Does anyone REALLY send their children to private school?

[Mosschops30]

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[stitch]

i think its a culture thing. if you went to a private school, then yo are more likely to send your kids to one.
i know i wanted to send our kids. but dh was dead set against it. he doesnt see the point. i know that if we did what my parents did, then we could afford it, but he doesnt see it that way.. its all about priorities

[nickiey]

I do, My DS is nearly 4 and has been at his PS since he was nearly 3, he started doing just 2 mornings and now goes every morning. His Nursery is part of the main school (in same building, and he joins assembly with all the otherswho go right upto GCSE age)
im thrilled with it and we are now scraping every penny together for the next lot of fees.

[Blandmum]

I'm a teacher, dh is in the RAF, do we count?

We have a nice house, not massive of anything but nice. We both drive Fords. We don't waer designer anything. Kids wear hand me downs when we can get them! We holiday in a tent. We don't smoke, dh doesn't drink, we seldom go out. We can afford it and we are lucky but we are not, I think, rich.

Other parent combos in the school are a midwife and a mechanic. A paramedic and her huband who is regestered blind and doesn't work outside the home.

I know people far better off than us who say they can't afford it. It is their choice, as it is mine how we spend our respective budgets.

[northerner]

Hmmm. A lady I work with is 'normal' and her dd's go to private school and she finds it such a struggle. It's not just keeping up with the fees, it's the other stuff - uniforms, clubs, trips etc and as they get older (her's are 13 and 15) they become aware of different finacial situation - their friends have horese/ponies, holiday homes, £100 per week allowances etc.

So just beware of the impications - there's more to it than just paying the fees.

[Weatherwax]

Yes, there are quite a lot of us at my dd's school. Some have lots of money, some have retrained and got better jobs.

[Mosschops30]

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[Mosschops30]

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[dillydally]

For me my london nursery fees (if I had her there full time) would be over a £1000 a month. Private school fees cannot be that different expense wise.
I live in a shit part of town, my flat has been on the market for a year and a half (nearly 14 mths to be exact), schools round my way are appalling - really appalling. If I am still here, I will be sending dd to private school, doubt I would notice the difference financially I am so used to paying an extreme amount for nursery. (N.B. not rich, a single mum but don't spend anything on clothes and social life etc to keep financially liquid)

[spidermama]

The closest school to us is private, with a very good reputation and a swimming pool.

I have considered looking but have been completely put off and alienated by the people who pick the kids up from there.

They don't tend to live in this area so they don't show the respect for it that the residents do. They piss the residents off by driving in and parking their four wheel drives across the pavement and double yellow lines.

[fairyfly]

course you're all rich

[deegward]

stitch, same here. Parents sent me and db to private school and I always thought that I would do the same. But ds1 is at local church school, still secretly hope that they with both end up at private at some point. Just the snob in me!

[dillydally]

I don't even have a car
I buy my clothes from asda (and very nice they are too, i got a bargain the other day a cream jumper for a fiver)
therefore I cannot be rich

[netter]

Yes, dh and I have fairly average jobs, he earns £16k I earn £13k and we are putting our children through private school. Currently only dd is there though ds will join her in due course.

I have no idea how we will afford it except by living a very frugal lifestyle.

The other parents seem a mixture of pretty well off and normal people struggling and making sacrifices.

I have been told by lots of family members that people like us will not belong there!

[deegward]

netter, really feel humble now, as dh lots more, (please not boasting) but always maintains that we could not afford it. I think I come from the family where although we went to private school, it was done with sacrifices, so felt I did fit in in either camp.

School - as we were not that rich, and at home as people with similar incomes to parents did not send off springs to ps, so therefore their disposable income was higher as well.

[Satanic]

We hope to send our two to the best schools for them - whether that's state or private (if we can possibly scrape together the money and with help from family). It depends on whether they are academic, sporty, artistic, whatever and the standards and values at the schools available. I am often a little surprised that people discount options out of hand (eg I'd never send my child to a private/state school)!

[Satanic]

Netter - I'm at your family telling you that!

[netter]

Satanic, I think that is the best way to choose (if you are fortunate enough to be able to). We looked at all the options in cluding home educating but fell in love with this particular school.

[Lonelymum]

I am interested in this as I, too, am thinking about sending my children to private school. My problem is that I know I can't afford to do this as I have 4 children. It seems to me it is enough of a struggle to send one child to private school let alone 4! But at least one of my children is very bright (recognised as gifted in school) and certainly they would all have been "grammar school material" in the old days. Does anyone know what a scholarship really means in financial terms?

[aloha]

netter - aren't fees about 8K a year? That's at least 10K before tax, so both kids will need 20K of income leaving you with about 10K to live on?

[cori]

Can someone tell me what the average cost a private primary school is per term?. I have never enquired, but may be interested if the state system doesnt work out for DS.

[netter]

No, fees in senior are £6k a year with 20% discount for the 2nd child. In prep its less than 5k a year plus discount.

We know that we can just about live on dh's income alone so I will be working entireley to pay the fees.

[aloha]

2 -3K per term I think. - ie £6 - £8+K a year.

[LIZS]

We've just started ours at one and it is a frightening commitment as I believe you have to think of it as an option until 18. We don't have a luxurious house or lifestyle atm, as mb says you just choose where to compromise. Most aprents seem pretty similar, although undoubtedly the fees are more of a struggle for some than others.

We get a 10% discount for dd as a sibling and we don't feel our fees are extortionate although it is not cheap either. There are also some scholarships available and some professions get subsidised. Don't forget the cost of uniforms and "extras" too