As of this year, private school pupils now make up 6.4 per cent of the total school population, a slightly lower proportion than last year‘s 6.5 per cent. The average cost of fees sits at £22,413 a year (£18,678 plus VAT), while full boarding schools average around £53,928 a year (£44,940 plus VAT).
Sybilla Hart has a large family, and was only able to afford to send her eldest son to private school. Here she reflects on the decision.
We have five children and only one of them, our eldest son, has ever set foot inside a private school. He attended a fee-paying school from the age of four until the age of 16, when he left and moved into the state system, getting a place at the local comprehensive sixth form where my daughter has been since the age of 11. There he had, in his words, “the best two years of my life”.
None of my four other children, aged 16, 15, 11, and seven, have ever had paid education. Some have wondered if this was a mistake on my part in having five children, asking if I placed having a large family above the ability to privately educate them all. I always wanted lots of children and nothing was going to get in the way of that. But if having another baby meant no private school then I would have made that choice any day of the week.
On her podcast, the comedian Katherine Ryan recently said that having a large family was “trashy”; that it was either for the super-elite or for those who are forced to rely on the state for support. She seems to have forgotten about families like mine; the ones smack-bang in the middle. Of course it costs a lot having a large family; Christmas costs around £2,000, and I won’t tell you what we spend on food per month – probably the same amount. All five of our children want to go to university; I don’t know how we will pay for it.
While having a large family is not limited to the preserve of the super-rich, we have had to make choices. The first most obvious one is private education. We don’t do that despite having both been privately educated ourselves. Did we feel guilty? Yes. Did we all get over it? Yes. Did we get judged for not sending them? Also yes.
A private education gives you many things. Often that means a good network of friends, a longer school day (not to be sniffed at by working parents), great sporting facilities and fixtures, as well as high standards of teaching and smaller classroom settings. But all this comes at a price that is often significantly larger than a monthly mortgage – and that’s just for one or two. If we had sent all of our five children privately for the duration of their schooling, I think it would have cost us £1m. My son’s education alone set us back around £200,000.
The key claims made by Earl Spencer so far about the Royal Family
Earl Charles Spencer, brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, has revealed all in a new book about his sister’s life.
What you need to know
Charles Spencer makes a number of shocking claims in his controversial new book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister.
The memoir features allegations about the King’s state of mind immediately following Diana’s death, as well as some revelations about his sister herself.
Spencer’s key claims
Spencer alleged Charles sounded like a “lottery winner” after receiving news of Diana’s death.
Spencer also claimed Diana considered suicide but love for her sons “stopped her from going further”.
He claimed Diana had ADHD and also suffered from Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria.
Reactions to the book
- A spokesperson for the King said: “His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.”
- The former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth II described the claims of Charles sounding “giddily elated” as “hogwash”.
- Royal commentator Jennie Bond told the BBC Spencer’s “vindictive account” was “extraordinary”.
Watch more from The i Paper
The universities crowned best in the UK
and have unveiled the top universities in the UK in their .
The top 5 universities listed
- 1 The University of St Andrews
- 2The London School of Economics
- 3
- 4 The University of Cambridge
- 5 The University of Oxford
What has changed?
Oxford fell from fourth to fifth place with Cambridge remaining in fourth.
Oxbridge institutions dropped out of the top three for only the second time in the UK university guide’s 33-year history.
Imperial was named University of the Year after it climbed three places in the rankings from sixth place last year.
The expert view
[St Andrews has a] distinctive undergraduate experience that translates to superb rates of student satisfaction
Zoe Thomas, author of The Times and The Sunday Times Good Guide 2027
All the areas Reform is planning to target next
Reform UK is preparing a huge expansion of its operations around the country in a bid to attract voters in areas where it does not have a foothold, as it bids to put Nigel Farage in Downing Street.
Reform is advertising positions
The party is advertising 51 new campaigning roles across parts of England, Wales and Scotland, including for campaign managers and branch co-ordinators.
Exclusive analysis by The i Paper shows that Reform is focusing much of its hiring blitz in areas where it doesn’t yet have a strong electoral footing.
