Who can afford private schools in the UK?

[wjchoihk]

Hi. I am not sure if this is an appropriate question to ask here. But I have always wondered how rich you should be to send children to private schools in UK. Fees are anywhere from 3000 up to 10000 per term. Even allowing for wide gaps in income, thinking of 'avearge' UK wage of 26,000 pound, math simply don't add up for a normal life with such high fees. I also know only 7% of children go private though.

How much of private parents live on "inherited" wealth and how much on simply superior current earnings? I have my kids at SW London privates but I wouldn't be able to afford this without current int'l expat package. Some parents at my kids' schools LOOK and ARE very very rich but most of them LOOK quite down to earth. But I can't ask....

I think bearing in mind the fees in privates you do get almost 100% parents interested in their kids education i.e at parents evenings. Its not all dropping off your kids and seeing them at the end of term regardless of what some are saying.

My DM teaches and last time they had a parents evening less than 50% turned up! Outer London primary...

maisie - RE your comment about being able to choose what to do with your money, didn't you know, people on a lower income than you have the constructional right to criticise what you spend your money?

However it is a one street. When they complain about their low income you are not allowed to tell them to smoke and drink less.

Sorry @worscestershire but you're wrong - £60k is a pretty standard joining salary at the very top end of city employers (esp. MC firms). £40k is low for the middling employers.

"Mine didn't. You paid for the teaching. Class sizes of 30."
Narked I sometimes think Im not being very bright what are you trying to say?

... constitutional right ...

I'm not sure they see it as a constitutional right but I suspect many wish they had the freedom to chose how to educate their children and must get tired and jolly cross at hearing people say that those on pretty crap incomes could afford fees if they wanted too.

"many people delude themselves by thinking that state ed at its very best is comparable with independent ed at its very best"

DS1 went to a pretty good, but not the best, state grammar. The teachers went above and beyond with the ambitious and able sixth formers and he was one of 6 in his year to get Oxbridge places. They graduated last year and have all gone into excellent jobs or are pursuing higher degrees in specialist fields. I'm not quite sure how an expensive private secondary education could have done more.

Seeker I know that the "bet she has never been in a private school/chip on the shoulder" theories are not true and I am not even your stalker

As far as I can see you, and some others, have a reasoned and reasonable objection to private schools. I absolutely don't agree with you, but neither do I think you are stupid, ill informed or deluded, FWIW (which is not much, I grant you). There are posters on both sides of the equation who are one or more of those things though - whether it is the "I can't have it so you shouldn't be able to" private bashers or the "how could you possibly do that to your DC" state bashers. There always will be, which is why these threads go in circles.

From what I see a lot of school fees are paid for by grandparents

stealth wow, this thread moves fast - and it's not even Friday afternoon!

Just thanking you for clarification on the 'gross generalisation' point...

higgle its not all about results. Its all the other things that some independent schools offer that the state sector due to its limited financial resources can never offer.

I think there are more people able to afford fees than when I was younger. However, we live in an age of high consumerism and many prefer to spend money on other things.
Obviously, when the fees are more than you earn then there isn't much chance unless the chosen school offers bursaries, scholarships or awards.
There are some specialist private schools where low income families are offered complete funding for fees, as they want that child for a particular talent they have. We are looking at this in a few years time for dd.

We have the grammars around here and very popular they are too.

However it seems to be Ok to discriminate with regard to intelligence i.e potential pupils have to take the 11+ and pass or fail. Anyone on here hate private education but use the grammar school system?

But use your earned money to get the sort of education I would wish for all on this thread but sadly isnt always going to be possible and the lefties come out in force.... How could you spend your money on this, dont you know the state system offers all of this and more! Well - it doesnt! I looked at the state system - I am a product of the state system. Why wouldnt I look. It would have been free. However the options here are not great (bar the grammars!) so fortunately we had a choice - state or private. We chose private....

That to me Maisie is an argument against the 11+ though. Of which I am also, unsurprisingly, not in favour.

I disagree potato. Fees have increased much quicker than salaries in the last 25 years. As have house prices, which means many who were privately educated cannot afford it for their own children.

"I think there are more people able to afford fees than when I was younger. However, we live in an age of high consumerism and many prefer to spend money on other things."
Very true and fees are considerably more expensive in relation to earnings. My DH's parents (teachers) paid for my DH and SIL to go to two top London day schools but I have just looked the fees up you talking the best part of £15 000 a term no teacher could afford that.

Nit - the derail might be long past - but surely The Nine Tailors is the one to read

About sewing?

That would be seeker then maisie. A SF on grammar and a day that failed to get in. hence the high no at people who date use money to procure advantage for their Dcs

Both sides have posters that say pretty stupid things. I certainly wouldn't hold up these people as being representative of whatever side so I'm not gonna defend their opinions.

If your net of tax income isn't enough to cover fees, shelter, food, utilities and clothes then no buts or ifs, you can't afford private.

Where the real argument lies is, after deducting the above, what is an acceptable amount of disposable income?

IMO prep for one child is about £13k of your gross salary. That leaves you with £27k gross. There are masses of people for whom £27k is a lot money. Yet you say that people on £40k can't afford prep schools.

Oops. That was to you happyg

impty.

I dare say you are right. I am an oldie though and was thinking of even longer ago. However, I should have said young not younger .
When I was a child your parents were super rich if you went to a private school.

a dd and ds. Silly phone

Not about results? I'm sure most people who pay are looking for places in the best universities, not the opportunity to play tennis with a better class of person. A good state sixth form will offer loads of extra curriculars, the only thing they may possibly be missing is tip-top sporting facilities. Fortunately, my boys are not that interested in sport so it doesn't matter to us. State schools do offer small classes in some subjects, DS2 is in a class of two people doing A level Latin and his art group is 12.

I wish our fees were paid by grandparents! However, someone will come on in a minute saying that isnt fair either. YOU need to earn the money otherwise it doesnt count.

And lets not talk about lottery wins where people suddenly come across a large sum of money. Perhaps they wont be allowed to spend their money any way they like!

In fact, why dont we get a lottery winner on and tell them how to spend their money. If they are spending on private education then Seeker can tell them they are wrong, she doesnt approve, etc.