The £400,000 Question

"...a family starting Reception this year at an average-priced school is looking at roughly £410,000 by the time their child finishes sixth form. At a sought-after London day school, that figure climbs towards £670,000." — Antonia Medlicott, The Times

When families are making a decision involving this level of financial commitment, they deserve more than a polished prospectus and a couple of hours at an open morning.

Schools quite rightly invest in presenting themselves at their best. They have experienced admissions teams, well-planned events and beautifully produced marketing materials.

Parents, meanwhile, are often making one of the biggest educational and financial decisions of their lives with far less insight into what day-to-day life at a school is really like.

Beyond the facilities, the exam results and the glossy photographs lies a much more important question:

Will this school be the right fit for my child?

That's the question every family deserves help answering. Because when you're investing hundreds of thousands of pounds—and, more importantly, entrusting a school with your child's education and wellbeing—you need more than information.

So before asking whether you can afford an independent education, perhaps the more important question is:

How do you know it's the right investment for your child?