Private school on a £85k

[Rebmolellmar]

Hi I am looking at sending my daughter to a private secondary school as I feel this would best suit her needs etc to her to blossom and hopefully enjoy her time at school,
We don’t earn massive amounts the school we are looking at is £8000 a term,we rent and it’s £1750,I am looking at any ways to reduce our other bills,
hopefully I can do a business in the evenings to get extra money.

Ok, but unless your daughter has really serious problems surely you need to prioritise buying a home?

Only you know if it's affordable for you and there are benefits to going.

What are the state schools like in the area? What will you miss out on to send her there?

My daughters happiness and mental heath is more important than buying a house I can concentrate on that after her schooling.

They are only ok,but wouldn’t really support her needs and she would struggle.

Why do you think her mental health and happiness would be better at the private school?

I spoke to the sen teacher and looked around the school met the head etc,spoke to parents at the school and it just seems like the perfect school for her to blossom.

85k before or after tax? If school is 24k a year and rent 21l a year that’s 45k so about 70k in pre tax income. So nearly all your money without other bills.

I think you’ll struggle. We looked for dd1 and that was back in 2019 and we were earning £100k. We decided to try state school for years 7 and 8 and move to private for year 9. As it happened, her state school was outstanding during lock down and I have been regularly impressed by her teachers passion and dedication to the pupils. She ended up staying in state and is now in 6th form.

I’m not trying to be negative because I do understand where you’re coming from but in similar circumstances we decided no (and we owned a home with a slightly lower mortgage than your rent).

Please be aware that private school fees always increase by more than general inflation @Rebmolellmar
My DC both went to private school from Y7 to Y13. The fees went up from £9k to £16k pa from 2006 to 2017. That’s of course before VAT was imposed. Also that was during a period of low general inflation too.

You dont say how that 85k income is made up.

Best case: obe of you on 40k, and the other on 45k. No pensions, no student loans would be £5650 a month.

You are talking about 1750 rent and 2000 fees. Can you live on the remaining 2k? Only you can really answer that. Have you factored in uniform costs, lunches etc?

Do you have savings? Have you checked any extras? We have to pay for meals (£5 per day) and students are issued a laptop in Y7 that they split the cost over two terms. Not to mention uniform.

£56,000 and £28,000 and child benefit too,no Loans a few credit card debt but will be cleared by the time
I think we can just live off £2000 a month
The fees include all food and snack and all school trips too.

Your post tax income is, what, £65k p.a.? Child benefit maybe another £1.5kp.a.?

That leaves you £21.5k pa or £1,780 pcm after rent and fees.

Fees will go up 5-10% p.a. and your rent may well go up a similar amount (you will know if that is well priced for the area). What are your utilities, council tax, car and commuting costs?

I don't think you can afford it. You may qualify for a bursary but these are in short supply.

Thanks everyone for your comments,I will look into a bursary and they do scholarships too my daughter is very good a sports so maybe that could be a option too

How many years OP

My kids were in their Senior school for 5 years ( including 6th form)
Prep school 5 years

Are you thinking secondary school in terms of the 7 ( inc 6th form) years that the state system have or the 5 years that most Indies have

Ask the school at what level they need to be.
For a scholarship in sports most ( not all) will be looking at County level in a sport they do in the school in Competitions

Scholarships tend to only give 5-10% off fees - bursaries are means tested and can be higher.

I don’t think it’s the best use of the resources you have.

What is it you are hoping to achieve through this education for your daughter, and can it be done in another way?

i don’t think you can afford it, no. It would be a very hard transition back to state. Think carefully.

I going to see what I can do to boast my income because I definitely can’t afford it at the moment,
thank you everyone

I think you need at least 50% more (probably slightly higher) - I think by the time you have figured out how to boost your income, your dc will have left school!

Agree with what others are saying - there may be more affordable options that satisfy their needs

@Rebmolellmar try the bursary route? They definitely prioritise those who rent. Which schools are you looking at?

Please work very significant annual fee increases to your budget. Dd is just finishing Yr9 having been in the same family of schools since Reception. There was no space in our small village primary school 10 years ago, hopeless secondary provision and SEN diagnosis during primary means it's still the right choice for us, but we are stretched especially with VAT and now having to pay extra for external exams. 6th form might have to mean a move.
Also factor in extra curricular eg music lessons, LAMDA and DofE, whilst none are compulsory you will find most do at at least some. These all add to fees.
We started Yr7 with fees of about 10K a year including lunches and school bus next year it's 21K. Additional music lessons with exams have been £800 this year and Bronze DofE is on top. Dd has deliberately not chosen some activities to minimise trips and extra costs as she is aware of the impact.
Plus forget a new car for the next 7 years. DH (retired with ill health) and I drive a 9 and 13 year old car respectively.
Please also consider the socio-ecominic impact on friendships. Whilst all school have a family's from diverse backgrounds the children whose parents jet off to the Villa with them every holiday won't necessarily mix nor will you perhaps want/ be able to facilitate sleepovers without some judgement.

You have to think longer term. Fee rises are accelerating faster than salaries. It is better for your dd to be settled with friends in a school than be in a position of her teenage years you having to move schools.

We are on a lot more and I have to say I’m absolutely relieved that younger DS is about to leave. Fees are crazy. Please also factor in school uniform, trips etc. And how will DD feel when classmates go off on exotic holidays every holiday, and she can’t. Honestly, I wouldn’t go down that route.