Expense of grammar schools?

[Starlight14]

I have been a lurker for a while as my DS is currently in year 5 and we would like to put him in for the SET next September but I am just wondering if the schools themselves are expensive if they do get in?
I mean in terms of school trips, uniform etc is the cost of sending your child more than a state secondary?

[Ela]

In my experience - NO. My DD is currently in Tiffin Y8. They are not going to have any residential trips this year. Few day trips per year will cost you around £15 each. In terms of uniform is more or less the same as in our local state school.

[tiffinboys]

In some cases, grammars may be cheaper than the local comprehensive.

[southbucks3]

You can get moments where you need broad shoulders. Sunday I felt a bit down, in the morning I was asked if my son was attending a £680 rugby tour over half term of his first term of year 7 as theirs was, in the afternoon I was asked which trips my eldest had selected this year, theirs was doing the "usual" skiing and world challenge but had also put his name forward for the 2k west coast of America trip.
I honesty don't think we would sign up for everything even if money were no object, but on one salary it is a huge obstacle. I was cheered up no end by my boys, who all whole heartedly and separately said if they were to go anywhere amazing abroad as children they would want to share it with us and one another, which I thought was lovely.
World challenge is something I personally and vehemently disagree with, but if they asked I would support them in their choice, they are aware of our opinions though. I do get cross with one of my son's gs having lack of alternatives to the very expensive trips, but the parents do seem very affluent and willing?

Uniform, equipment etc is no different from gs to upper school really, some bits are ludicrous some sensibly priced, most stuff can be bought second hand, particularly worth asking about second hand sports kits and training tops etc.
There is a lot of talk on this forum about the charitable monthly donations, don't worry though, you can ignore the requests or pay less than recommended. We support certain other charities and do not compromise those for the school donations.
Bus and train fares must be considered of course or petrol costs.
So all in all, please do not let expense put you off, there may be more expensive things on offer, but just pad out those shoulders and remember at the end of the day it is a school like any other.

Sorry.....just realised this was Surrey... boys are in Bucks grammars, I thought it was a general ask.

[tiffinboys]

A very balanced and informative post from SB3. The per head cost of school trip is more than the per head cost of family trip to the same place. But again, there are places, where all of the family does not want to go, but your DC may want to go, e.g. ski trip, and some trips help in bonding and learning to work in group.

[TiffinGirls]

I think it totally depends on the school. My experience of TGS was that the initial outlay of uniform was expensive but it lasted really well. There were expenses such as art materials if you wanted to keep the stuff they made which was about £10 a term and possibly one or so trip a term for about £10-15. There were school trips overseas of which DD did a few, including World Challenge which amounted to over £3k including equipment etc but they were not compulsory. I think a three day battlefields trip to Belgium was subsidized by the school for those who couldn't afford it. We also had to buy Sixth Form textbooks. The donations to the school are voluntary but they do push for them.

The flip side of it is the school DD2 attends which does virtually no trips at all - their uniform is roughly the same price as TGS but poorer quality. I believe a fund exists for poorer students who need support. I have never been charged for art materials or expected to buy books.