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??

Ah, yeah a 1hr round trip twice a day would be a real pain, you will definitely end up driving! Personally I have driven 20mins to preschool after we moved house and walked less than 5mins to school. I love being able to walk! So option 1 for that reason. But the money is crazy to me and far out of our reach so realistically I'd go for state of some sort.

Option 3 and ask the grandparents to contribute 9k a year into a Junior ISA instead and pay for one cultured hobby like piano lessons or a sport (like tennis lessons). Then get a tutor in Year 4.

I suspect option 2 might not be viable.
why would you need tutoring in the very good state school?
Will option 1 take up all your fun money?

@CurlewKate - well apparently everyone else is tutoring now, hence you may need to tutor as well. In grammar areas, apparently even most of the prep school kids are also being tutored. I mean “tutoring” can include doing a 1 hour session a week with your own child and some CGP books.

Eh? Indoctrination at state schools?!

If your aim is state grammar for secondary, go for option 3 with tutors. A private school will not prepare your children for a state grammar test.

3, spend money on tutoring and extra curricula

Option 1, it is close to what we have done. But we moved close to be within walking distance of a good prep. Your house location doesn't sound ideal as it sounds like you'd have to drive to most school options, which stops the dcs being independent when they're older. Being walking distance is great for being part of the community, ease of being involved and doing multiple pickups/drop offs.

Are any of the preps selective? If they are the best schools in the area, do they have an assessment at 4+?

Would rule out option 2 for risk of school closing and class sizes that small aren’t good socially.

If you’re in an all grammar / secondary modern are (eg parts of kent?) I would do option 3. If however the grammars are few and super selective though and the ‘pass mark’ is by numbers, I wouldn’t count on doing that for secondary, so would put my resources into moving close to a non selective state secondary.

@Surreyblahits Trafford, so more akin to Kent I believe. They just need to obtain the pass mark to get in.

The preps don’t routinely take at 4+, the standard entry is kindergarten / reception.

It sounds awful but I think if we’d had 2 DDs,
I have done option 1. But the higher fees for the boys school and the two drops off has really thrown a spanner in the works…

Oh, tutoring for the 11+. I misunderstood. But you have to do that in many private schools as well, so that needs to be factored into the cost.

Presumably to prepare for the 11+.

Yes-as I said in the previous post, I misunderstood.

You could start state and move for year 3 to prep if you aren’t happy. You will need to tutor regardless. I’d focus on what the schools offer. I.e. music, drama, sports, languages, chess club etc.
An hour or two tutoring will be a lot easier to facilitate than running around town dropping off at after school clubs.

I was always a bit dismissive of the value of this prep schools versus a good primary. I’ve since moved one of my older primary children to a prep and have honestly been gobsmacked at some of the differences. I’d move my other one in a heartbeat if someone was willing to pay half of the fees. The only caveat to that is that some of the benefits have come from access to the provision of the attached senior school. I think you have to be very clear about what you are buying and what the fees get you at a standalone prep. You also have to be very clear about financial stability. Small classes in a standalone prep may not be as advantageous as it sounds.

I would go for 1.
Your ultimate aim is grammar so best chance of achieving it.
Given pressure on school places, the girls school may well go co-ed by the time your son is old enough to start [in utero currently?]
Private schools tend to have more flexible wrap around options which will help with drop offs and pick ups. Also lots more after school clubs which reduces the hassle factor around working hours.

Option 3 + tutor.

Don’t assume that prep schools will prepare you for 11+. Check leavers’ destination if they have track record or not. Even ‘best’ schools might pace their curriculum differently if most students will go on until Y8.

Save money for tutoring, extracurricular activities and/or secondary school fees if they don’t get into the grammar.

If they're that close together I wouldn't be surprised if the boys and girls school either have staggered start/end times or good wrap around as they'll know that many of their parents will be using both schools.

Round here the boys school starts and finishes 15 minutes later than the girls school - they're a 8 minute journey between them. So it's tight but parents generally manage

Option 3 would need to attend church.

Tbuz implies your lying almost.

If the long term goal is state grammar, then surely the next question is which of the prep schools sends more pupils to that grammar?

Thanks all, the boys / girls schools are ‘connected’ in the sense that you get 10% discount on fees if you have kids at both, and I believe they do have some grace for pick up / drop off times between them.

We’re going to the open day on Saturday for the boys school, so will see.

They definitely prep for the grammars so that part I’m comfortable with, and most of the kids attending choose grammars over fee paying options like Manchester grammar.

@gettingdarktooearly yup were not religious at all, but I’m happy to ‘play the game’ to get them into our closest state school. Quite frankly I think it’s ridiculous religious schools exist but that’s a very different debate and not one for now!