School fee hike - freaking out slightly

[wingingthings]

I'm under no illusion that we haven’t been very lucky to be able to send our 2 children privately. However, we've done this without foreign holidays, new cars and making sacrifices- we shop at Aldi etc. Choices we've made happily and it's been fine. We also worked on the basis of 5% inflation each year. We just got the fees increase letter of 12.5%. I'm freaking out as this pushes us very close and will still have another 5 years to go. Curious as to others experiences this year??

Day school or boarding? We’ve budgeted for 8% but I suspect it will be closer to 12.

It's always rate of inflation plus a bit.

The 5% rule of thumb is a reflection of how long we've had low inflation

Day school

I don't have experience of school fees because I work in a state school, but i do the budgeting and everything is coming in 12%+ up on last year, whereas for the last 10 years budgeting an increase of 3% has been plenty, so I'm not surprised by the increase.

Forecasts say inflation should reduce so hopefully it will be short lived, but historically we've just come through a sustained period of unusually low inflation, we're going to have to get used to it for a while at least.

Forecasts say inflation should reduce so hopefully it will be short lived, but historically we've just come through a sustained period of unusually low inflation, we're going to have to get used to it for a while at least.

Once those school fees go up, they ain’t going down again.

Day school Yorkshire, 3%

Yep!! This is the worry and each percentage increase on that higher amount is tougher still

Oh no, I wasn't suggesting anything will come down, only that hopefully the rate of increase will slow.

I think absolutely everything is going up, and private schools will be paying vastly more for food, energy, resources etc than they will have anticipated too. They could probably do with increasing fees by more but will be playing a balancing game of getting more out of you without pushing it so far that numbers fall. The issue is that even if inflation slows, at best the increases will be online with inflation but with this increased price as the starting point.

(Of all the people we know sending DC to private schools, they all claim they're making sacrifices like not having new cars and foreign holidays. The rest of us don't have those things either, nor the disposable income to spend on private schooling. Invariably, they do have pretty nice lifestyles, holidays and cars too!)

Dare I question whether they may come down at some point, as they have less chance now of getting students into top universities?

No help though to the OP.

But I t it means they might be 12% this year, 8% next year, 5% the year after, which would be better than 12% per year from here on.

I don't think schools will reduce fees to attract more business, as their running costs have to be met. They're more likely to go out of business.

Some schools will have reputations or facilities that mark them out from the rest, or are in areas where options are very thin on the ground, and they will be ok, but mediocre private schools must be feeling the heat at the moment as everyone feels the cost of living pinch and parents question whether the perfectly good free option done the road would be so bad after all.

What year?
Would it be less traumatic to consider moving this year rather than halfway through gcses etc?

if Labour get in you can add 20% VAT

I'm sorry-I can't engage with any post about private school which talks about parents "making sacrifices."

most people are struggling with cost of living at the moment, albeit some more than others. OP is probably worried about the possibility of interrupting her children’s education and removing them from a school which they are settled in, which is understandable.
it’s so mean spirited to make this type of post and of no help to the OP

You’ll be delighted to hear that you don’t even have to respond. Not compulsory. Scroll on past. It’s actually less effort than replying!

And to answer the OPs question- I don’t use private schooling so don’t have any experience to share with you. I hope you continue to get helpful input

Have a look at state schools OP. The reality is they are fine - children with supportive parents will do well wherever they go to school.
I really wouldn’t consider not having new cars or foreign holidays a sacrifice! Shopping at Aldi is not a sacrifice either, just normal.

@2kool4skool private schools are assuming they will get the 20% VAT on fees - that Labour will get in. Many are anticipating closing as a result, I would guess this hike is an attempt to stave off some losses (because cohort numbers will fall later) by adding an above inflation rise now - gives them a cushion.

Mine were state educated to primary. I would have preferred them to stay local but the catchment schools were not doing well.

However it might be time to revisit.....

I'm sorry - I didn't mean to make out shopping at Aldi is a sacrifice. I love it there - I guess pointing out that we are careful.

Jesus christ. That's a lot. I wanted to send dc to our local private school for secondary but 12% is shocking.

Our private school isn't a posh one per se (it isnt well known or has ponies 😂!). It's just where all the bookish quiet kids go who love chemistry, physics and chess. Where they can relax, use the bogs when they want and study without the fear of being assaulted after school

Local secondary has a huge bullying problem and the police are often involved as Year 7s are targeted :(

Yes - bullying in schools was what started our journey with independents.

Can't fault the school.
It's selective, but no frills, keeps them busy with sport, interesting and rich curriculum but I'm staggered that what started at £13k per year is now almost £17.8k