Private school fees (merged)

Lunar_Eclipse

emsywoo123 wrote: »

I think it is worth it, as I have said soooooooooo many times now, it is not just for "some GCSEs and 3/4 A levels"

Exactly!

BTBF, there are many people on this thread who have given their opinions already as to whether they think private education is worth the money. People have put forward many reasons and pretty much covered it IMO. Not one of them has said it is about qualifications by the way.

However it would seem that either you disagree, do not want to hear it or quite simply don't get it. I really doubt more posts of the same are going to make you think differently. I'm not meaning to be rude, so please take this post in the spirit it is meant.

It is understandably frustrating for people to put forward their reasons and then instead of you questioning/pondering/analysing their rationale with your own (opposite) viewpoint, you repeatedly ask the same question. Why? Are you hoping all those paying school fees will say 'no' so you can justify your own opinion?

What else can anyone tell you? I'm actually starting to believe that maybe, just maybe, you have realised that it might actually be worth it and needs your further consideration?

Or else you have utterly confused me.

It is about choice for all but the uber rich in today's society. For those fortunate enough to have any disposable income after basic monthly outgoings, people put their money where their priorities are. For some it is eating out. Others enjoy going to the pub. Others have hobbies. Others pay for schooling. Most of those choosing fee paying schools have made a conscious choice to afford it, as opposed to blindly spending money on other things. Again I appreciate not everyone has the choice. And some choose to spend their income elsewhere.

As an aside, the flat for your kids is a good idea. But how many would put the money aside to make it happen?

emsywoo123

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

Exactly!

BTBF, there are many people on this thread who have given their opinions already as to whether they think private education is worth the money. People have put forward many reasons and pretty much covered it IMO. Not one of them has said it is about qualifications by the way.

However it would seem that either you disagree, do not want to hear it or quite simply don't get it. I really doubt more posts of the same are going to make you think differently. I'm not meaning to be rude, so please take this post in the spirit it is meant.

It is understandably frustrating for people to put forward their reasons and then instead of you questioning/pondering/analysing their rationale with your own (opposite) viewpoint, you repeatedly ask the same question. Why? Are you hoping all those paying school fees will say 'no' so you can justify your own opinion?

What else can anyone tell you? I'm actually starting to believe that maybe, just maybe, you have realised that it might actually be worth it and needs your further consideration?

Or else you have utterly confused me.

It is about choice for all but the uber rich in today's society. For those fortunate enough to have any disposable income after basic monthly outgoings, people put their money where their priorities are. For some it is eating out. Others enjoy going to the pub. Others have hobbies. Others pay for schooling. Most of those choosing fee paying schools have made a conscious choice to afford it, as opposed to blindly spending money on other things. Again I appreciate not everyone has the choice. And some choose to spend their income elsewhere.

As an aside, the flat for your kids is a good idea. But how many would put the money aside to make it happen?

:T This is completely what I was trying to say, but phrased so much better!!:rotfl:

Lunar_Eclipse

Well having given this much thought when eldest was a baby and working out how much private schooling would be all the way through, we moved areas and decided to go fee paying for secondary only, so from 11+. We did 'waste' some money on a school place at that time, so my first MS tip in this area is not to apply to many schools. Most have say a £50 application fee. Then £250 fee to sit the entrance exam and then a £500-1000 deposit once accepting a place. Some of this is dead money so it pays to do research. (All prices for my area.)

We have visited schools/researched online to gauge how much this is likely to cost and what 'product' (ie school) we are interested in. Fees are £3.5-5k/term for this academic year. We have decided that if we're paying for education, we're only interested in the best schools. The children are bright and academic so outstanding exam results is my starting point. The downside of this is that it's highly unlikely we'll win a Scholarship. They are few and far between and competition is fierce. Most are only worth 10-25% of fees anyhow, which isn't as big a help as it used to be. Would still be very welcome, don't get me wrong! Bursaries are out. We earn slightly more than the cut-off sadly, although circumstances could change at any moment.

So this year we decided that if we're still going ahead with this plan we needed to start doing something about it! Our children are now in Years 3 & 1. So we have budgetted to within a penny of our income and started saving (like mad) for the first time since the children came along.

Our strategy is to attack the mortgage with a vengeance, on the basis that we couldn't service our current mortgage and school fees from current income. (We live in an area of silly house prices.) I can also substantially increase our household income by going back to work 'full-time' either when the eldest goes into Year 7 or the youngest leaves primary. I like being around after school.

So that's it. In a nutshell, reduce the mortgage as much as possible. Live on as little as possible. Get used to it. And keep going! :T

posh*spice

Hi

I have to agree with b2bf it does seem like an awful lot of money and nobody has real explained what you get for it. I must admit I hadn't really realised it was anything like as expensive as that. I'm surprised anyone can afford it at all? What with that and Uni fees too.:eek:

Dick_here

posh*spice wrote: »

Hi

I have to agree with b2bf it does seem like an awful lot of money and nobody has real explained what you get for it. I must admit I hadn't really realised it was anything like as expensive as that. I'm surprised anyone can afford it at all? What with that and Uni fees too.:eek:

The advantage with student loans is that it costs the parents nothing. So if you want to feel that you're "doing your bit" financially towards improving your child's education, then paying for private schooling is the obvious answer these days.

borntobefree

You are right Lunar eclipse I do keep asking the same question over & over again:rotfl:. The reason is (I suppose) is that I just don't get it. I don't see what is so wrong with state sector (and what is so great about the private sector) that it would make me do without holidays and sacrifice so much in terms of my standard of living. £150k buys and awful lot of books, tutors, music lessons, instruments & holidays (which are enlightening for kids), so I'm sorry if I keep repeating myself. It's not that I'm trying to offend, I just don't get it. It's incomprehension honest!:D

posh*spice

!!!!!!_here wrote: »

The advantage with student loans is that it costs the parents nothing. So if you want to feel that you're "doing your bit" financially towards improving your child's education, then paying for private schooling is the obvious answer these days.

Now you are stretching the truth abit here :rotfl:(even I know that!). It costs a fortune to get kids through uni - if you don't want them to be in debt for ever.:D

benood

I thought this thread had reached its end but great to see it rise again phoenix like - I'm interested that B2bf you were privately educated but have decided it is rubbish - what were the things that led you to that conclusion - surely not just the academic research showing there is no difference in exam performance?

benood

One really big way to save fees is for one of the parents to be a teacher (or train up) and get a job at the school - this can get you upto 100% discounts on fees and only a relatively small extra tax liability for the benefit in kind. Bit high risk but I know a couple of people who've tried it - one was a vet previously and she did a PGCE to save fees, it more than compensated for lost vet income.

meester

emsywoo123 wrote: »

Hi a great post after the last thread but I am not quite sure about the figures. My daugther goes privately in Kent, and she is £9.5K pa for reception, rising to £11K by year 2. Then there is a leap of £13K in year 3.
I also agree (she has been there for nearly 2 years that prices to rise rapidly...we have just got September's prices

It will vary quite a lot from school-to-school, but I think those are quite at expensive.

Guildford High School (girls school, top 50 in the country as a high school at least) charges £2,200/term pre-prep and £3k/term in prep.

I'm not sure if it's an area based thing, but most in my area are in the £7.5k pre-prep, £9k prep. We are happy with facilities and teaching, and the school got a special note for its fiscal prudence in the ISC report, so perhaps they just don't squander their money like the others do.