School fees going up loads! Anyone else?!

207 replies

Abuildingwith4wallsandtmrinsid · 30/03/2022 16:33

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.

OP posts:

HenriettaP · 24/02/2023 10:26

Actually if you look at the accounts of most schools they barely break even

MGMidget · 24/02/2023 11:44

MGMidget · 24/02/2023 09:55

I think there are some difficult times ahead for private schools. The boom time was when people had more money and there was a bigger influx of foreign pupils (whose parents had even more money). Covid (and Brexit) saw the departure of many overseas pupils who may not have returned. Now nearly everyone has to tighten their belts owing to the rising cost of living wholst teacher pensions costs have hit the private sector dramatically, extra costs associated with hygiene and heated classrooms with open windows during the pandemic and now soaring fuel costs and pressure to increase staff salaries to keep up with inflation. I think many schools will struggle to keep fee increases to realistic levels for next September. Then, if a labour government get in it could be the death knell for those private schools that are not already heavily oversubscribed. And those that are will probably become less selective resulting in a drop in exam results making them less attractive and less worthy of the high fees in the eyes of the parents!

I have one child in private senior and one in state primary that we moved out of private prep at the end of 2021 as I could see that yhe private prep had deprioritised her age group during the pandemic and that I as a parent would have to pay for private tutoring for catch up whilst state schools were doing catch up for her age group for free. I am relieved we made the decision as it seems we made the right decision for the moment and things are going to get worse. On the other hand my DS’s private senior seems to be quite money conscious and has been canvasing the parents about affordability so I feel they will try hard to keep fees affordable.

Regarding your situation OP, how close to the end of the school is your DC? I ask because I was once told there is some sort of unwritten code that private schools dont kick out children when parents are struggling with the fees in their final year before exams because it would be too disruptive. If next year would be your DC’s exam year (GCSEs or A levels) I would really try not to move them but get some advice on this first and consider if you could manage the fees if paid back over a longer period of time (ie if school would give you a period of credit?). If you move your DC so close to exams the syllabus in the next school may be different and they may not be able to select the same combination of subject options. Plus the school will have covered the topics in a different order. Having invested so heavily in your DC you would lose so much from this and they would be disadvantaged. If you have to make the move look carefully at the new school’s syllabuses and subject option combinations.

@BeingOscar I have realised my last paragraph should have been directed at you, not the OP! I hope you find a solution for your DC! I am wondering which school your DC was in during the pandemic that you got home learning. I was pretty sure some boarding schools carried on but put all the children in a bubble for the whole term with no visitors allowed and no exeats. I know of one wealthy boarding school who sent the children home though much to the disatisfaction of many parents.

SpiderinaWingMirror · 24/02/2023 12:18

I would be surprised if they weren't going up by at least the rate of inflation.
Why wouldn't they?

HenriettaP · 24/02/2023 12:22

SpiderinaWingMirror · 24/02/2023 12:18

I would be surprised if they weren't going up by at least the rate of inflation.
Why wouldn't they?

presumably they will construct a budget and forecast taking into account all the costs they expect. The rate of inflation as applied to the costs of a school may be different to the general rate of inflation.

sheep73 · 24/02/2023 16:48

A prep school near us is closing... this will be tough times for private schools, especially the small less wealthy / famous ones.

RedMake88 · 24/02/2023 16:57

Our prep is over subscribed but I think at the detriment of two other peeps in our area. Because it was a 8-18 but recently opened a 3+ too and they’ve effectively stolen from the other preps.

justasking111 · 24/02/2023 18:02

RedMake88 · 24/02/2023 16:57

Our prep is over subscribed but I think at the detriment of two other peeps in our area. Because it was a 8-18 but recently opened a 3+ too and they’ve effectively stolen from the other preps.

A boarding school near us bought a private 3+ school and took over the little ones. But the parents keep them there until year 5 then move en masse to another school who offer years 5-13. It's a short term solution. The boarding school is now a day school, they've sold or are selling all the houses the boarders used. It's a day school only now. Not sure if they'll survive.

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