Extras at independent schools

[froomeonthebroom]

Following my post a couple of weeks ago about my DS possibly transferring from state to private in Y9, we have been to a couple of open days and it looks like we will go ahead with the plan.

We are applying for a bursary to cover fees but I'm hoping someone will be able to give me an idea of other things we will need to pay for. Obviously there will be uniform and travel, but are any other 'hidden' costs?

Thanks

None of my DC had any above the kind of things you'd be expected to pay for at state school.

Exam fees at GCSE and A Level is one actually. I didn't think of that as they were a one off rather than regular.

Look through the small print carefully. Some fees include lunches and exam fees as mentioned and some don't. It also depends what extra curricular things your son likes doing. Music lessons are usually the most expensive extra (although no more expensive than at state school I don't think), also drama (if doing Lamda) and more expensive sports such as equestrian. Mine are at prep not secondary but some of the other clubs are either free (including things like rugby/football) or small amount such as £15-40 per term.

Also school trips. They don't have to go on all of them though and many don't. These of course will also be extra in state school. If he's into geography and/or languages you might want to start saving!

Also, I think for some schools if you get 100% bursary (rare but do exist I am told) you might find some of the exam fees etc are covered.

For the uniform most privates have really good second hand stuff which no-one seems to bat an eyelid at.

You need to check each school specifically for items such as lunch, school bus, text books, exam fees, drama/dance/music lessons, sports coaching, day and residential trips, D of E, CCF , art and Food Tech materials etc Some may be included in fees or a bursary cover certain extras.

A small on that irritates me is the diary - the layout is not great and I could buy a more suitable one cheaper for her, but they have to have the school one.
Music/Lamda lessons.
A GCSE trips to support subject art galleries, dance performances, theatre.
Day trips and other bits like diary cost me about £200 per term, Lamda lessons £300 per term.

For boarding school we had common room fees, uniform, trips, formal dinners (6 per year) but things like exam fees were included in the main fees.

I hadn't even considered exam fees!

Our school has school lunches and year books as a fee at the start of each year.
There are school bus fees which are op in and school trips.
Music exams and some of the music tuition is extra.
Some school clubs are free, some like skiing quite extensive.

It completely depends on the school. For example Highgate has over to all in fees which also include trips. Some charge extra for meals. You just need to ask the school.

Lunches - but many choose to take a packed lunch to avoid queues.
Main sports are free incl travel to away matches but gum shield/scrum cap/shin pads we buy.
Not had to pay for any textbooks or set texts.
Last year we paid about £25 for theatre trip to see GCSE play & about £50 for overnight field trip for GCSE geography.

Although my DDs boarded, the day pupils at DDs school paid very high day fees and quite a lot was included for all. The day girls were Day Boarders so Lunch, snacks and supper were provided and a common room. All books and all exam fees too.

Extras were specific sport coaching, music, drama, dance, cookery course and trips. Some of the sports trips were very expensive and some art and geography trips too. School buses were an extra cost too. I think you should be able to get a list of extra costs from the school. We always had this so we planned in advance. My DDs did lots of extra activities!

Only extras we have found are school coach, lunches and trips. All clubs were included. Many uniform items have to be bought from only one supplier, but the prices aren't astronomical and there is a second hand uniform shop at school. Trousers, shirts, socks and swim shorts can be bought anywhere.

I do find that DS' school is very strict on uniform, bags and coats though. So school bag has to be navy or black and can't have an obvious logo. Coat has to be navy or black. This doesn't make things necessarily more expensive, but does limit choices.

Clubs were included at our school. Just not specific extra tuition.

Lonecatwithkitten £300 for LAMDA - Wow, ours is £100.

As with pp's all schools seem to be slightly different. When we were looking though, whether it was included or extra, it seemed to come to the same final yearly figure, give or take.

Anyway, we pay extra for lunches, individual music and LAMDA, local and overseas trips. Nobody goes to all of the foreign trips, in fact they have had to cancel some recently due to lack of uptake.

Additionally we pay for all curricular support stuff, like theatre trips, museum trips, Biology trips. These are quite good value though, and less than you would pay as an individual. We have to pay exam fees, remark fees, and also for English and Drama texts for exams, and obviously revision guides. The school provides all basic stationary, and textbooks.

Apart from uniform the most expensive thing we have to provide is probably the iPads.

All the sports and music and the many other lunchtime and after school clubs are free though.

Gcses cost roughly 300-500
Trips (trip to ypres for example cost 260 - mine don't do the expensive ones)
Uniform and sports equipment eg hockey stick
Mine are day girls at a full boarding school, fees are high but they include three meals a day if wanted
Music lessons (all dropped now thank god!)
Drama exams

That's all we've paid for

Ds is in y12 and is a day boy at a boarding school on a 95% bursary. All lunches are provided and snacks - and if he has an afterschool club dinner is also free. He has just done his GCSEs and we didn't pay for any exams. We do pay for Lamda and music lessons. He has a uniform allowance every year and there is a shop for second hand uniform. Trips can be costly but when he went on a rowing camp the school paid 2/3rds. All books are free.

Dd is in y7 and has just started an independent school on a 95% bursary. We pay about 15p a day for school dinners but books and ipad are free. She has a uniform allowance but it didn't cover all uniform costs. We pay for lamda and also some specialist dance clubs (£30 a term). Music theory classes are free. School trips are cheaper than at ds's school and only slightly more expensive than state school equivalent.

I guess an ‘extra’ to consider if you are relying on a bursary is the liklihood/possibility that we could have an election and a Labour Government in the next few months. One of the first things they have said they will do is get rid of charity status for private schools so I imagine bursaries will dry up quite quickly. Worth considering if being able to stay there would rely on it.

It depends on the school - I would just ask. I have known some who require students to buy textbooks and pay to sit public exams and others where there is almost nothing extra to pay (and second hand uniform available too).

Our most recent leaver had most things included in her scholarship and bursary.
No compulsory costs apart from suits, a laptop and a leavers boater. Dance tuition was free, instrumental lessons were free.
All meals included.
What cost was the travel costs each week, social life costs, parental events like show tickets and dinners.

Ask the school what they charge as 'extras'. Some keep their published fees low by excluding lots of items and then billing for them separately. Others look more expensive at face value but everything is included. The school should be able and willing to tell you- worth asking also what the average cost of extras is per term. It's not in their interests to give parents a horrible shock each time the bill is received; they should understand most parents need to do some financial planning to manage the cost of public school.

@ArthurtheCatsHumanSlave £300 for 10 one hour sessions that is so very similar to specialist music ( it is a Lamda specialist).