..,, and still their results both fir GCSE and A level are below the national average. Worst of all this is the case for A level when they are selecting pupils and getting rid of the ones they think won’t make the grades. At least our private school still keeps the ones who are struggling rather than kicking them out mid A level..,,

As a state school teacher during the covid lockdown I would just like to let you know that I used my own broadband to provide online lesson at me own cost. I also had to run out and buy an overpriced new laptop as my own was not capable to supporting zoom lessons. I had to pay for it out of my own pocket - nothing was provided by the school.

We relied on donated old laptops from several staff to allow some of our students some kind of access to online learning.

No, the majority of state school staff did not use covid as an excuse for a holiday. It cost me a great deal of money and yet more extra unpaid hours to provide that support, as wll as going into school to teach key worker's children.

I had an email about increasing fees. I was expecting at least a 5% increase so I was pleasantly surprised at the £1.00 increase. It seems utterly ridiculous to only raise by that amount but I'm certainly not complaining 😂

"At least our private school still keeps the ones who are struggling rather than kicking them out mid A level..,,"

Absolutely the reverse around here. I had to take on several A Level students into my upper sixth classes as they had been kicked out of their private school for failing to achieve at least a grade C in their first year. Several of these students came with a huge chip on their shoulder about our teachers and students too. Their parents were not at all happy with the private schools who didn't want their 'underachieving' offspring bringing down their exam stats. Of course I had to take the hit on my own stats if they didn't pull their socks up in the upper sixth - nowhere for me to dump them off to.

We also had the delights of taking in any student kicked out of private school due to their poor behaviour. An undersubscribed state school does not have the chance to be so picky.

Having heard a teacher being interviewed on the radio at the beginning of lockdown saying she couldnt use Zoom and needed a two day training course which was in the process of being organised!

There are You Tube videos there NOW to show you how to use it.

"For the avoidance of doubt, I can easily afford the school fees. It does not stop me being incensed by the collusion and the whole poncy scheme."

You've accused everyone else about being tone-deaf....

@BeingOscar

Did they actually cancel the fees for you *@EstoPerpetua*? We are in a similar school, we were given a tiny amount. We had to remortgage , it was a terrible mistake. I have lost all my faith in the school my DC was so excited to be attending.

Our school has a type of parent that they help. Obviously we weren't it

I'll PM you. I'm really sorry you had such a bad experience - as mentioned, I had similar with another school, and I found it quite shocking (esp. as it's a school that prides itself on its caring ethos).

They're under quite a lot of costs pressure, not forgetting the ongoing TPS issues.

@lhjjhdjsdhkshdbc

Private school suffered hugely during covid. Our dcs school went bust. I understand the price rise. Everything is rising in price. Many of their costs will have risen by well in excess of 7%. Heating and power for example will have doubled.

I know of several schools that made no rise in fees in at least one year during the pandemic (because they were saving on some costs, and not able to provide the normal school experience).

The knock on effect of that is the the underlying costs (wage inflation, plus general inflation expected energy cost hikes and TPS costs) have kept going up, so they now have to recoup the increase they didn't make then.

(What I mean is, it that say you have something that costs £100, that typically increased by 4% pa, then at the end of 2 years it costs £108.16. If you have 0% increase in the first year, but still need to cover the new cost and as your bills esp energy to increase relentlessly, then you'll need at least 8.2%, and that's still not particularly shockproof)