How much does boarding cost?

[OublietteBravo]

I realise that sounds like a stupid question (after all, I know what the fees are - it’s easy to look them up), but bear with me. I’m trying to work out how much I need to budget on top of fees if DS is going to board? I presume he’ll need some spending money (although I’m not really sure how much), but what else might I have missed?

We’re looking at boarding from Y9 (starting September 2019). DS is already a day boy at the prep school which feeds into the upper school we are considering, so getting a place there ought to be straightforward. (Plus we’re already used to paying fees and budgeting for the annual increase).

Look at the list of things that he will need to have in addition and think about which ones are additional (laundry bags, say) and which are things that he would have anyway (bedding, casual clothes)

Spending money should be equal to the amount you'd be happy with him spending on carp food ime.
Can stationery Etc be bought from the school shop and put into your bill? That's the other expense, along with House outings which will probably range from £5-£30 a term.
This is the extras we see in the school I work in. Music, lamda lessons all extra too

Crap food. There are no fish to feed at our school

The main expense that parents at Dds school didn’t factor in is travel. For those living a distance away there are exeat weekends & half terms which involve travelling home & back.

Most other stuff is what you’d be giving them anyway.

I don’t actually know if the school shop sells stationery - I suppose I’d better find out.

House outings and music lessons are definitely added to the termly bills (as are things like text books and DT/art materials).

So no major expenses aside from the fees then? (Plus getting him to/from school for holidays/exeats of course).

There are boarders trips sometimes. Eg last weekend Dd went to the beach. And there is a Christmas & summer party for boarders at Dds school.

You might be 'expected' to make a contribution to a house faitilites/entertainment fund - which is actually a good thing to have available to be spent on your DC but can feel like an imposition.

You might find yourself spending more on some items if everything has to be bought form the school's suppliers (eg unusual sporting gear) if it is needed rapidly during term time. DItto stationery and replacing things e little beasts have lost. Also all music lessons and other individual coaching will be at the school's rates, as you cannot shop around. Some things can be remarkably good value (for example, if the school is actually the free-holder of the golf course, it can be seriously cheap) and if run by staff it's likely that all sorts of activities will be free/subsidised.

Check the kit list (also if there is a second hand shop) and consider paying for someone to sew the nametapes on. You have to name absolutely everything (well, everything that could end up in a communal laundry)

And find out what they lay on at weekends, and whether that's included in fees or if all/some wil, be billed.

Even thought can make an eye-watering hole in you bank balance 3x a year, it is much easier to get stuff put on the bill than it is to pay any other way.

We already get all his kit/uniform from the school shop, so I’m used to that expense. I normally do the naming myself, but there is the option of paying the uniform shop £1 an item to do it for me.

We’re already paying for instrumental lessons, so I’m not too worried about budgeting for these. Sports coaching tends to be free if you’re in the top teams (e.g. DS gets individual cricket coaching from the director of cricket and various guest coaches). Sports tours are bloody expensive though (he went on the cricket tour to South Africa during Feb half term - at a cost of £2000).