What to budget for after private school fees?

[Getagripgertie]

I don't want to make this a private vs state thread. I will preface this by saying that the only reason we are considering private is that DS has mild SEN and needs the smaller classes, as he is not coping in state.

DS will be starting at the local private secondary school in September. We are receiving significant help from grandparents with this, but of course, we will pay all extras.

What extras should I set money aside for in year 7 and how much approximately? e.g. uniform, trips, etc

Would a top private Secondary in Lon (St.Paul’s!) be really worth if one had to part with retirement reserves (Property) to fund Tution fees and extras? (One child)

For us LAMDA and Music are £300 per term. Swimming is £100. SEN support is £350 per term. Everything else is included apart from the international school trips which tend to be around the 2k mark and workshops which are typically £20-30. School uniform we always buy brand new as it will get handed down to DD2, total was around £800 with the most expensive items being specialist sports shoes at around £100 per pair.

DDs actively try to keep extras to a minimum but:

• £600 bus per term
• lunches are free
• all books etc are free
• uniform inc 2 types trainers, hockey stick, mouthguard etc cost £1000. There is a 2nd hand Facebook site but it is sporadic and you can't rely on it for sizes
• Yr 7 ski trip £1400 (DD isn't going this year but will do next year
• 2 x other shorter trips £500
• SEN/music/LAMDA lessons are approx £35 per hour but DD doesn't do any of these
• GCSEs when the time comes

That's it really. I've bought uniform a few sizes too big but in the first week she lost a £35 top that had to be replaced 🙄. I'm hoping that after the initial outlay we won't have to replace the whole uniform and can just top up as and when needed.

Your response is so helpful. Thank you so much!

Are there lots of other socialising cost which come along, something one would not have factored in when accepting the offers? Birthday parties, fancy family holidays … just as an example!

Stationery is charged as an extra on the bill
Lunches charged as extra on bill
Uniform
Activities for Wednesday afternoon. This will depend on what they choose. Horse riding is expensive, First Aid less so. They do a different activity each either half term or term.
Music lessons/instrument. This was very much encouraged at my DD school. If they get higher grades these count as UCAS points.
Additional sports coaching if they want/get it often to make school first team.
Trips. My DD went to Spain for 6 weeks during the summer holidays two years out of the 5 years in senior school for GCSE's and again in Sixth Form but she did do Spanish A level. She made a wonderful Spanish friend though and they are still firm friends today.

Longer holidays = more childcare

I forgot school minibus.

@caringcarer Most unis want A level results converted to points. My DDs had loads of extra points from music, drama and dance but it’s immaterial if the uni doesn’t count these points. Most don’t. Having said that, DDs really enjoyed their extra lessons.

Will your child want to go on the big trips? So far DS hasn't been interested, so the most I had for trips was the end of year ones (while other kids were on a big trip) - if he was going on the big trips they seem so far to be about 3k a throw (and going up if the letters are anything to go by)

My major expense is sports gear (he's not even sporty, but once you've had to buy kit for the 3 sports they do at his school, you don't have a lot of change from a grand - although I buy big, so some makes it through to the next year).

Most bases have been covered.

We're charged £7 per hour for prep club - so to stay until 5pm is £14

Birthday parties - mine are very young but we have whole class parties and every child has a party - it's exhausting and expensive!

We have drinks once a term with more mum drinks thrown in.

PTA big ball once per year

Contributions for summer and Xmas fair too

Second hand uniform is greatly encouraged

Our fees included lunch and after school activities. School had a thriving second hand uniform store. We paid extra for music lessons, which we would have paid for privately out of school anyway. Music and drama exam fees and the odd residential trip were the main extras. Sports equipment probably the main expense, but you’d get that anyway in state ( ie. Football boots, Rugby boots, cricket gear etc). Comparing overseas trips they were just as expensive in the state sector and funds would be raised by the kids as well.

My major expense is sports gear.

Yes, this! It’s horrendously expensive, mouth guards, shin pads, football boots, trail runners, normal trainers, astros, swim kit, tennis racquets, hockey stick and lacrosse kit. Then even more so because you’re buying adult priced kit. Dd1 is 12 with size 8 flippers. I dread to think how much bigger they’ll get!

@SpaceRaiders I was size 7 at 11. I still am! Decades later.

What this thread shows is that schools are different. Check the fee structure. No sports kit is cheap! Look at newsletters for trip info. They always have smiling faces from doing something somewhere!

If you have a particular school in mind then check their website as they should have details for what is included in the standard fees. For example the school we are looking at for DD to join in Y7 includes wrap around care from 8am until 5.30pm at no extra charge (school day ends at 4.30 but they can either do clubs or prep in that extra hour). They charge £16 per day for them to stay until 6.30pm but that includes dinner with the boarding students.

Textbooks, basic stationary, lunch and GCSE exam fees are also included, as are "curriculum based" school trips. Music lessons are extra (work out about £750 per year per instrument) and in 6th form you have to pay for exam fees and text books.

As with others the school has a thriving second hand shop where most uniform is at least 50% cheaper than new - a mum I know picked up a brand new, unworn blazer in the second hand store for £30 instead of £75 new and they wear very well so often get passed between siblings.

The same mum told me her son (currently Y8) had been on the school ski trip which cost £1800 for 2 weeks for everything (flights, accommodation, transfers, food, tuition, ski hire, etc) and is going on a non-compulsory geography field trip to Iceland which is £900 for 7 days.

She has warned me about the sports kit costs, though I don't know how much that will differ for a girl v a boy.