Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

I'm aware it could be me, which is why I said that I too am worrying

I wish I had a solution

If there just isn't the money available to keep CH going as it is, could/should more economies be made by lowering the standard of facilities provided?

Which facilities do you mean? I think the problem is that those parents who are paying full fees would expect a certain standard, wouldn't they? If standards were reduced and full-fee paying parents stopped sending their children to CH the school would lose the much-needed income.

I seem to remember in the not so distant past, CH sold some property to raise funds, although I think there were murmurings about the validity of that at the time.

Perhaps now, they should look at their estate portfolio again ?

lonelymom wrote:Which facilities do you mean? I think the problem is that those parents who are paying full fees would expect a certain standard, wouldn't they? If standards were reduced and full-fee paying parents stopped sending their children to CH the school would lose the much-needed income.

I didn't have any particular facilities in mind. I'm not really in touch with CH today, but (reading this forum, and the publications such as Housey, and browsing the school website), the impression I get is that CH provides really excellent facilities, small class sizes, and lots of opportunities for music, travel and sport. All that is great, but when financial pressures result in children being removed from the school because of increases in fees, I wonder if a slightly cheaper education would be more realistic.

Your point about the expectations of full-fee paying parents is a good one, and I don't have an answer for it.

I feel I'm sticking my head above the parapet with this suggestion. I don't want to offend anyone. Maybe any savings that could be made would be too small to make any difference. Or maybe the principle that CH provides the best of everything really is the most important thing. I don't know.

MKM wrote: I feel I'm sticking my head above the parapet with this suggestion. I don't want to offend anyone. Maybe any savings that could be made would be too small to make any difference.

I don't think you'll offend anyone, you're only trying to help by coming up with ideas. And I think that any savings made at the moment would make a difference. I've been trying to think of ideas myself and I had thought of similar things to you, I must admit.

MKM wrote:
I feel I'm sticking my head above the parapet with this suggestion. I don't want to offend anyone. Maybe any savings that could be made would be too small to make any difference. Or maybe the principle that CH provides the best of everything really is the most important thing. I don't know.

I certainly wouldn't worry about sticking your head above the parapet, Mary.

Many of us older OB's and current parents are already doing so.

Rest assured - Many of the 'Powers-That-Be' at Horsham do monitor this web-site, though I doubt it'll make one ounce of difference. At least they know how the 'grass-routes' feel about the situation.

In the good old days the London County Council used to sponsor children who had done well in the Scholarship exam (this brecame the 11+) I don't know when the link was broken, but I suspect that Red Ken probably had a hand in it.

J.R. wrote:

MKM wrote:
I feel I'm sticking my head above the parapet with this suggestion. I don't want to offend anyone. Maybe any savings that could be made would be too small to make any difference. Or maybe the principle that CH provides the best of everything really is the most important thing. I don't know.

I certainly wouldn't worry about sticking your head above the parapet, Mary.

Many of us older OB's and current parents are already doing so.

Rest assured - Many of the 'Powers-That-Be' at Horsham do monitor this web-site, though I doubt it'll make one ounce of difference. At least they know how the 'grass-routes' feel about the situation.

Would that be a bridal path John?

Not at my age, Mary !

38 years next January, (I think !)

By todays standards, that's around two and a half life-sentences, even without 100% parole !

Well you are talking about grass routes, surely some sort of country walkway.

Possibly a daft idea, but could be turned into something practical? On the basis of 'if you can't bring in more income, then reduce your expenditure' would it be worth having a big drive within the school itself for the pupils to come up with ideas for saving money in the same way that some schools have had competitions to encourage recycling etc to help with the global warming problem?

Well it's an idea, and all ideas should be considered. I've been trying to think of things too but I haven't come up with anything yet.

In our House the girls are always encouraged to turn off their lights and other electricals when they leave their rooms. They get points deducted from their dorm scores if they don't! Every little helps!

I believe (and I am quite happy to be proved wrong!) that a rather small number of Old Blues actually contribute to the school. I remember hearing a percentage that was lower than 10%. Again hearsay, but it came from the former Director in the foundation responsibible for fundraising. In the US universities can expect three times as many alumni to support the old university. The UK just does not have a history of such support, which is why our universities are so poor. Harvard has BILLIONS of dollars to give away in means tested scholarships.

I refer back to my earlier point - CH has three income streams Parents, Donors and the Endowment. At the moment we could reduce the burden on existing parents by encouraging more wealthy Old Blues to engage with the school. Many are very wealthy according to data we have on income etc.

Not easy to do in a recession, but ...

I also reiterate my point that (IMHO and that of others I speak to) the ability we had in the past to offer such massive fee resuductions based on income from the school endowment may be in the past, or at least unlikely to be seen again until a gift of tens of millions of pounds comes our way. Anyone know JK Rowlings telephone number!