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....

Happy

I'm sorry I have to disagree there. My dh belongs to a network of music teachers, educators and consultants. They have all, some still, teach in the private sector and music conservatoires throughout the country. They now include academies dh is at one today in Newcastle.
The dc in private schools pay far more than those in the state system for the same teacher. My dh charged a local parent £30 the equivalent at private school was £60/£70.The difference being private school parents are paying for the building fund. I'm not sure about sport but would reckon the private tuition here is on par with music.

I have been around the local grammars before deciding to go down the private route. Why wouldnt I living in the catchment area.

For the right academic child they are great hence my comment about having more of them. However, these schools are obsessed with the league tables. Why wouldnt they be.... The extra facilities were not great. I asked one of the teachers and she stated that parents choose the grammars for their academic achievements, not for the facilities they offer.

The tutoring starts around here at about 8. I know how much effort goes into preparing their children for the 11+ . Thing is no one talks about it, they pretend they are doing very little but when you call for a playdate the ones preping for the test are never available.....

I would hazard a guess and say that most of us are thinking of normal private schools, not the likes of Eton.

I did say the fridge was a trivial example. What I'm talking about is the stuff you can have if you have a private school budget. And the impression you can create. An A is an A. But a big fridge is a lovely thing to have- and generally only private schools can have one.

Happy- of course the's a vast difference. Because there is a vast difference in the money available........!!!!!!!!!!'
Seeker* Im not disputing this where have I said I am?

(I've come late to this) People with a spare £12k per child a year.

Off the top of my head, if I earned about £40k I could still pay my bills and privately educate my dc's.

As I earn £9k, I can't. Unless we live in a tent and stop eating and wearing clothes.

Why is a big fridge lovely? Is it too keep your pet elephant cold?
Morethan your assuming extra curricular activities are only music and sport.

My DS was at Eton. Yes, the facilities are great but you are paying for a lot of things that your child will never use!

Elephant keeping is a popular private school extra curricular activity,I believe.

TOSN

I totally agree. We have been unlucky with state provision but I know of many that offer superb facilities and opportunities.
I hark back to my dh and associates, but it is an academy that has gained from the workshop today, not a private school and it is completely funded by the school not the parents.
I am pleased that people from all walks of life can experience what they do as it encourages dc whatever their background. Next week it is a private school in Surrey, exactly the same thing.

The better ones have Rhinos much rarer!

Happy.

No I am talking about the private tuition offered being no different than offered elsewhere. I gave music and sport as an example.

This thread always seems like it's going to move on & is then pulled back to the same arguments.

Would certain people here be happier if the world were all the same? Lets all drive the same car, own identical houses, send our kids to identical schools etc. etc. etc. That would be fair wouldn't it?

These people need to understand that we live in a world of capitalization. Anyone, given the opportunity will want the best car, house, school, tv, mobile phone or whatever surely? So why bash the parents who make sacrifices to get their child the best education they can possible afford?

Grammar schools were the main way of moving up the social & monetary scale in the 70's & 80's but not so much anymore. It is those with a 'can do' attitude to life, the 'cup half full not half empty' kids that will get our kids somewhere in life. My DD spent 3 years in local state education & it ripped the heart out of her. For us private offered something better. A can do approach that suited her character, not suppressed it.

Are we, or anybody else that chooses private education really do any harm to the state sector? Is it really so bad to want to give your child all possible opportunities in life?

How many elephants can you fit in a fridge? Four: One in the salad drawer, and one on each shelf.

I'm here all week.

Why would you want to keep elephants cold?

A sunroom would make more sense.

Why do you want a walk in fridge?

happy, thanks for this. If your dcs are happy, great. All I hope is that what I say might encourage people to think twice rather than assuming a well-reputed private school is right for their dcs. If private school WAS right for yours, then that's great, and I'm genuinely glad for you. But I do wish someone had told me earlier about the possible drawbacks... so am making a flailing effort to do unto others...

nit, that's my favourite cricket match in all of fiction. Just sheer brilliance. And a short head after comes the one in Murder Must Advertise. Check it out....

'Can do' makes me queasy.

narked: if they were dead?

Sieg: the AF cricket match and the netball in End Of, along with the one in The Go Between are the only two literary depictions of sport I think I've ever willingly read.... And even they were a struggle.

We could now afford it but certainly couldn't a couple of years ago. Suggested to DS1 who is about to go to college that he looked at private 6th form but was utterly against it. Manhandling a truculent 16 year old each morning to school each morning seemed somewhat counter productive.

DS2 may yet end up in the private system. My biggest concern would be getting insurance, is it possible to insure school fees against redundancy? I work in the retail sector, not currently known for it's stability

grovel, in idle moments I've had a nosey at the Eton website and been agog at, well, everything. The Greek KS paper for starters

I really hate the whole Old Etonian thing, the Bullingdon Club, the access to the corridors of power and it goes against so many of my principles but it does look wonderful. Lucky boys.

"I am talking about the private tuition offered being no different than offered elsewhere. I gave music and sport as an example."
Quickly reading back through what I wrote ..... no I didn't say private tuition is necessarily better in the independent sector although I think often sports coaching is. Im not overly knowledgeable on sports coaching but many schools like Eton have ex Olympic coaches or ex professional players as the norm for all major sports cricket football rugby etc and often minor sports as well. Again as seeker would point out and I agree thats what happens when you pay £34 000 PA.

And Jenai of course no boy can use all the facilities or attend every club or wants to go to every lecture, concert, play, but the point is that they are there if they want too.

Happy You live in the south east. So I'm thinking probably not, actually. :)