State or private if you were us

[WilliamsHill]

Approx £10k per month combined post tax income
No mortgage (but not huge savings due to paying off mortgage)
One child in year 3
Central London

Choice between

1. Outstanding local state secondary school which is single sex. Within walking distance. Primary friends likely to go there.
2. Excellent single sex independent school. Within walking distance. One friend possibly going there. School is through to 18. Approx £30k PA plus the threat of VAT.

We could move child to the independent Sept 2025 (assuming passes assessment) or stick with the state primary and secondary option.

Independant option obviously comes with all the usual benefits - extracurriculars, smaller classes etc etc. Both options get incredible GCSE and A Level results - well above state average.

What would you do?

This is tempting.

Would she really be one of the poorest kids at the private school? Your household income is really a lot - even if you took school fees straight out of it, you would have £7500 pm for bills, food and fun. That's a lot surely by any measure?

I agree with you that the GCSE results are not comparable - if the private school is very selective at 11 then for sure it will get great GCSE results. Those state school results are amazing and that can only be due to excellent teaching, behaviour, parental support and attitude from the students. All massive pluses of a school.

Btw I think the teaching crisis is an issue in private schools as well. I realise that the behaviour is often better, but the pay is sometimes no better and even worse than state schools. Tho if both schools are as excellent as they sound, I think even in the current state of things they would be able to recruit.

I wouldn't have said £30k was that affordable on £120k per annum take home. It's 25% of the total amount.
It seems like either option is a good one, so I'd go for the free one.

Remember that the OP has no mortgage tho - that would surely add an average of £1-2k pm to any calculation of income vs expenditure.

Also the impact of a bill that is x%, even 25% of your income decreases as your income rises. What I mean is that 25% of a net income of £30k would be tougher to fund. Food and tube passes and gas bills and phones cost the same however much you earn.

Go to the state and save your money towards tutoring (even the Latymers of this world are heavily tutored) and extra-curricular activities

Choose the best school for her.

You need to decide whether buying a new house is on the cards whilst she's at school because that will be the main drainer (as well as school fees) on your monthly £10k.

Are you in stable jobs? The reason we have decided against private education is because our sectors are notorious for making redundancies.

I don't think you will be the 'poorest' at the school. You've done so well to pay off your mortgage. Most people won't have done that. You might not live in the 'naicest' house but you could well have more disposable income

Based on those results I'd go state.

They are doing very well with a broad range of pupils not just the 'cream'.

Extracurriculars would mean more work for you but would give your DC more opportunities to make different groups of friends, not just with the same kids for everything.

You would also have the option to pay for tutors if needed later on.

I know it’s hard to believe, but she really would be one of the poorest. The difference would be quite noticeable.

And yes, you’re right, the teaching crisis is universal. But if it gets worse at least the private schools can just throw money at the problem.

Buying a new house would be off the cards if we chose the private school.

And yes, our jobs are pretty stable.

It’s affordable because we are mortgage free.

A bright child from a middle class background with supportive parents should do very well at a good state school.
If your child is musical or has another special talent they may do better at an independent, or if they are average they might get more help to improve their grades.

I'd definitely choose state. Our daughter is in Y8 at a state secondary and the extracurricular options are impressive, she's absolutely thriving. Though it depends on the school of course, but if yours has a good reputation it's probably great.

We feel she's getting a more rounded view of the world and would certainly choose this even if we could easily afford private education. Though I do understand your concerns.

How good is the current primary? Not just on SATs but on education as a whole. I have come to think that the difference between sectors is much greater in primary. As you know, it's not the academics you are paying for in independent schools. I also don't agree that independent schools will necessarily have any spare money to throw at problems as you suggest. I agree with the advice of choosing the right school for the child, not sweeping generalisations about sectors or school's place on league tables.

It really is affordable. 25% of £10k is quite different to 25% of £6k. And with no mortgage to boot. This is why private school parents are seen as living in a different world. OP we're about to send DS to private on less (£7.5k net - with a mortgage but half the fees) and it seems worth it but we don't have the outstanding school. In your position I'd do private as it seems quite affordable to me.

There’s no question that it’s affordable, but is it a necessary expense? Would the money be better spent on a deposit for our daughter’s first home?

This particular private school has no shortage of cash. If it wanted to pay teachers more, it could do comfortably.

Re the current primary, beyond very good SATS results, it’s hard to say how good it is. My daughter loves school but she’s bright and I don’t feel she’s stretched.

I wouldn't risk private school, they don't get the same resilence, diversity and sense of the world,

Is this really true though? Or is this just what we tell ourselves? Because privately educated kids seem to have no problem getting all of the best jobs and getting into all of the best unis.

State, particularly as it’s outstanding.

Vehemently against private schooling, every child deserves a decent standard of education. Of course I want the best for my children but every child deserves the best.

@WilliamsHill I think you need to drill down into the secondary results a bit more. Look at the outcomes based on pupil characteristics, particularly prior attainment. This should give you a better idea of what value the secondary is adding. Often strong performing secondary schools are adding a lot of value to the lower pupils but less to the higher attainment. Also agree with what a PP said about visiting and then deciding.

@Moglet4 do you mean Latymer grammar? IME as a parent there children are heavily tutored to get in but not once they're there.

@ThePassageOfTime

I think the really posh ones are cocooned away from the rest of the world - Eton, Wycombe abbey and the like - but I don't think you can say that about all private schools.

You’re looking at spending £250k over 7 years at the private.

That buys a lot of extra curricular activities and specialist tutoring if you feel that’s necessary.

This particular private school has no shortage of cash.

And guess who is funding that?

In your position I’d go for the private school. You have enough money to pay the fees AND save for a deposit for her

This

£30k x 7 years of secondary school is £210k. More when you factor in fee increases during the 7 years, and Starmer's VAT threat.

Where we live , you could buy your child their own house round here for that figure when they reach 18. Much more useful.

I would do independent secondary with your money