25 January 2021
Everyone is affected by the current situation whether or not we, or those close to us, have contracted Covid-19. There will be few whose income has not been negatively impacted by the pandemic and many will continue to suffer a severe drop in financial resources with the uncertainty ahead.
Independent schools are in the same position. Many are extremely worried about the consequences of parents being forced to withdraw their children and increasing uncertainty regarding recruitment for September 2021 and beyond.
Since the first lockdown in March last year, independent schools have become adept at providing remote teaching and support programmes. Most have done an outstanding job and are working round the clock to ensure a quality continuation of their pupils’ education. Furthermore, many schools remain open for the children of key workers.
In the summer term of 2020, the majority of independent schools offered parents a fee reduction or remission ranging from 10 to 30 per cent. A wealthy minority (typically the oldest, most well-endowed boys’ public schools) may have been more able to afford this gesture but other schools are significantly less well-resourced and took a financial hit in order to do this. In addition, most have frozen fees for part or all of this academic year while incurring costs that are subject to inflation.
Parents may, perhaps, expect the same or similar reductions this time around, but it is now important to contemplate the importance of schools being able to retain all their staff, effectively maintain their facilities, and be able to return as thriving communities when the current situation is over.
Schools are no doubt bracing themselves for a flurry of enquiries from parents asking what more they should expect in terms of reductions. Of course, individual financial circumstances and resources of any school must be taken into account, but The Good Schools Guide believes that all schools should be forging partnerships with their parent body to strike a fair balance between supporting pupils and securing their own futures. We’re aware that some schools are offering discounted fees for this term but not all will be able to afford to offer more than a rebate of money saved due to reduced outgoings. Schools should take parents into their confidence and show how they have arrived at their fees and how those monies are allocated. In return parents, if they can afford to do so, should acknowledge the efforts being made by schools to continue delivering quality provision and settle their bill promptly.
In short, to help the school look after families with clear difficulties, parents who can pay the fees on time should do so. For their part, proprietors should forego any profits and well-paid SLT staff should forego any salary increase.
What could schools do to help with fees?
And what should parents do?
All parents are entitled to ask their schools whether financial support of some kind is possible. Schools will understand – particularly in respect of parents whose children attend on bursary provision as well as in the case of parents whose income has been severely impacted by the pandemic – that some may simply be unable to pay the agreed fees for the coming term. Our advice is to contact your school, in as collaborative and cooperative a frame of mind as possible, to see what help can be offered. Resist the urge to air your views and drum up negativity on the class WhatsApp group. No school wants to lose pupils and they will want to help as much as they can, while still being able to maintain the standards you expect.
When parents choose a school for their child, they invest in that school not only financially but in many other tangible and intangible ways. It is in everyone’s interests that the quality of education and overall provision offered is maintained to the highest degree possible in the current very challenging situation. It is to be hoped that the positive spirit of community and togetherness that has sprung up around the country in response to the pandemic can extend to negotiations and agreements between schools and parents.
Do you want help from The Good Schools Guide Education Consultants?
Our expert education consultants can provide your family with one-to-one help on all of the issues raised in this article and many more. We regularly help parents understand the particulars of UK independent schools and assist them in mapping out potential educational pathways for their children. If you would like to find out more about our services, visit the Education Consultants homepage or to speak directly with one of the team email consultants@goodschoolsguide.co.uk or call 0203 286 6824
Need help? Perhaps you suspect your child has some learning difficulty and you would like advice on what you should do. Or perhaps it is becoming clear that your child's current school is not working for him or her, and you need help to find a mainstream school which has better SEN provision, or to find a special school which will best cater for your child's area of need. Our SEN consultancy team advises on both special schools, and the mainstream schools with good SEN support, from reception through to the specialist colleges for 19+. Special Educational Needs Index
Find top international, British, IB and American schools in over 40 countries. The Good Schools Guide International publishes impartial and forthright reviews of international schools across the world.
We examined the value-added from KS2 to GCSE for 2022 to see which state selective grammar schools added the most value to their offspring. A note of caution - the more highly selective a grammar school, the less scope there will be to add value.
Grammar schools are state-funded, academically selective senior schools. The education a child receives at grammar school is paid for by the state unlike at private schools which provide education for a fee. There are currently around 163 located in 36 English local authorities, with around 167,000 pupils between them. Northern Ireland has a further 67 grammar schools, but there are none in Wales or Scotland. A word of caution: there are private schools that have the word 'grammar' in their name but this is purely for historical reasons.
At specialist music, dance or performing arts schools, the arts aren't optional extras. They’re intrinsic to the school curriculum. Students are expected to fit in high level training and hours of practice alongside a full academic provision. It's a lot to ask any child to take on, but for those with exceptional performing ability this kind of education can be transformative.