groaning under the weight of private school fees!

[pearso]

Hello,
I've got one child at private school, the other still at state primary for another year and we're dreading the decision next year about what to do. It's very unlikely we'll be able to afford a second set of school fees. Is anyone else in a similar situation? I'd love to hear from you if you are.... I'm also writing about it in my column for the Evening Standard so wouldn't use names but would love to hear what people think, especially in London and about any experiences good or bad.
thanks!

Blimey, er, thanks for the replies. I'm not Allison Pearson and have already replied to the administrator of this site when she pointed out I should have gone into the media section - and admitted I didn't read the site properly.
The point is, no-one could have forseen what would happen work-wise over the last year so although me and many others may have thought they had provisions for both children, things have changed very very rapidly. I think reporting in the press that "parents will be falling back on the state system" is a misnomer... there's no falling back on the state system where I live; 4 schools in my borough are failing.
thanks again for the replies.

I don't think that the majority of people have actually had a change in their finances, so the only thing that is impacting on whether they can pay school fees is fear.

If people have actually lost their jobs and don't have prospects of securing a new one with the same level of income within a reasonable length of time, they are going to look at pulling their children out.

If people have suffered a pay cut, then they will work with the schools to keep their child in the system.

For people like DH & I, our salaries are not being cut, and we should still get small increments and have prospects for promotion. I was worried about monthly outgoings for a bit as it seemed that inflation was taking off, but that seems to have calmed down now. We may even be slightly better off because of the mortgage rate cuts.

Families who are committed to independent education will do their best to maintain the status quo. They will not make knee-jerk decisions, and school fees are usually the last thing to go. If you look at the trends over the last few recessions, you will see that pupil numbers did not fall during the recessions, and there were very slight dips afterwards, probably due to new pupils not entering the system as soon as they might.

If you are serious about doing proper research, I suggest you have a look at the Independent Schools' Council website - they have real data there, rather than third hand anecdotes.

This years leavers at my dcs prep school fell into two very clear camps - those going on to expensive public schools and those going into the state sector.
What was very obvious was that many who would have probably considered academic but reasonably priced day schools ( such things being relative) left for grammar or faith state schools. This is definitely a change to previous years.
I know some families who were really pushing the boat in the first place and can't manage secondary fees given the likely rise in the cost of living generally and/or they were anticipating a pay freeze or downturn in their own business.

Agree that grammars are going to see a big rise in applicants.

If you CAT me I can provide some info and contacts that will be helpful.

Grammars may see a rise in applicants, but that doesn't mean that more children will be able to go to them.

If children who would have gone to private schools take up grammar places, then they may push other kids into private or to comps.

If popular comps become even more popular, children on the edge of their catchment will miss out, and some of these kids will end up going into the private sector.

There are plenty of families who could afford private schools, but feel that their local state school is good enough. If there is pressure on places and catchment areas, they will be rethinking their principles.

yup, thanks, have already got a lot of useful info of that site... I find the best features tend to be a mix of fact and anecdote, makes them less dry. ta.

I see your logic fivesets, but there seem to be some people whose financial planning followed that of Gordon Brown's ie they are hocked up to the eyeballs with mortgage and debt and payment of the school fees is entirely reliant on the good times continuing to roll...there appears to be little or no 'slack' iyswim.

Sorry but i think many folk in employment who have kids in private school will have had changes to their finances - and often would be paying school fees largely out of income and/or borrowed from house equity - if stock options worth $$ a few months ago are now underwater; share portfolio and house equity has dwindled, no sizeable company end of year bonus, even pay review freezes or if they lost a job, had to get another on a reduced salary as it's a whole more competititive out there. These are not forseeable circumstances.

If you don't get a bonus or options in the first place then of course it's not an issue, but most high fliers/senior management in companies these days do, and likely in many cases their finances would have suffered considerably - leading to insecurity about making a long term commitment for a second child when it was not an issue when they sent the first one off to private school. It's as not as simple as saying "well didn't you work it out when you sent the first DC off to private school then".

Same issue for many private school parents that run their own businesses.

