Page 3 | School Fees - how worried are you now

Lifeiseveryday · 2025-03-28T06:14:44+00:00

So when the VAT came in, I wasn’t too worried about school fees….maybe I had my head in the sand! However, for next year, a number of schools near us have hiked both the fees recently, alongside the VAT. I’m feeling much more nervous now about where the fees are going to end up and the impact this will have on children. School is affordable for us but I am not sure if it is ‘value for money’ anymore. I know there have been lots of threads on VAT but I am more worried now, than when the policy came out. So as a temperature check, how is everyone else feeling? I have 8 more years of fees…

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CagneyNYPD1 · 28/03/2025 07:51

Doingmybestbut · 28/03/2025 07:05

Very much not a lottery.

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Perhaps not where you live but for us, this is very much the case. We are in a single sex grammar area. Such schools do not suit DD.

DD currently attends a co-ed private secondary school. Luckily we have good mixed options for state 6th form as the VAT situation means that we will probably pull her out after GCSEs.

hookeywole · 28/03/2025 07:51

some schools were struggling before VAT, hence why some opted out of TPS (which is a significant cost). With increased bills, maintenance costs, staff salaries etc we just thought 30k today is going to be a lot more in 3 years time!

80smonster · 28/03/2025 07:52

twistyizzy · 28/03/2025 07:38

No because the tax receipt won't have made it through yet and any government claims to the contrary are false.
There is a tally of schools which have closed, kids who have left independent schools to go into state (at cost to state) etc BUT Labour refuse to gather official data or review the policy at any point. So what does that tell you?
Oh and it's costing the taxpayer approx £1 million to defend this in court

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Yes I thought as much. Obviously PS parents saw this policy as the idealogical nonsense it was cooked up to be. Such a shame as all this is likely to result in are larger state classes, with no real additional funding to bolster the numbers. I would be very angry if I was a state school parent, Labour has promised new teachers and funding and they should be forced to deliver on this, even if it means cutting from somewhere else.

Are you able to share number of children who moved from independent to state? At the cost of approximately 6k per child, plus the 1 million for the court case, guessing the case could run to vastly more than 1 million, also funded by the tax payer of course. Suspect this will be a giant loss leader before Labour gets round to reporting on what it’s cost everyone.

SheilaFentiman · 28/03/2025 07:54

But most private schools have put their fees up year on year by 10-15% - their staff costs don't have to go up by that amount per year.

I don’t know what the national average was before VAT, but the school we attend was more like 5% for several years.

Unlike state schools, private schools have to absorb the increasing cost of the TPS (or drop out of the pension scheme altogether, which staff don’t like and may cause them to leave - continuity of staff is attractive) - so some staff costs do more or less have to go up.

hookeywole · 28/03/2025 07:54

Unfortunately, in the last 20 years ago, private day schools seem to have been in an arms race to build flashier facilities to compete against each other where my dc grew up.

Yes I suppose as the years have gone by & only the "wealthy" can really afford them they have to compete with each other plus falling birth rates as well. I'm not fussed about a building needed a lick of paint

Beenquee · 28/03/2025 07:55

Firenzeflower · 28/03/2025 06:19

I’m not sure if this makes you feel any better but two of my children are in Russell group universities and they went to the local comprehensive.

State schools aren’t awful. State educated children aren’t feral.
I’m genuinely sorry you’re under this stress.

Of course they aren’t.
I feel very privileged to live in a catchment with an excellent state school that suits my children - many don’t, and are understandably concerned.

hookeywole · 28/03/2025 07:56

Such a shame as all this is likely to result in are larger state classes, with no real additional funding to bolster the numbers

Currently school funding is based on head count so the more dc the more funding. Certainly at a primary level there shouldn't be much more overcrowding (although it will be location specific) because of birth rates.

twistyizzy · 28/03/2025 07:57

Radra · 28/03/2025 07:48

But most private schools have put their fees up year on year by 10-15% - their staff costs don't have to go up by that amount per year.

State schools have managed with exactly the same costs without their budgets rising by the same amount.

The difference in my view is that state schools know they have to keep to a budget

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And utility bills, pensions etc have also risen by that amount.
Independent schools need to pay attractive wages in order to attract teachers.
As I have previously stated, most are run on already tight margins so there is little surplus to cut. The suggestion they don't have to budget is ridiculous

OhNoPleaseNotScabies · 28/03/2025 07:59

Independent schools are feeling the pinch.

We recently transferred DD (year 3) from a prep school to a state primary.

It wasn't a financial decision. But the prep head's first question was "is this financial? We can help".

