Will private schools reduce their annual fee increases, to stop children leaving ??

[mummyloveslucy]

Hi, I just wondered how the currunt financial situation will affect private schools annual fee increases?
The nursery my daughter attends is part of a private school and the fees tend to increase by 8% each year, well above inflation.
Do you think they might try to keep the increases smaller to stop children from leaving?

[LIZS]

I think in exceptional cases there may be bursaries at junior age but majority are senior age. It would be worth finding out how many the school are proposing to fund as you may find it is relatively few running at any one time among the younger age groups and therefore keenly competed for and not always open to those currently at the school, although that may be reviewed at the secondary application stage. Separate funds for "hardship" due to sudden changes in circumstances (ie loss of breadwinners's job) for those already at the school are sometimes available.

[mummyloveslucy]

Do you think they would give a bursery to a child just about to go in to junior school, or is it only secondery ?

[snorkle]

fivecandles, option 1 only works if they are oversubscribed (I guess a lot are, but not all).

I think schools are more likley to increase the number of bursaries for existing students that are thinking of leaving than reduce the fees for all - more targetted that way.

[fivecandles]

And to answer the OP. Private schools have 2 easy options if they're frightened of losing students:

1.) Decrease the academic barrier accepting all applications if necessary.

2.) More marketing to foreign students. Already a significant number of students at private schools are from other countries and come without their parents.

[fivecandles]

Didn't Ruth Kelly (in)famously send one of her children to private school because he had SN? Not a great advert for state education if the woman in charge of it doesn't trust it for SN at least.

[Cammelia]

Thanks PortandDemon, I just knew I'd be on the thread if es and batters were

[PortAndDemon]

No, sadly, only been here since 2005. I just came across that thread once when searching MN for something.

Clearly no one could answer Camellia's terribly indiscreet question... but if someone coincidentally directs her attention to a thread on a similar topic to this one, I'm sure no one could object...

[PortAndDemon]

Cammelia - Old, very long and very argumentative thread here...

[Cammelia]

Oh Batters, enduringsurrey and chocolatedot,

who was at it in 2003 and has now gone quiet

My brian is far too befuddled to remember

[Litchick]

Earlier today on Radio four a headmaster from a huge comp in Leeds said that he thought one of the main failings of his school ( before he took it over ) was vis a vis the quiet, middling children. The brightest and those with special needs were well catered for, he felt, but the huge swathe of 'ordinary' kids were massively underachieving.
Also chatting was the head of Eton - who saw no likely downturn in numbers through the door.

[chocolatedot]

I echo that, my daughter is clasically eager to please and will sit at the back of the classroom nodding vigorously when asked if she understands when in reality she doesn't have a clue. She is now really benefitting from the smaller classes and individual atention.

[pgwithnumber3]

batters I agree regarding children being average and going unnoticed. DD1's school is doing a course for Year 1 children who are middle of the road with their reading (not falling behind but not at the top of the class), they will be seeing a tutor for half an hour 3 times a week for 12 weeks, just to help them progress. My friend's DD has been chosen to be one of the children to be helped and she is pleased as her daughter would sit and watch the world go by if allowed to do so.

[chocolatedot]

Not true at all hellywobs. There is plenty of choice for those with less academic children and many who specialise in (albeit relatively mild SN). By no means all private schools are obsessed with league tables and I know many parents who automatically rule out any school in the top 20 for being too academically focussed for their children.

[MollieO]

I will stick with private if my ds doesn't pass the 11+. Our closest private school is non-selective and whilst it doesn't have the stellar results of the local grammar schools or selective private schools it does very well with the pupils it has. It also handles SN.

[hellywobs]

It's interesting that some of you say that if your child is less academic, you'll stick with private. I guess if you are already in the private sector before the age of 11 you are ok but most schools are selective at 11 and 13 and only take the brighter kids because they are only interested in their league table places. And they are very bad on taking kids with special needs, even if they are bright (not sure how they get round the DDA).

[hellywobs]

It's interesting that some of you say that if your child is less academic, you'll stick with private. I guess if you are already in the private sector before the age of 11 you are ok but most schools are selective at 11 and 13 and only take the brighter kids because they are only interested in their league table places. And they are very bad on taking kids with special needs, even if they are bright (not sure how they get round the DDA).

[findtheriver]

I very much doubt if private schools will stop hiking the fees up - they normally rise above inflation don't they.

Agree with MLL that some people go to extraordinary lengths to pay the fees - I personally know of at least two families who have borrowed humungous amounts for fees which I agree is utter madness - they'll be up shit creek when the banks decide to pull the plug on loans and want their money back (which is probably imminent if not already happened).

[mummyloveslucy]

Thanks pgwithnomber3. Yes you were right, she has a speech disorder.
I think if the school offered me somthing like that, then I would probubly have to take their offer. I still don't know how we'd manage, but I had my heart set on her staying at that school.
If I get pregnant again, there's a good chance I might get Hyperemesis again. This would meen I couldn't work throughout my whole pregnancy.
I've had my hospital appointment, and I'm going back on the clomid. I have my scan tommorrow to see my overies. Which reminds me, I forgot to buy veet. Oh bugger.

[chocolatedot]

Batters, I'm pretty sure I know who you are talking about. She wrote a spectacularly nasty article about private schooling a few years back, even lambasting one poor private school kid for being fat? I have noticed she has gone very quiet on the subject for the past year or so, co-inciding with her son starting secondary school.