Parents sell home so son can attend private school - how far would you go?

[CheerLeader2017]

The article is a couple of years old - these parents sold their house so son could attend private school. How far would you go?

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3035244/Parents-sell-185-000-home-East-Sussex-send-son-private-school.html

I'm glad to hear it

Education is important but so much of life outside of school is educational. I'm kind of sad at a few of my friends who have massively stretched themselves but can't enjoy actually living.

I'd love to know what the frankly odd house requirements were from your dh - but maybe that's another thread

‘Ironically, as our mortgage is only around £200 a month and renting will cost about £1,000, it is going to add to our outgoings,’ Mrs Morgan said. ‘But this way we can sleep at night. We can clear our debts and, most importantly, pay for CJ’s school fees.

ffs

Nope. We would not be prepared to live in penury for our child's educstion.

DD got offered a place at an academic private school, but our application for a bursary was turned down. She went to the local comprehensive and achieved excellent GCSE results and is now doing A levels.

I'd love to know what the frankly odd house requirements were from your dh - but maybe that's another thread grin

It could take up its own thread! Things like 3m+ ceilings, a central internal hallway, a grand staircase, an eat-in kitchen, no long corridors (??!). We live in the guts of Lewisham, s London, with mainly Victorian and 1930s housing stock, and it took literally a year to find this place, because half the requirements contradict the other half. He's lucky I'm such a sucker for property searching .

I have made compromises for Ds to go private, but I feel it's nothing too far - and selling the family home is def too far!

All our holidays are haven / Butlins type affairs and we rent off a family member as I can't afford to buy. Our tenancy is secure though, I'm not sure I would feel differently if I was in general renting. Ds is an only child and all his dads maintenance goes towards the fees, so I literally pay for everything else myself.

It's not always easy but DS is in the right school for him, he has flourished there, and I'm hoping for a scholarship at the next stage. He will never know that there are sacrifices being made (though I do think he should know he is incredibly fortunate to goto a private school - as are all his friends) and I don't care what his outcome in terms of career is, so long as he is happy and has his education to fall back on.

I hate it when people talk about "making sacrifices" to pay for private school. "Compromises" is a good word, but "sacrifices" is actually offensive.

I do understand the temptation, DD was offered a place at a specialist school for sixth form. But with no scholarship, and DS still needing support at university (he/we qualify for minimum loan only) , we have had to turn down the place.
I wish with all my heart we could have made it work and if we sold our house and used the capital then we could. But we would still need to live somewhere, and DD is one of three and it would be unfair to use our savings just on her, so head prevailed over heart.
But, I wish we could've done it!

When they are living in poverty in old age and their children only visit them once or twice a year if they are lucky, they will wonder why they put all their eggs in one basket. As for having to share a bedroom with your parents, I don't think their kids will appreciate that when they are teenagers!

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2705913/Real-life-Billy-Elliot-goes-to-ballet-school-after-parents-sell-house.html

These parents sold their house so the Dc could attend ballet school. He hAd to leave when the money ran out but he then got a scholarship at another dance school.
At the time my daughter asked if I would do the same for her. I'm afraid I had to say No!