London private schools offering sibling discounts

[eighthourcreme]

Hi everyone - it would be great if anyone could tell me if their London private schools offer any type of sibling discount? We have four kids and for various reasons, planning for them to go private for senior school. We are also thinking about moving, so area doesn't really matter at this point.

I know there have been lots of private vrs state threads lately, and I know we could move close to a great grammar (and we might still do that) - but for now, if anyone could let me know about sibling discounts, I'd love to know.

So far I know that Wimbledon High and Putney High offers 20 percent off for third and subsequent children.

Others I've found are -

North London Grammar offers £300 off per child if you pay a year's fees upfront (doesn't seem like an amazing deal tbh!)

Abercorn offers 5 percent per child.

Any others? Get the impression that some schools don't exactly want to advertise this in all cases...I'd love to know WHAT schools offer discounts, but if you'd rather just tell me that your school does without naming it, that's useful too! x

How old are your children, OP and are they boys or girls?

@TheSquareMile - thanks. 3 girls (so Putney and Wimbledon could be an option) and one boy....x

That said, I'd love them all to go the same school - and would love them to go co-ed - so all options worth exploring. Would also be good to hear if any boys' schools offer this (not that it applies to us - but a useful reference point).

I think if you have 3 at St Paul's boys/ girls you get a small discount.

But I wouldn't plan for them too much. Lots of girls at WHS/ PHS etc whose siblings don't get in or don't want the same school.

@11plusdoneanddusted - that's very interesting re St. Paul's! Thank you. Yes I do know how competitive it is and they might not all get into (or suit) the same school, but I'm just trying to work out if sibling discounts are still a thing.

Any ideas about North London schools? Habs? UCS? Highgate?

You also asked about Co-Ed's. I know one LU don't offer discounts.

Not sure where the 'one' came from!

@11plusdoneanddusted - thank you. That seems crazy that St Paul's would offer to discount on siblings but Laytmer Upper wouldn't - I wonder why?

Because they don't need to try and attract more children?

Well St Paul's is a bit of a red herring- not that many families with 3 children spread across the 2 schools!

The PHS/ WHS will also not affect that many families. I suspect the discounts will reduce if VAT etc comes in anyway.

There are tons of siblings at LU so they probably don't need to offer a discount.

And at Paul's fees are higher to begin with

@NeverDropYourMooncup - but surely St Paul's doesn't need to attract more children either, it is extremely competitive?

I also notice St Paul's (both girls and boys) goes up to a very high income threshold when it comes to bursaries.

Any others? A friend of mine thought these no longer really existed (certainly not in London anyway).

I don't think they do really any more- schools would prefer to offer bursaries instead. The St Paul's one you have to apply for- it's not automatic.

Would a 10% discount on the 3rd & 4th child really make a meaningful difference to 4 sets of fees?

@11plusdoneanddusted - so you have to apply to receive a sibling discount at St Paul's? I wonder if they only award them to the very academic/talented (even more so than the 'average' pupil at St. Paul's 😂) families where all the kids are extremely high achieving....

Sorry for all the questions, but it's actually useful to know - not just for me but a friend with slightly older kids!

@decisionssmecisions - maybe not hugely meaningful, the amounts are so eye-watering anyway. But if 4 sets of fees at St Paul's girls amounts to 119,784k (!) per academic year, and 2 of those sets of fees were discounted by 10 percent, you would be saving close to 6k a year on fees.

One would already be paying SO much to the school, but on the other hand - 6k is quite a lot to save too!

That’s why lots of private school parents only have 2 children. It takes serious income or financial help from grandparents to put 3 or more children through private school.

My DCs London schools don’t offer sibling discounts - but each dc have a 25% scholarship discount which is handy. Any chance you can throw all your efforts into drama/music/art tutoring your youngest?!

as an aside, at my nephew’s (Christian) private school in Nz, they offer a sliding scale of sibling discounts, such that the fourth and subsequent children are completely free!

Are they aiming for the ‘quiverfull’ parents???

I think of you can afford to have 4 children at St Pauls at any one time £6000 off is not going to make much of a difference!

What does this mean?

4 sets of fees at St Paul's girls amounts to 119,784k (!) per academic year

If you can afford £120k in school fees a year you don’t need £6k off…

I think of you can afford to have 4 children at St Pauls at any one time £6000 off is not going to make much of a difference!

exactly!