Agree Yr8 is a good time to move. Kids choose options for GCSE either in yr8 ready to start a 3 year GCSE programme in yr 9, or choose in yr9 ready to start a 2 year GCSE programme in yr10.
Yr 8 is a good time to move. After this, it will get more tricky.
But perhaps you will choose not to move them, as you have some savings and equity and so could make some adjustments and choose to pay. Like everyone for whom it is tight, you’ll have to weigh it all up - the likely above inflation fee increases, your likely income trajectory etc etc. When things are tight,some people decide to get out - and actually for your twins, the next term or two is a straightforward time - and others decide to struggle on.
You will kick yourself if you keep going wIth paying and then decide in 2 years that you need to move the twins, because the easy window of opportunity in yr8 will have passed and it will all be more complicated once GCSEs have started.
You can’t rely on helping hand-outs for them at this stage. Schools might give a short term bursary to a family with a child mid-way through an exam phase, who is really struggling to get them to the end of that exam phase. However, you have savings, plus your younger ones haven’t started GCSEs. They will not be high up the priority list to help out - it could be years or help that are needed. So you need to decide if you can afford it or not.
These days lots of people opt in and out of private education for different phases. Many don’t pay for the whole of schooling but choose Prep or Senior to GCSE or Sixth Form. There is always movement of pupils and schools know this.
Of course they say the ‘right’ things about valuing you and wanting to keep you. But those yr8 places need filling to the end of GCSE by fee paying students. People come and go and often some others would like to come for GCSE and your places could probably be filled in a popular school. It’s the reality.
Expect help to only be given if you have no savings to draw upon and can’t release any equity. That’s what many families will already be doing to fund their fees. The school cannot allow you to be different because when you started out, you envisaged keeping a bigger pot of savings and building more equity, but circumstances have changed.
And remember the full term of notice you have to give. If schools go back later this week or at the start of next week, if you haven’t given notice by then, you’ll be looking at not being able to stop paying until the summer term is over.
It is usually possible to give provisional notice. This can also open up further channels of discussion as it becomes clear you are serious about going. But again, whilst you just might get a little help for a sixth former part way through, if you have no other means to pay, you couldn’t expect anything for those in yr8. They will say all the right things and sympathise, but if you don’t get a concrete figure offered, they will be waving you goodbye and forgetting you as soon as you’re gone. I know that isn’t what you want to hear and you’d likeo think they value you and want to help you in your changed circumstances. Well, yes, they will on a short term basis when there is no other means to pay. But every year families find their circumstances a bit reduced. Many could scrape together the fees by sacrificing their savings and equity, but decide to cut their losses and move their kids so their entire lifestyle and possible future (think oension contributions) isn’t ruined - and in these cases the school will let them go, as it’s not their responsibility to subsidise fees so parents can choose to boost or maintain their savings.