GCSE costs - Private versus State

bootsinky · 2023-04-01T13:40:54+00:00

So, why are state school children entitled to free exams, but private school children aren't? We all pay the same taxes and all children are entitled to an education, with the govt picking up the tab for state school taken exams. Or, can private schools claim back the exam costs from the govt?

SOWK · 01/04/2023 14:43

isn’t it that all schools have to pay exam entry fees to the exam board. State schools pay using their budget, which is provided by the government. Private schools bill parents for exam fees and everything else.

Needmorelego · 01/04/2023 14:43

Don't want to pay twice for an education (private school fees and taxes) don't send your children to private school then.
Just use state schools.

Honeypotday · 01/04/2023 14:44

SOWK · 01/04/2023 14:43

isn’t it that all schools have to pay exam entry fees to the exam board. State schools pay using their budget, which is provided by the government. Private schools bill parents for exam fees and everything else.

Yes, this sums it up.

Original poster

bootsinky · 01/04/2023 14:49

I would if our local schools were up to the job. We stayed in state for as long as possible and were initially anti-private school, but with some kids being beaten up, others identifying as cats, many with ADHD/ learning difficulties, some on drugs...there really wasn't enough attention for the kids who wanted to learn! The system's fault not the individual teachers, who don't stand a chance!!

OP posts:

SOWK · 01/04/2023 14:51

My DC’s GCSE exam fees were about £500, which felt a lot, but a drop in the ocean compared to annual private fees.

SeasonFinale · 01/04/2023 14:51

At the indie my son went to the school paid but they came out of fees. Does that mean I managed to get his for free 🤣🤦‍♀️

easycomeasygo · 01/04/2023 14:53

My DCs attend different private schools. One includes it in fees, the other doesn't.

Dodgeitornot · 01/04/2023 15:54

State schools pay. It just comes out of their pocket not the parents. I remember getting into trouble for not attending the oral part of my home language GCSE and the exams officer saying I wasted £50 of the schools money.
Also, quite a lot of private schools include it in the fees, so this is something you can take up with your kids school.

Dodgeitornot · 01/04/2023 15:55

bootsinky · 01/04/2023 14:49

I would if our local schools were up to the job. We stayed in state for as long as possible and were initially anti-private school, but with some kids being beaten up, others identifying as cats, many with ADHD/ learning difficulties, some on drugs...there really wasn't enough attention for the kids who wanted to learn! The system's fault not the individual teachers, who don't stand a chance!!

Funnily enough this list is what put me off one of our local private schools. It's a post code lottery OP, it's not fair. As already mentioned though, state schools do pay.

Pieceofpurplesky · 01/04/2023 16:13

Of course state school pay. What a ridiculous comment. Private school pay the same amount - only some choose to charge parents. Surely you knew that before you chose to send your DC private?

clary · 01/04/2023 16:35

I mean this OP seems ludicrous to me. The vast majority of children in the UK don't pay tuition fees for school either. Because they are in the state system. Did you not realise that you would be paying for private education?

Teachers and other staff in state school are paid, exam fees in state school are paid, equipment in state school is paid for - just not directly at source, but through the taxes we all pay. If you go private then you will pay twice.

Dodgeitornot · 01/04/2023 16:41

clary · 01/04/2023 16:35

I mean this OP seems ludicrous to me. The vast majority of children in the UK don't pay tuition fees for school either. Because they are in the state system. Did you not realise that you would be paying for private education?

Teachers and other staff in state school are paid, exam fees in state school are paid, equipment in state school is paid for - just not directly at source, but through the taxes we all pay. If you go private then you will pay twice.

I'm confused about the latter part of your post. All of those things are paid for at source by the state school. If they don't order their stationery from GLS/ Viking or whatever they use, and pay for it, they can't have it. Same goes for exam fees, salaries etc. Plenty of schools now can't order stationery and are asking parents for help or staff are buying their own. Some schools are limiting options not just because of staff costs but because of costs associated with exams. Not all exams costs the same to run. Masses more kids have access arrangements now so that's costing state schools more and more. All paid at source. It's just paid for with the money received from the council/ DfE, not parents.

clary · 01/04/2023 17:53

Dodgeitornot · 01/04/2023 16:41

I'm confused about the latter part of your post. All of those things are paid for at source by the state school. If they don't order their stationery from GLS/ Viking or whatever they use, and pay for it, they can't have it. Same goes for exam fees, salaries etc. Plenty of schools now can't order stationery and are asking parents for help or staff are buying their own. Some schools are limiting options not just because of staff costs but because of costs associated with exams. Not all exams costs the same to run. Masses more kids have access arrangements now so that's costing state schools more and more. All paid at source. It's just paid for with the money received from the council/ DfE, not parents.

Show quote history

Sorry, I was trying to be too concise! What I mean is, exam fees are just one of the many things in a state school which are paid for by someone - along with staff salaries, maintenance, equipment - but not by the student or their parents, except indirectly, in the form of taxes, which is where the council and DfE gets the money from. As a former teacher I am well aware of staff buying stationery.

So quite why anyone would be surprised at a charge for exam fees in a private school is beyond me. Yes all children are entitled to an education - in a state school. No one thinks private school children should receive their tuition for free, so I don't understand why the OP thinks the private school should automatically pay exam fees.

clary · 01/04/2023 17:54

when I said state school payments were not made "at source" I meant parents don't pay directly for the state school offer, in the way that parents of children at private schools do.

Dodgeitornot · 01/04/2023 17:56

@clary Ah I see ok. Tbh it genuinely sounds like OP didn't really do much research before posting this thread as there are a lot of private schools that include exam fees in their tuition fees. A lot of the time this justifies the summer term fees for Y11 and Y13, as they finish much earlier than everyone else. If you're paying exam fees and full summer term fees, thats something OP needs to take up with their bursar/should've researched a bit better.

clary · 01/04/2023 18:05

Dodgeitornot · 01/04/2023 17:56

@clary Ah I see ok. Tbh it genuinely sounds like OP didn't really do much research before posting this thread as there are a lot of private schools that include exam fees in their tuition fees. A lot of the time this justifies the summer term fees for Y11 and Y13, as they finish much earlier than everyone else. If you're paying exam fees and full summer term fees, thats something OP needs to take up with their bursar/should've researched a bit better.

Yes quite. IME private schools are usually pretty transparent about this tbh.

Dodgeitornot · 01/04/2023 18:28

@clary yup exactly. I find it baffling that someone would assume A) State schools don't pay and B) If they didn't, private schools also shouldn't have to. There was a whole thing during COVID @bootsinky where teachers were complaining that they're having to do all the masses of work for TAGs, with no support from anyone, even though the exam boards got all the money from exam fees...

Goldie14 · 22/02/2024 18:17

Some children get bursary ( this is only given to very bright children) 😳

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 22/02/2024 18:22

bootsinky · 01/04/2023 14:49

I would if our local schools were up to the job. We stayed in state for as long as possible and were initially anti-private school, but with some kids being beaten up, others identifying as cats, many with ADHD/ learning difficulties, some on drugs...there really wasn't enough attention for the kids who wanted to learn! The system's fault not the individual teachers, who don't stand a chance!!

Nice generalisations there. What makes you think that kids with adhd don't want to learn?

I don't recognise your characterisation of state schools at all tbh, but fair enough if you chose to go private. If you opt out of the state sector, though, I don't know why you would expect the state to carry on subsidising your child's education?