Which areas is Reform pushing into?
Reform advertised three roles in London where it holds just one seat on the London Assembly.
The South-East
Reform advertised five roles here. The party has just three seats in Surrey and one in Oxfordshire.
The South-West
The South-West has the heaviest hiring out of the three, with seven roles advertised. Reform holds one MP in the region.
How does the rest of the map look?
The East and West Midlands each have a branch network co-ordinator and a senior campaign manager advertised.
The North-West follows the same pattern, with a branch network co-ordinator and senior campaign manager sitting alongside five county-level campaign manager posts.
Reform also took Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland councils directly from Labour control in May, while in West Yorkshire the party now runs Wakefield and Calderdale councils outright and is the largest party in Kirklees.
4 min read
How to be more grateful for daily life in five easy steps
The world feels like a difficult place at the moment, and it can feel very hard sometimes to find things to be thankful for; when we are overwhelmed, we have less capacity to notice and reflect on the good things. Yet, ironically, proactively cultivating gratitude is one of the things that can actually help us feel less stressed.
NHS GP dR RADHA
The science
Research has shown that feeling or expressing thanks can actually alter our brain.
- The balance of neurotransmitters change; more serotonin and dopamine (feel good chemicals) are produced.
- This can be long lasting if we make gratitude a regular habit.
- We also get a decrease in our cortisol (stress hormone) levels which helps lower anxiety.
- Being grateful can strengthen the nerve pathways which triggers positive emotion.
How can we build gratitude?
Change your words
Instead of seeing something as a problem, try to see the opportunities within it.
Our brains are very receptive and what we read or write can alter our emotional system.
Express it
This will not only make you feel good, but you will also get a positive response from others.
How can we build gratitude?
Notice more
Throughout your day, try to notice all the things that are going well; has someone opened a door for you, or smiled?
The basics
By being thankful for the small things every day, we are far more likely to be and stay healthy so that we can enjoy them.
What to do
Gratitude can lead to feelings of optimism, lower our blood pressure, and improve sleep quality.
- Write down what potential good aspects there are to the things you don’t feel like doing, or even what could be worse about it.
- Spend a few minutes writing down three things that you are looking forward to that day, or the good things that have happened to you that day.
- Say thank you to yourself for the things you have achieved, or managed to get through and changed that day.
Sales of battery
electric vehicles hit a record high last year.
Starts at £22,995 for the smaller battery
Available with either a 40kWh battery or a larger 52kWh pack, that offers almost 255 miles, the latest, retro-inspired Renault 5 is both a joy to behold and a hoot to drive.
The interior has been lavished with a level of detail that’s typically reserved for more expensive cars.
4 min read
A champion of EV efficiency
It offers a remarkable 491 mile range on a single charge from the 85kWh battery.
It is a technological masterclass inside with the ability to option screens that span the entire width of the dashboard, including an optional display for the front passenger.
Priced from £37,400
2 min read
It’s a lot of money to part with, but this is arguably all the car you will ever need.
The £89,000 Macan is a premium SUV that somehow manages to blend Porsche’s reputation for dynamics and sporty driving with everyday practicality.
The 95kWh batteries can go from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 21 minutes from the fastest public charging outlets.
With the business class-style six seat configuration costing a staggering £76,995, it is by far the most expensive Kia ever made, but it backs up its financial demands with a suite of genuinely useful and impressive onboard technology.
It’s fast, goes a long way between stops and charges relatively quickly but the interior is bland, the onboard technology is infuriating and the experience is devoid of emotion.
All of its gadgetry can’t disguise the fact that performance is weak, even for a typically zippy EV, the ride is fussy at slower speeds and it’s not in the least bit enjoyable to drive on a country road.
- While good value (prices start at £17,935) for the 200-mile max range, there are more interesting options from Hyundai, Citroen and Renault for similar money.
- It attempts to wow with tech, much of which hinders, rather than helps.
- There’s no tangible benefit over mounting your phone to the dash.
- Simply an average driving experience, adequate range and slow charging speeds.
