Private school headmaster slams parents who ‘smack of hypocrisy’ for buying homes in catchment areas of ‘outstanding’ state schools
- Says ‘vocal critics’ of prep schools are often those who have moved close to ‘outstanding’ schools
- Association leader Christopher King will address this at conference next week
- Says parents are ‘doing the exact same thing’ to social mobility but via different route
- Shadow Chancellor will review how private schools can be integrated into state education
- Labour’s ‘Abolish Eton’ motion to get rid of prep schools is to be heard tomorrow
Christopher King, chief executive of the Independent Association of Prep Schools, says ‘vocal critics’ of private schools are the same who buy expensive houses in catchment areas
People who criticise the private school sector are ‘very often’ the same people who buy expensive houses close to the best-performing schools, according to a prep school association leader.
Christopher King, chief executive of the Independent Association of Prep Schools and former headmaster, says parents who buy houses within the catchment area of ‘outstanding’ schools are ‘worse for social mobility’ than those who get their children privately educated.
Thirteen years of private school education costs only £6,000 more than buying a house within the catchment area of an ‘outstanding’ school, says new figures by mortgage broker Trussle.
Mr King will tell his association’s annual conference that the ‘vocal critics’ of independent schools are ‘often the very same people who have enough money’ to buy expensive houses close to some of the best-performing schools.
Mr King told The Times: ‘For me, that smacks of hypocrisy. How can these people attack parents for paying their children’s education when they are doing exactly the same thing but via a different route?’
The former headmaster of Leicester Grammar School claimed selection by postcode and house price is ‘surely a far greater block to social mobility’ than the presence of private schools.
Thirteen years of private school education costs only £6,000 more than buying a house within the catchment area of an ‘outstanding’ school, says new figures by mortgage broker Trussle
London house prices near outstanding schools are the highest in England and the average house price in England where top-rated schools are is £331,605
There needs to be a ‘more measured debate where we all work to the level standard up’.
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has backed the move and is looking into how social justice can be reviewed more accurately.
He wants to examine the role of private schools and ‘how they can be better integrated into the national education system’.
This comes at a time when the Labour Party’s motion to abolish private schools is to be heard tomorrow.
Campaigners want money raised from VAT on private school fees to be used to pay for free school meals.
Fox Primary School rated ‘outstanding’ in London and house prices nearby are £1,714,528 on average
The top 10 schools with the cheapest house prices nearby….
The top 10 schools in west London with the highest house prices. Properties near Our Lady of Victories RC Primary School and Fox Primary School are the most expensive
Mr Miliband backs the Labour Against Private Schools campaign, which is using the Twitter handle @AbolishEton. The group is pushing the party to commit to removing fee-charging schools’ privileges and to integrate them into the state system