Is prep school / walking to school worth the price?

[Mushroo]

Our in laws have given us a very generous offer of paying for 90% prep school fees for child 1, and 50% for child 2.

But, we still can’t really afford it! Well, we can, but c.£50k is a lot of family holidays and I’m not sure it’s worth it…

Option 1
Use the two schools within walking distance which is a girls school and a boys school. But the fees for the boys school are insanely high and it would be a pain sending them to two different schools.

Pros: can walk to do the school run
We loved and signed up for the girls school, until we found out child 2 is a boy which has thrown a spanner in the works….
They’re the ‘best’ schools.

Cons: cost would be about £900pcm, and 2 schools is a faff.

Option 2
A small co-ed prep school.
Pro: Much cheaper, would be about £400pcm and can send them both to the same school
small class sizes - about 12 per class
Con: 10 / 15 min drive to school

Option 3
Very good state school.
Pro: excellent results, free
Cons: also a 10/15 min drive away
Would need to do tutoring on weekends (probably).
woild need to attend church to get in…..

Long term goal is state grammars, which would you do??

Option 2

I really would not want to be dependent on other family members to pay school fees.

Will option 2 be a long term viable school?

I would go for 1 or 3. The middle option will leave you dissatisfied. Either get your money’s worth or don’t pay at all.

For state grammar - you won’t need to depend on private schooling. It’s tutoring in either case.

choose the school for the experience + get your money’s worth

What happens if / when grandparents are no longer able to pay the fees?

Why are they offering to contribute more for one child than the other?

Are you likely to get into a state school that far away? Why the different %?

Would the grandparents expect some control over their education? Eg are they the types who would use the fact that they pay to control stuff like the gcse or extra curricular choices that the kids may make?

It depends on the state school entirely, our local state school gets far fewer children grammar school places than our local prep school. For that reason we went for private. However agree with other posters, most prep school kids have tutors too. Have your in-laws agreed that they would continue to fund private through secondary? If not you might find yourselves quite used to private settings, and be slightly horrified at the notion of a state comp setting? I.e would it be best to go state now and save up for private secondary?

Thanks for all the views so far! They’ve offered the money that way so they can definitely afford it no matter how many kids each of their children has. I think they just wanted to mitigate a child having 5 kids and having to pay for them all!

They are very very financially secure and lovely so I’m not worried about that aspect, I just can’t decide what offers the best value for us. I would never have considered private school otherwise!

3

Pp is right about checking if your local state secondary school admissions have a feeder primary clause which could disadvantage your children later.

Prep schools don’t generally prepare for state 11+ exams (private 11+ exams are often different and if it’s a school with primary and secondary, they’d rather you stay ) so you may need a specialist tutor for year 5 to 6.

How easily can you afford the £900?

I’d go for option A, in this scenario.

Albeit what I am actually doing is option 3, and saving my money for a private secondary (the state grammars are insanely competitive).

I would do what @MidnightPatrolsays and save money for secondary school

The likelihood you end up with no grammar place and the money has all been spent on prep school (which I’d broadly query the value of at £20-28k a year) is too high IMO.

And the grammar schools will only get more competitive with rising secondary school prices. And you’ll probably end up paying for tutoring for the exam anyway.

I have no idea how these schools are filling their places tbh, the price is crazy really when the alternative is broadly still good.

Why would you need tutoring if you go for the excellent state option?

The money isn’t on offer for secondary otherwise that would also have been my preference. We live 0.1 miles from the grammars and the way it works is if they obtain a passing mark, it goes on distance, so if they pass they are basically guaranteed a place.

The prep schools we are looking at specifically prep for the grammars (although yes, I imagine many tutor on top!)

Im of the view that if they don’t pass after 7 years at a prep school, a grammar isn’t the best place for them, and the non-grammar is still very good.

@Mushroo why are they willing to fund 7 years at primary but not secondary?

Start with state. Only switch if you need to.

@MidnightPatroli think it’s a mix of things. Prep is cheaper, it’s what they did for their own kids (prep plus grammar), they probably think we’d like to take advantage of the top 10 grammars on our doorstep and morbidly I think they want to try and give the money whilst they’re more likely to be around…

Prep schools are always worth it. Behavioural and indoctrination issues at state schools will hold your children back from reaching their full potential, if you can do it then go for it.

With the additional info you’ve given, I’d say go for option 1 or 2
~ The fees are being covered but only for primary so why not use it
~ looks like some of the 11+ work will be driven by the school which is always great (but this will not be enough and best to go in knowing this)
~ if they are most likely going state in secondary then they get the private all-rounding experience in primary

Mine have done a combination of prep+grammar (best combination) and indie all through (less stress)

please don’t forget that the fees will be staggered for 2 kids which will make it easier.

Is there a state school within walking distance because that would be my choice

I would look for a State Primary in walking distance or one thats not church based.
If your DC go to a Private Prep (especially single sex) and then end up in a large Comp that may be quite the culture shock.

@blueskydays45 that would be my choice too! All the state primaries are around a 30 min walk away annoyingly (with hills). So whilst walkable realistically we’ll end up driving as I need to be home to start work