2 min read
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Victorinox paring knife
It’s comfortable to hold, with a point sharp enough for scoring pastry.
ProCook cast iron pan
For unbeatable searing and heat-retention, cast iron is the top choice.
Tesco chopping board
Priced at just £22, I’ve yet to find another board that matches it for sheer value and quality.
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Pyrex jug
It is the perfect vessel for blending smooth sauces, melting butter, or warming stock. It won’t stain like plastic and the red measurements never fade.
Salter scales
“I’ve had my slim little set of Salter Disc Scales for over a decade, and I’m delighted to see they are still made to exactly the same reliable design today.”
Microplane grater
It uses photo-etched stainless steel teeth that stay razor-sharp for a decade, something the lookalike copycats simply can’t match.
Braun hand-held blender
It’s an essential for everything from making velvety soup to getting the lumps out of white sauce.
Bodum cafetiere
As well as delivering great results, cafetieres are easy to clean and there’s no ongoing filter paper costs or pod recycling to deal with.
5 min read
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Oxo peeler
What truly sets it apart is the chunky, rubberised handle that absorbs pressure and stays completely non-slip, even if your hands are wet. It is inexpensive and incredibly durable.
Falcon pie dish
Made by fusing porcelain onto heavy-gauge steel for smooth durability, it is dishwasher, freezer, hob, air-fryer and oven-safe.
The golden rules for a happy, secure relationship
Psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr Amir Levine, author of bestselling book , explains why we behave the way we do in love.
Golden rules for happy relationships
Start with your own behaviours
The foundation of a secure, connected life is being what I call CARRP: that means being consistent, available, responsive, reliable and predictable. All of these qualities can be enacted in small gestures every day.
Express your needs
People need consistency and connection to feel safe. This is not, ‘You hurt my feelings by never replying to me’, it’s more ‘this is the kind of contact that helps me feel secure’.
Golden rules for happy relationships
The appendix ‘inflammation’ rule
If a relationship repeatedly inflames your nervous system, you need to disengage and deprioritise it.
Lean on community
You don’t need hundreds of friends. You need people and places that regularly remind you that you belong.
Stop blaming childhood
Humans are much more complicated than: ‘this happened to you, therefore you are doomed to be anxious’.
Reach for a
secure script
When something unsettles you in a relationship, your first reaction is not always the most accurate one.
If you’re anxious, your brain may jump very quickly to: ‘this is the beginning of the end’. If you’re avoidant, your brain may say: ‘this person wants too much from me, I need to get away’. So one very practical thing you can always do is pause and ask: ‘What would a secure person do here?’
Loneliness elsewhere
When people talk about loneliness, they often assume it means you don’t have enough people in your life. But you can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely if those relationships leave you feeling excluded, ignored or disconnected.
What to do
- Build a community that works for your temperament and gives you regular, reliable moments of connection.
- You can still be kind to people while not treating them as someone who belongs in your inner circle.
- Explain what you need. Sometimes people simply don’t realise how you are experiencing them.
- Check in with people: does this person actually feel that I’m reliable? Do they experience me as predictable? That’s the only way that you can start to become more secure.
Do some foods leave
you feeling hungry rather than satiated? Experts say there are…
Foods that leave you hungrier
A bowl of cereal and glass of orange juice
More refined cereals are digested quickly, and fruit juice, whilst one of your five-a-day, contains less fibre than whole fruit. This might mean you find yourself hungry again within 1-2 hours of eating this breakfast.
Swap the orange juice for a whole orange, the cereal for oats and milk or serve it with Greek yoghurt or a boiled egg. This would increase the fibre and protein content; two nutrients strongly linked with fullness.
Foods that leave you hungrier
These pastries are made primarily from refined flour and butter, and are relatively low in protein and fibre.
Toast and jam
Shop-bought packs can contain a lot of white rice, which is digested quickly, and the protein content is often modest.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Vegetable soup
On its own, it is often very low in protein and calories, so hunger can return quickly.
Unless it’s loaded with veggies, it’s probably pretty low in fibre.
