Some really expensive schools

zee · Post by **zee** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 2:32 pm

T.i.p.s.y wrote:As well as Saturdays the day is always much longer.

But the terms are shorter.

DC were at indie prep and now at state grammars, and I think they get about the same amount of school time, just differently allocated.

T.i.p.s.y · Post by **T.i.p.s.y** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 2:40 pm

I agree Zee, but the query was about why are some indie's more expensive than others.

zee · Post by **zee** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 3:04 pm

But if the number of teaching hours are more or less the same (and I haven't done precise calculations), that doesn't really justify charging more for one way than the other.

T.i.p.s.y · Post by **T.i.p.s.y** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 3:17 pm

The teaching hours are not the same because most indies, at least outside of London, that are day schools still have the same long holidays as the boarding schools plus no Saturday school and they finish earlier - usually between 4-5pm. Lots of the boarding schools start at 8am in the morning and day pupils can eat breakfast and dinner at school and stay late should they wish too and this is included in the higher fee.

sherry_d · Post by **sherry_d** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 6:35 pm

Freya wrote:sherry_d - To reassure you a bit about the long hours and Saturdays: My DS doesn't finish school until 7:15pm during the week but when he comes home he has had his tea and has done all his prep (homework). He then has the rest of the evening to do what he wants and spend time with us. The timetable includes 2 (free) activities such as riding, climbing, fencing, golf or art / music clubs so this is like kids going to activities out of school.

At least if he has done his homework thats OK but still seems a long day. I am really not sure what I am moaning about. In my days at boarding we used to finish at 4pm take a break and have dinner then between 7 and 9pm we had prep. So that will make me feel less guilty of DD doing long hours since I have done it myself

Now back to the issue of fees somehow it seems if a school is has boarding then their day fees are higher. Â£4000 a term will be a bit more in our comfort zone with us having beans on toast everyday but I hardly see schools within this price bracket in my local. We will go through the scholarship and bursaries route now as we really wont be able to afford more than that.

zorro · Post by **zorro** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 6:45 pm

sherry_d, another thing you have to watch out for is fees increasing when they go into the Senior School.
In my DS's school for Y7 and Y8 they are in the Junior House which is supposed to be a transition between primary and senior school. In Y9 they go into senior houses ( at this stage 13+ children join from prep school too) The fees go up from Â£3958 to Â£5695 per term!!

T.i.p.s.y · Post by **T.i.p.s.y** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 6:57 pm

Massive fingers crossed for that scholarship then zorro!

zorro · Post by **zorro** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 6:59 pm

Won't find out until early March apparently!

T.i.p.s.y · Post by **T.i.p.s.y** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 7:04 pm

You know if pupils took that long to hand in an assignment they would get reprimanded. Don't these schools know the torture they put us through with these endless waits!

March is particularly long!

sherry_d · Post by **sherry_d** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 10:37 pm

Schoolarship and bursary is the only way to go for us it seems.

Otherwise it will be very difficult when they raise the school fees for us to stay afloat and I would really hate to move her schools halfway through for financial reasons...