Radra · 28/03/2025 08:00

SheilaFentiman · 28/03/2025 07:54

But most private schools have put their fees up year on year by 10-15% - their staff costs don't have to go up by that amount per year.

I don’t know what the national average was before VAT, but the school we attend was more like 5% for several years.

Unlike state schools, private schools have to absorb the increasing cost of the TPS (or drop out of the pension scheme altogether, which staff don’t like and may cause them to leave - continuity of staff is attractive) - so some staff costs do more or less have to go up.

That is much lower than the ones around us - but still higher than inflation

The IFS say net private school fees rose from £12,300 in 2009–10 to £15,200 in 2019–20, a real-terms increase of 24% over the decade.

Their costs have not seen a real terms increase of 24% over the last decade (these figures are factoring inflation) so either they are spending the money on extra offerings, wasting it, or giving staff pay rises above inflation

80smonster · 28/03/2025 08:00

LeticiaMorales · 28/03/2025 07:23

I think often people move into an area which is in the catchment for good schools.
If you can't move, that's a problem.

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The reality of this will be that PS parents with maybe a multiple of children in PS settings, approaching year 5/6, will definitely move home and effectively buy up the spaces in local outstanding comps. Labour knew this to be the outcome, but didn’t care. Ultimately an average kid from an averagely well off family, is going to have a greater chance of not getting a place at their successful local comp, because competition will increase.

80smonster · 28/03/2025 08:02

OhNoPleaseNotScabies · 28/03/2025 07:59

Independent schools are feeling the pinch.

We recently transferred DD (year 3) from a prep school to a state primary.

It wasn't a financial decision. But the prep head's first question was "is this financial? We can help".

Really? Our prep school has been gently guiding anyone too poor to pay up towards the door. Most prep schools don’t do scholarships or bursaries, so there isn’t a way to offset the fees.

Saveusernsme · 28/03/2025 08:02

Out of interest, it would be useful to comment on whether your school is day or has boarding.

My DC are at two different private schools - one as a day pupil in a boarding school and the other in a day school. The day school has been utterly fantastic with their comms and attitude to the VAT. We’ve been told fees are frozen next school year and then will go up just above rate of inflation. We feel we get so much value from the school.

By comparison, the boarding school have passed on full VAT to parents, and reduced much of the extra curricular activities. No doubt fees will go up but comms is very slow and so we won’t find out until the end of the school year. We will stay for the moment but will be guided on how DS is getting on over the next few years.

Labraradabrador · 28/03/2025 08:03

Radra · 28/03/2025 07:48

But most private schools have put their fees up year on year by 10-15% - their staff costs don't have to go up by that amount per year.

State schools have managed with exactly the same costs without their budgets rising by the same amount.

The difference in my view is that state schools know they have to keep to a budget

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Most have not increased by 10-15% a year - our biggest increase (before vat) was just over 8% and that was the year of all around bonkers price increases.

salary rises might not be that much but teacher pension contributions have skyrocketed, so yes it costs a great deal more per teacher than it did 5 years ago.

hookeywole · 28/03/2025 08:05

The reality of this will be that PS parents with maybe a multiple of children in PS settings, approaching year 5/6, will definitely move home and effectively buy up the spaces in local outstanding comps. Labour knew this to be the outcome, but didn’t care. Ultimately an average kid from an averagely well off family, is going to have a greater chance of not getting a place at their successful local comp, because competition will increase.

I'm not sure about this having a huge impact but I don't believe the vast majority of PS parents live in bad areas. Maybe it's a location thing?

SpringIsSpringing25 · 28/03/2025 08:05

sageGreen81 · 28/03/2025 06:24

I don’t think OP is saying that but talking about the challenges of private school fees.

I should say I went to an inner city comp, my parents were immigrants and illiterate. I too went to a Russell Group university and run my own very successful business. I’m also of ‘colour’ and a woman! My parents worked in mills and foundries.

It’s not a State vs Private thread but for those who are finding that PS is not such good value for money any more.

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Yes, but what she is saying is that having to take them out of private school may not be the end of the world.

80smonster · 28/03/2025 08:10

hookeywole · 28/03/2025 07:56

Such a shame as all this is likely to result in are larger state classes, with no real additional funding to bolster the numbers

Currently school funding is based on head count so the more dc the more funding. Certainly at a primary level there shouldn't be much more overcrowding (although it will be location specific) because of birth rates.

If you have a number for the total of funding that has been passed to state - please share? As I understand, no funding has currently been passed to the state schools. Please correct me if this is wrong and share the number too?