Liquids are generally less filling as they require little chewing which may not trigger satiety signals.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Snack bars
They are ideal for a quick pick-me-up, but if reducing hunger is what you’re after, it’d be better to swap it out.
Low-fat yoghurt
A full-fat plain Greek yoghurt with berries and seeds tends to be much more filling due to the protein, fat and fibre.
On an empty stomach, it can actually increase your appetite.
What to eat instead
Instead of thinking about avoiding foods, think about what you can add to them.
- Add beans, lentils or shredded chicken to your vegetable soup and pasta.
- Thicken your smoothies with Greek yoghurt, chia seeds and oats.
- Apple slices with peanut butter, yogurt with berries and hummus with oat biscuits are better snack options than a pre-made snack bar.
- Have alcohol alongside a balanced meal containing protein and fibre.
With five children to consider, this just wasn’t financially feasible. So instead of setting ourselves up for failure, eating baked beans for every meal, and never taking a holiday ever again, five years ago when my second child (my daughter) was about to begin secondary school, I decided to look for a more practical option – sending her to the local state comprehensive.
When we first made the choice it was very much looked down on by other people. I’d get quizzical, uneasy and sometimes irritated looks. Questions like “Can’t you ask family for help?” or “What about a bursary?” as if I had not thought of these things (the answer to both is no). When the pained-looking individual concluded that there was nothing more to do than throw my daughter to the lion’s den, they would swiftly move on and change the subject.
We were the only people we knew in our social circle who had done this – everyone else was busting a gut to keep paying the fees. In many people’s minds it was one thing “using” the village primary but it was quite another to sign up for secondary too.
The impression other people’s responses gave me was that I was being neglectful and irresponsible as a parent for this choice. At first, I would feel ashamed and occasionally have a sinking feeling that I was letting my daughter down. In fact, I think most people expected us not to stomach it for long and ring up admissions at the private schools before September was out.
Well, they were wrong. And looking back I wish I hadn’t worried and had been a bit braver.
We chose the comprehensive in our local town as it was a feeder from our lovely Suffolk primary and were very impressed with the open evening. What on earth was wrong with this place? Well, that was exactly it – nothing. It’s an exceptional school.
They handed us a smart-looking prospectus like the ones the private schools send out as their marketing material – turns out there was no disparity between a private secondary school and an Ofsted-rated comprehensive. Currently we have three children at the school and one who has left and gone to university.
I won’t deny my children have had to toughen up slightly (as did we). My two teenage daughters were sad at the start that they weren’t going to the private day schools like their mates and had to shoot off on buses at 6.30am for their hour-long commute. When settling in, I know they did feel like Will from from time to time. They got ribbed for being posh and sometimes asked me for fake eyelashes to fit in – I am afraid I said no.
Now they have a mixture of friends – some of whom attend some of the best boarding schools in the country, and others whose parents will struggle to heat their council house this winter. They’re being exposed to real life (not just to Tarquin, who has so much money that he was high all weekend on ketamine).
My daughters now understand when I say I can’t afford to buy them something. They get that money comes and goes and that there are no guarantees in life. They know that you have to work hard. They understand a lot more than they would have if I had sent them to a private school.
Today my daughter is finishing up her education in the sixth form while her other siblings follow behind. I am so proud of what they have achieved in the last few years. They have an answer for everything and can cope with pretty much anything life throws at them – and a large part of this I credit to their comp. I feel grateful they experienced this good state education. (And not spending the money on fees means we are able to have treats as a family we never could have afforded otherwise.)
Sometimes I think some judgmental people were envious of us saving money, but there is still this view that private education is a “club” and woe betide anyone who doesn’t pay up. I questioned that status quo – I wasn’t even sure I liked the club or wanted to be a member.
I am not sure if anyone I know regrets sending their children to private school. You hear of the odd person like me who switches because they can’t afford the fees. But for those whose raison d’etre is private school, there is no way they will admit that they regret their decision. The honest private school parent will admit they are worried about how they are going to pay next term’s fees, but most of them would sell their kidney to send their child anyway.