Of course there are always those who are independently wealthy, and school fees don't even make a dent in the bank balance but many many middle class private school customers (yes that's what we are) will have been hurt financially by the current crises, and like other businesses, I am sure the schools will not be immune from the recession or the increasing value for money argument.

We have 2 DCs. The school fees for both from 3-18 will top £300k for day school attendance. It is frightening if you think about it.

The problem is not the day-to-day uncertainty about affording the fees because we can easily afford them now. The problem is the uncertainty of the future. I can't guarantee to have a job next year, never mind in five years' time. And the total time span involved is 17 YEARS (date of DD starting to date of DS leaving). And after that whoop-de-whoop we get to pay university fees.

That's the thing that causes the strain - the uncertainty and the worry that the DCs will have to abandon a lifestyle they have become accustomed to ...

Pearso - just wanted to add my twopennorthworth here. Five years ago, my daughter gained a full fees paid scholarship to a private school which would have covered her all the way through 6th form, along with a £1000 grant for uniform & books. While she was there, she also gained a music scholarship worth £500 a year.

We were mortified earlier this year when she said she wanted to leave to go to a normal college or sixth form and couldn't believe she would want to give up the private schooling.

However, we eventually gave in and she now goes to an excellent local school where she is doing really well. It is one of the best state schools in the county so we are lucky because we couldn't have afforded to send her to another private school without some financial help.

My other 2 kids are SEN and private schooling was never an option for them. They are going to a state school that has an excellent SEN facilities so I think they are going to do as well there as any private school, even if they had have been academically good enough to get in.

My point is this: with the right encouragement, your kids can do well wherever they go. I know from experience that you need to adjust your expectations a bit if you end up in the state system. But usually it's because there is a much wider academic and social range than in the private system. I've always said though that even pretty mediocre teachers can appear to do OK in the private system because of small class sizes, supportive parents etc. but there are some real gems in the state system - I hope you're lucky enough to experience it if you choose.

Don't forget they have to actually PASS the test for grammar schools as well and be allocated a place. Sometimes a lot harder to get a place there than for the local independent school. In my area, it's those that DON'T get the grammar school places who 'have' to opt for the independent sector.....

what exactly are some of you scared of regarding state schools? do you not have faith that your kids could achieve well in state schools? A gcse is worth the same whether gained in a private or state school and if your kids are brought up to resspect and value techers and education in general they will succeed. This is my experience as I teach in a state primary school and my son achieved the necessary a-c grades at a London comp deemed 'rough' by many parents and now he is at uni. his girlfriend went to fee paying very well thought of private girls school, hated it and is now signing on. My personal opinion is that many parents choose to send their kids to private schools because they are scared of their children not mixing with the 'right kind of people'

Have you never heard of sink schools, swanny?

Put it in media requests. And put your children in State school like 93% of the rest of the country.

Have a proper flush toilet like 99.9% of the country.

Your point, Seeker?

I would have thought my point was obvious. If you can't afford private school fees, the solution is to put your children in state schools like the rest of us do.

Oh, my post was directed at the OP.

And your point is?

What am I scared of regarding my local state school? Well here's what I am scared of:

1. It has recently just come out of special measures
2. More children have asbos than go to university
3. It has an appalling pass rate at GCSE
4. The sports teams are shite and my DCs are sporty
5. The school does nothing musically
6. The library is shocking
7. The behaviour is worse

Hell would freeze over before my DCs go there. Sorry and all that.

Ah defensive

My point is that just because everyone else does something, doesn't mean it's the best for everyone.

And we all have our moral high-grounds...

I would think that children's education is soemthing work hard to given them your very best.

Every time I see 5sets' name I shudder in sympathy ..

No, I haven't been jumped all. Sympathy all round is the only think that I have felt

OMG!! 5 sets of school fees ! You must keep the school going.

What do you think the chances are of ds's bursar allowing me to pay the fees monthly in in two halves? 0%?

Just thought I'd ask.

My DH and i dont get any bonuses (well maybe a bottle of wine at Christmas from a parent grateful for what we do for their child musically) but we have some equity in the house (please let it stay!) and are going to use this to pay for the fees.