Private school fees (merged)

onlyroz

devils_advocate wrote: »

Because the majority or all the cost of nursery education is covered by the voucher,

You're having a laugh aren't you? The childcare voucher system allows parents to claim back the income tax off £243 a month each, to put towards childcare. So assuming a basic tax rate of 20% this amounts to a saving of about £48 a month per parent. In addition to that, in the September after the child turns 3 you can claim back £138 a month towards childcare.

So the government subsidy for a first child works out at about £96 a month from birth (assuming that both parents are claiming vouchers) and £234 a month from the age of 3. A second child would only get the £138 a month from the age of 3, until the first child started school.

Do you seriously think this is enough to cover nursery fees? I pay £760 a month, and that's considered to be quite cheap around here. My boy is in a private nursery - I'd happily put him in a state nursery, but the hours are only 9-12, which is hardly long enough for me to get to work and back in let alone actually do anything productive.

kj*daisy

meester wrote: »

This is nonsense BTW. My son was at state school for Reception/Nursery. He was a long way behind when I withdrew him and entered him into private school. He has made massive progress in the last 9 months since he started. The private school has much much higher standards than the state school did and they are helping him reach those standards, which, btw, he is doing very well. He has gone up about four levels in reading, his standard of maths, which wasn't up-to-scratch when he joined, is now at a good level relative to his peers.

The state school was official 'good', but the level of expectation was very low, certainly parents weren't expected to have any interest in their children's progress (at best you'd get bland feedback once a year at parent's evening), and they did not take any individual interest in my son in the way the private school has done.

The private school certainly does not think that the state school was 'fine' at all.

If you moved your child at end of reception then yes he would have been behind, as State reception schools subscibe to the learning through play in nursery and reception, and then get down to business in Year 1 and 2. My DS couldn't really read much at the end of Reception, at the end of Year 2 he's set for level 3 in his SATS (above average) he has a reading age of 9. He went up 4 reading levels in 9 months. They learn as much at state school if they are bright, they just don't get it crammed into them when they are really tiny and just want to play.
And of course the private school didn't think it was fine, they push the kids to be ahead of their state school peers so the parents can see they are getting someting for their money tbh.
I'm all for choice, I have alot of freinds who privately educate their kids and tbh I wouldn't have wanted my children to be pushed in the way theirs have been, while they are still so young.
I'm lucky though my DS's school is outstanding - but alot of people I know avoid it as it's catchment area has a bad reputation.

Your choice is your choice, but please don't try and justify it simply by denigrating state schools. I don't want the whole private school thing for my children and so many people I know just can't see that is my positive choice, the way that their choice to shell out for their childs education is their positive choice.

neverdespairgirl

kj*daisy wrote: »

If you moved your child at end of reception then yes he would have been behind, as State reception schools subscibe to the learning through play in nursery and reception, and then get down to business in Year 1 and 2. My DS couldn't really read much at the end of Reception, at the end of Year 2 he's set for level 3 in his SATS (above average) he has a reading age of 9. He went up 4 reading levels in 9 months.

But it suits some children. I started school when I was just over 4, and I could already read and write. I would have been bored with a continuation of nursery school!

kj*daisy wrote: »

They learn as much at state school if they are bright, they just don't get it crammed into them when they are really tiny and just want to play.

I'm not convinced of that, TBH. OH went to a very good comp in Oxfordshire, and while he had a good education, it wasn't as good as the one I was lucky enough to experience, either in width or depth.

kj*daisy

Trouble is that when you have experienced one system you really don't know what the "other way" would have been like for you!

I wouldn't rule out paying for scondary school if that's what my children wanted and we could afford it - but at the moment it's just of no benefit and wouldn't suit them.

devils_advocate

Originally Posted by devils advocate
Because the majority or all the cost of nursery education is covered by the voucher,

onlyroz wrote: »

You're having a laugh aren't you? The childcare voucher system allows parents to claim back the income tax off £243 a month each, to put towards childcare. So assuming a basic tax rate of 20% this amounts to a saving of about £48 a month per parent. In addition to that, in the September after the child turns 3 you can claim back £138 a month towards childcare.

So the government subsidy for a first child works out at about £96 a month from birth (assuming that both parents are claiming vouchers) and £234 a month from the age of 3. A second child would only get the £138 a month from the age of 3, until the first child started school.

Do you seriously think this is enough to cover nursery fees? I pay £760 a month, and that's considered to be quite cheap around here. My boy is in a private nursery - I'd happily put him in a state nursery, but the hours are only 9-12, which is hardly long enough for me to get to work and back in let alone actually do anything productive.

I stand by my statement.

I was talking about the nursery voucher; you are talking about the childcare voucher. Childcare vouchers are designed to get parents back to work, and to help with childcare costs. Nursery vouchers are intended to get children to attend nursery schools, whether the parent works or not.

As an aside, if a 'nursery' is providing childcare rather than nursery education, I suspect that it would be hard to prove the educational part of the charitable benefit test.

HappySad

Can you claim child care vouchers towards private school fees. Also if you get child care vouchers would this reduce your tax credit amount?

themaccas

I don't know if they all do it but the prep school my ds has just left did accept childcare vouchers that we got from our employers. However we used the after school kids club too so I'm not sure if they accepted them because we used this regularly. Since we moved house, we have been looking at another prep school for him but have yet to ask about the childcare voucher scheme. It's worth asking and it should not reduce your tax credit amount.

Have you decided whether to send your child to private school yet?