If your child goes to private school, what job do you do?

[scrambledeggy]

Just curious really- I don't know anyone who has kids at private school, but I always pass a massive one on my way to work and wonder what kind of jobs people do to afford it?

“It is easy to afford private school if you don’t spend money on anything else”

rent, food, heat, petrol?

I could absolutely not have afforded private school no matter how much spending I don’t do.

Hell I don’t buy clothes, have my hair done, alcohol, holidays, I don’t have a car at all.

i was also on slightly above min wage when the kids were small and there was nothing left each month after I paid the mortgage, bills, and food, let alone school fees.

average wage is 35k, or about 2400 a month. 18k is 1500 a month, so you have 900 to live on.

that barely covers my mortgage, let alone anything else.

Did you have a very small mortgage or something? I don’t see how the maths works…I can’t see how it’s doable at all, unless maybe you’re living rent free somehow.

We are also both solicitors (one in private practice and the other in-house).

Most parents in our school are dual-income families, in professional roles.

I hope you don't want me to defend hedge funders regardless of any involvement in pension fund I have. With management consultants it's more the type parent who's been to independent school and doing the job because they got the networks from getting the 'right' education ...

I don’t send mine to private school but many colleagues do, we are big 4 advisers.

More like £55K, so a bit above average, but not a typical Mumsnet high earner. And have never really increased spending since being on a much lower wage, have chosen cheap housing close to school so no commute, lots of other life choices to keep costs down, so yes, spending is basically on housing, bills, food and school fees.

I know 3 families with kids at private school.
I don't know what one does. 1 owns a business. 1 is a partner in a law firm.

I’m a lawyer but work in the public sector so paid less than private but still a decent wage. DH is a managing director in a big asset management company. Despite being public sector, all the women in my team send their kids to private school but none of the men do. They are either the sole earner or their wives work 2 days. My DH earns way more than me but I feel having my second wage makes the fees a more realistic option. I do begrudge being exhausted and run ragged working full time and being the main parent to our kids (because DH’s job means he is not around much). Think the kids would be just as fine in state school with a mum who is less stressed out. I hate the assumption that private school fees are not a burden just because we’ve decided to go down that route.

Retired stripper. (Used to dance in California where the money is). I'm now a private school teacher so I get a discount.

£1500 is a lot for extras! 🤯 Ours are not nearly that much.

Obviously couldn't have done it for more than one child, but I only have one so that's OK (I didn't have to pick my favourite or anything!)
She adores it there, so it's worth the frugal living for us

DH is self employed in a fairly niche tech consulting role with several clients on the go at once. That brings in around 300k per year. We invest most of it in case his work dries up in the future and live a very low key “normal” life but have chosen to spend on education for our two sons.

My son went to a child minder who gave notice as she was moving. I found a private nursery for him which he loved. This nursery was attached to a private school so we kept him there. It was a struggle at times but definitely worth it. In his last year at the private junior school his class had 2 years combined and there were 17 kids in the class. If those 17 , 9 were his year/age. I worked in admin and my husband was a shop manager. Everyone of the 9 got in their first choice secondary school. 4 got state grammar school places and the rest got into private secondary school all with assisted places ( which only kicked in if financial circumstances changed and now longer available ) . I originally had no plans for private education but kinda fell into it. Absolutely no regrets.

Both accountants but also have a very generous grandparent subsidy, couldn’t afford it otherwise

I’d be interested to see what the replies on this thread look like in a few years!

I’m a doctor and so is DH. We considered sending our children to prep but concluded that it would be unaffordable. I know at least three doctor couples who have moved their children from prep to state primary. The ones who have stayed either have one child and/or generational wealth.

Suspect that in future there will be a lot fewer children with “two parents in professional roles” as many of these will be priced out unless grandparents are chipping in. Finance and law may be hanging on in there.

I’m in the North but a fairly affluent part close to several private schools. My eldest starts state school in September and the two families I know sending their kids to private schools are doing so because grandparents are largely/entirely paying fees. My boss sent their only child private from secondary age (lawyer and CTO).

This is what people don't understand about private schools. Most are average people who make HUGE sacrifices. My mother scrubbed floors to send me to private. One of my students' parents sold their flat to send her to the school I teach at.

The VAT is so unfair, because parents who use them are already paying twice: once via tax then again by VAT, (typically for children of indolents, mind you.). And private schools employ people, now many will lose their jobs due to school closures. All the VAT does is punish strivers and reward skivers.

Husband owns a mechanical engineeeing company . I’m a sahm , 3 children

Aww well done <3 if it's just 3 more years is there not a good sixth form you can send him to? State sixth forms aren't as bad as state secondaries as there tend not to be many behavioural issues at that age.

A tax accountant and a Head of Tax

Scrimped - saved - old car - remortgaged for final year of fees! no holidays - job as handyman site foreman - housewife - 1 income - best money spent though - hugely successful young adult with very good connections from school!

CIO and management accountant. Small indie in a small city with dire state secondary options. Very diverse student base, lots of parents who both work in the NHS, lots of parents who are putting education above everything including housing (one of DCs classmates lives in a 1 bed flat in the city centre with parents and sibling), some teachers, many farmers, a few with own businesses in various industries, 2 confirmed footballers and an influencer!
When all other options are dismal, it seems lots of people find a way to go private

The three more years is university. 7 years is high school and sixth form.

Barrister and senior officer with local authority, IT (both), one parent teacher at the school.

Our DS had a bursery for choir duty at a cathedral school. It did help. Bursery was 20%.
Husband was working as a secondary teacher. I worked part time as a nurse/part time as a vicar.
We relocated to Scandinavian last year. The international school fee is £250 a month. No regrets.

All of my children go and my husband works in engineering and I stoped working when kids came along. Friends of each of the children, range from teachers, lawyers, doctors. Accountants. Civil engineering. Self employed various jobs. 1 footballer and football agent dad in daughters class. I didn’t attend private school and always had the same thoughts. Eldest bff mum owns beauty skin business.