Alternative Option to State & Private School

[thinkingdeeplyaboutedcuation]

I'm a school leader & parent who thinks a lot about primary education.

At the moment, we can either choose to send our children to state or private schools (or home educate of course!) but more and more parents are citing the following issues -

State:
Widespread poor behaviour and unmet needs
Large classes
Able children not receiving attention/challenge
Restrictive out-of-date curriculum

Private:
Completely unaffordable for most parents, especially with changes to VAT

I've been thinking a lot about whether there would be interest in a 'middle-ground' fee paying school.

What this would include:

• Small classes
• Family feel, close relationship with parents
• High expectations and 11+ exam prep
• Children & parents who generally value education (in my experience, therefore less behaviour issues)
• A more free curriculum, but still academically rigorous

What it wouldn't include to keep the costs down:

• Huge grounds/ extensive facilities
• Specialist teaching in art, music, drama, sport etc

My question is - would there be enough of a draw for parents to still pay for a school like this? For context, I'm based in the South East where fees are around £8,000 a term. I recon this would be around £3,500 a term.

I apologise in advance for the very sweeping generalisations about schools - I accept it is far more nuanced than this and there are some FANTASTIC state options and not so great privates, but am trying to keep it simple and gauge interest/ thoughts. Especially interested in hearing from any parents who have had to move their children due to fees.

Thanks in advance to anyone who comments!

I think you underestimate how very expensive employing people is....

You want small classes. Which means you might need 6 staff where another school needs 4. 6 rooms to heat/furnish instead of 4.

2 extra sets of pension contributions/benefit provisions.

2 extra TAs etc

How are you keeping the costs down?

But how could you choose children that value educational issues who are four years old? And what parent would openly say they didn't care about that?

It would presumably need to be selective then? Which wouldn't appeal to me personally. It just sounds like a normal private school on the cheaper end of the market?

There is one like that near here. The fees are still a lot of money, but it’s materially cheaper than the other private schools. Another option is to use a state school and pay for tutors and extra curricular activities. This costs a fraction of private school fees, even if doing expensive activities.

There is a school like this in Durham, with fees of £3,900 per YEAR. Some links:
https://www.igsdurham.com
https://independentschoolmanagement.co.uk/features/upend-the-school-fee-model/

@RattlingRaccoon thanks so much for this - that's so useful!

Very good point. It can't be both tiny classes and way cheaper than regular private school. Even with a yard the size of a postage stamp and no music or art provision.

This sounds somewhat like the free school set up in the next borough over. Basically, state school set up by parents and the community with a cap of 18 per class and the expectation that parents pay £100 per month. It’s also an all through school. I think this is a great idea and it’s heavily oversubscribed.

Here are a few
https://www.stmartinsmillhill.co.uk/fees/
https://www.newforestsmallschool.com/fees-admissions
https://www.stjosephscornwall.co.uk/admissions/fees/
but an awful lot of the small less resourced private schools have closed. I was educated at this type of school and 4of the six schools I went to. Military child have closed down. All because they went broke.

https://www.oakheights.co.uk/fees/ Another one. Hounslow

@Amsylou Thanks for that -do you have a name/ link?

https://www.cobhamfreeschool.org.uk/

As far as I am aware, state funded schools (even if free schools) cannot require regular monetary contributions from parents. I believe the only exceptions are fees for trips and materials in very specific circumstances. Schools (including Cobham) will have a fees/charging policy. Parents can voluntarily make regular contributions if they choose to, but the school cannot require them.

There isnt a halfway house. You are either a private school funded by parental fees or a state funded school that doesnt require regular monetary contributions from parents. You cannot exclude lower income students from state funded schools by requiring that parents make regular payments.

Just an idea but if you are a teacher, why not get a job at a private school of choice to reduce your fees? Many give hefty discounts to staff, ours gives between 25% and 75% off depending on job level…. Im guessing 50% off for the average teacher.

This has been tried and just not viable at £3,500. My kids went to a 6th form college with no facilities but very small classes (like max 9 kids per class most classes 5-6 kids) and it cost circa £8,500 a term.

Yes but the (faith) school my DD attended asked for £6k per child per year!!

The accounts for that Durham Independent Granmar School (it's not actually selective) suggest it has a six figure deficit, including a loan from one of the directors of £80,000. I'd want to understand a lot about their business plan before leaping in to copy them.

The old Conservative gov tried to get schools like you describe up and running through the free school system. State funded, of course, but the theory was that they could find a market and go for it.

I was working in sen support at the time and accompanied a parent to meet with the head of a new Academy primary school setting up nearby.

The head had come from the private sector and was excited to be setting up this school.

She was shocked to discover she would have to support this child if he joined the school. The offering was supposed to attract parents who wanted the rigours of a private school but free of charge.

But it had practically no playground and was so small, it couldn't offer the range of provision available at nearby state schools.

And the parents who flocked to it were those who wanted a tiny school with no sport, music etc - largely parents of children with sen!

Voluntary aided church schools can 'request' contributions, but there is no obligation to meet these requests and children or parents cannot be treated unfavourably as a result of parents' non-payment. If schools are applying pressure/making denands/suggesting they are compulsory payments they are breaching the law. They must communicate such contributions are volunatary.

Voluntary aided schools get 90% rather than 100% of their capital funding. This will be stated as the reason for these monetary requests. Both the catholic church and the CofE have significant wealth. They normally own the land and buildings. They could fund it themselves. They should not be pressuring parents to pay.
When transitioned to state schools, church schools could become VC (100% capial funding greater LA control) or VA (reduced capitial funding greater church control). VA schools have greater control over admissions (including some exemptions from the equality act). In the case of VA schools, the church decided on receiving slightly less money in order to ensure it could prioritise faith applicants.

When thinking about a long term economically viable model the key cost is teacher staffing. Look at the salaries below. Add about 25% oncosts (reduce this a little bit if you are the type of employer who isnt going to pay into the teachers pension scheme).
Then you have everything else premises, resources, utilities, support staff ...

https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/life-as-a-teacher/pay-and-benefits/teacher-pay

One of my children is at a no frills independent secondary, fees under £9k before VAT. There's not as much sport or extra curriculars compared to larger independent or state schools, nothing flashy like a swimming pool or theatre, a very limited set of GCSE options. Small classes and excellent pastoral support though, which suits my child.

It works a bit like that in Australia. There are lots more fee paying schools but they are more affordable. My nieces and nephews all attend private schools despite coming from a fairly modest background. Not sure whether the government gives any money to the schools to make it financially viable

This is a normal state funded free school. They may ask for parental contributions but they aren’t fees nor can they be mandatory.

Lots of schools ask for parental contributions, faith and non-faith. A local grammar school requests several hundred pounds a year.

Your cost base is going to be difficult. Qualified teachers cost a lot particularly if you add TPS. Many schools with fees of this level have closed because they aren’t economically viable.

Under £9k a year or a term?

A year