SpringIsSpringing25 · 28/03/2025 08:10

FannyBawz · 28/03/2025 06:26

I’m not worried, irritated more than anything. I mean if you can’t afford it just take your kids out ffs

Have you not read any of the other posts? Did you just rush in to post your opinion?

All of those children are settled in their school, that gives pause for thought for any family,

BUT children with SEN, it's especially difficult to move them to a system that just can't help them if they're in a school that does help them 'just moving them' isn't a case of JUST moving them.

SpringIsSpringing25 · 28/03/2025 08:15

VeryNiceDay · 28/03/2025 06:30

I would like to pay private school fees and could afford to do so, but I can't find an independent school that will meet my DSs needs. He had to stop going to mainstream school last year.

We looked at a school yesterday that charged £30k a year but their teaching material had wrong science in them, bad punctuation and ridiculous things like getting the kids to sing poetry in a silly voice.

I wish I could find a school that would just teach academic subjects competently and calmly and then send the kids home. He doesn't need a million trips.

My cousin had to send her daughter to a boarding sen school, she was very very apprehensive about this and really didn't want to, but there was no way she could cope with state school and they couldn't move because of her husband's job (a very specialised industry) her daughter came home at weekends and absolutely thrived at school. She enjoyed boarding Monday - Friday.

Could this be an option for you?

Drivingmissrangey · 28/03/2025 08:16

I think private schools really need to think about their cost base. It’s no longer going to attract and retain students if they don’t make some more meaningful cost changes

I think the highly predictable but unintended consequence of this is that the very popular schools with access to the very wealthy will continue to get more expensive and even more exclusive but will still have plenty of people happy to pay the fees. The smaller or less popular schools will struggle and close. So private education will become even more elitist.

twistyizzy · 28/03/2025 08:18

Radra · 28/03/2025 08:00

That is much lower than the ones around us - but still higher than inflation

The IFS say net private school fees rose from £12,300 in 2009–10 to £15,200 in 2019–20, a real-terms increase of 24% over the decade.

Their costs have not seen a real terms increase of 24% over the last decade (these figures are factoring inflation) so either they are spending the money on extra offerings, wasting it, or giving staff pay rises above inflation

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Remind me how much utility bills have risen in that period? The answer is 35% and schools have to pay huge utility bills, fees cover things like utility bills. That's just 1 example

24% over 10 years is 2.4% per year. Parents factor in that rise when budgeting for independent school.
Adding an additional 20% on top of that is what makes it unaffordable.

Hoppinggreen · 28/03/2025 08:19

I am very glad we have just 1 term left.
We now only have DS there, we had 1 year where both DC were there BUT with DD's part scholarship and the Sib discount we paid around the same for 2 of them as we pay for DS now with the fee rises and VAT!
Not sure we would have been able to make the same choices now with fees at this level.

Hoppinggreen · 28/03/2025 08:23

LeticiaMorales · 28/03/2025 07:23

I think often people move into an area which is in the catchment for good schools.
If you can't move, that's a problem.

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OR you live in a catchment for a good State school but 5 years of unfettered house building pushes you out and into catchment for a school that even some teachers there recommend you avoid.
We calculated that Private school was going to be cheaper and less disruptive than moving house.

SpringIsSpringing25 · 28/03/2025 08:24

VeryNiceDay · 28/03/2025 07:20

@Doingmybestbut I would really agree with that.

We're in an odd position here where there are lots of private schools that are very expensive and very very driven. Then the state schools are trying to be like that too, with loads of trips and music and drama and art. But then the state schools have no money left to employ teachers to just teach maths and science and English competently. They end up sitting the kids in front of videos during those lessons, while proudly announcing that they did 300+ trips in the last year.

We really urgently need a no-frills private school here that just has enough teachers to teach the core subjects calmly and competently. It needs to be screen-free so the kids can go home calm at the end of the day and with enough headspace to be parented by their own family.

Ideally, given the current situation, it would be helpful if such a school could also offer phased return or flexi-schooling and the option to sign up as a private exam candidate. This is so the kids who have fallen out of the school system can have a chance to re-enter.

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What a private tutor be more cost-effective??

ShiiiiiiiiiitDinosaur · 28/03/2025 08:26

Mine went to state schools and did well. I am not against private education however, I do feel that if you set the precedent for private school for your own children you should be willing and able to support their children (should they have any) in private education too. This should follow on each generation.

My DC is on a Uni course and the majority of students on it went to private school. They all seem to have a very biased view of state schools being shit.

All children are individuals you just need to adapt and ensure your children thrive by using the means available to you.

Honestly, if I could easily afford private school I would have sent them. I don’t see it as a value for money dilemma if you are not having to budget or go without to afford it.