Middle-class return to poverty: After my baby went to a private school and was admitted to Perse, the most "paper" private school in Cambridge, my anxiety began.
On the first day of each term, tuition fees and other charges will be automatically deducted from bank accounts (Direct Debit).
The school will notify parents of the exact amounts, including tuition, lunch fees, school bus fees, and travel costs twice a year, one week in advance.
If the child learns an instrument at school, additional tuition fees will be required.For the 2025/2026 academic year at Perse, the tuition is approximately £9,000 per term, with various additional fees expected to bring the total to about £10,000 per term, amounting to around £30,000 a year (according to the official website). At the current exchange rate, this is equivalent to about 280,000 RMB a year.
The child is currently in junior high and will need to study for at least three years.After three years, there is an option to apply to state schools (Sixth Form colleges). These schools have slightly higher admission rates to Oxford and Cambridge each year compared to Perse, but they also have significantly more students.
It is said that universities tend to favour students from state schools with the same academic results. Consequently, many students from Perse choose to apply to Hills Road Sixth Form college in their final two years.Middle-class return to poverty: With my child attending a private school, I fear that in the coming years, we will have to tighten our belts, and it might be hard to save any money each month.
However, I firmly believe that "the boat will reach the bridge head when it gets there"; these years will pass quickly. In contrast, if we miss this opportunity, we will surely regret it in the future.
