Strategic financial planning to support your child’s education — without compromising your future.

A private education is one of the most significant investments a parent or grandparent can make — not just financially, but emotionally too. With the average independent school fee now exceeding £18,000 per year per child, the costs can add up quickly. Yet with careful planning, this dream can be achievable and sustainable.

At Goodall-Smith Wealth Management, we help families across Berkshire and beyond build personalised strategies for funding school and university fees. Whether you're starting early or supporting a child already in school, we’ll help you make smart, tax-efficient choices that align with your wider financial goals.

Who Is School Fee Planning For?

• Parents with children approaching prep or secondary school
• Grandparents wanting to contribute to education costs
• Professionals balancing school fees with mortgage, retirement or investment planning
• Divorced or separated parents wanting clarity on affordability and fairness

You don’t need to have millions – just the desire to plan ahead and protect your family’s financial stability.

What Do Private School Fees Actually Cost?

Here’s an example of typical fee structures:

*Figures based on 2025 ISC data. Does not include extras (uniforms, trips, activities). Fees increase annually at 3–5%.

With two children over 10 years, total fees may reach £400,000+, not including university.

How We Help You Plan

1. Calculate the Real Cost

We help you understand the true cost over time – including inflation, university, and optional extras.

2. Build a Payment Strategy

We’ll model cashflow scenarios to determine:

• What you can afford from income
• What should come from savings/investments
• Whether lump sum investing can help you get ahead
• How to structure fees if you’re receiving help from family

3. Help Maximise Tax Efficiency

• Make use of ISAs and investment accounts
  
• Use gifting allowances wisely if grandparents want to contribute
• Invest through tax-efficient wrappers to generate fee-ready income

4. Balance Your Future Goals

We ensure school fee planning doesn’t compromise your retirement plans, lifestyle, or future security.

Why Work With Goodall-Smith Wealth Management?

We’re a trusted local partner in Berkshire, working with families who want to take a calm, confident approach to managing school fee costs.

• Independent, holistic financial advice
• Cashflow modelling tailored to your family
• Local knowledge of schools in Berkshire and nearby counties
• Chartered and regulated advisers
• Personal, not pushy

We often work alongside family lawyers and accountants for joined-up thinking.

Example School Fee Planning Scenarios

The Early Planner

Emma and Alex have two young children — a newborn and a toddler. They begin investing £40,000 per year into their ISAs from when their eldest is two years old, using their full annual allowances. With consistent contributions and 6% annual growth, their portfolio reaches around £225,000 by the time their eldest turns six — just in time to start private school.**

The Grandparent Gifter

Margaret wants to help pay for her three grandchildren’s education. She gifts £3,000 per grandchild each year, using her annual gifting allowance, without impacting her estate for IHT.

The Balanced Household

Rachel and James want to send their daughters to private school but also want to move house and retire by 60. Through cashflow planning, we identify a sustainable fee plan without derailing their long-term goals.

The value of an investment with St. James's Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds selected and may fall as well as rise. You may get back less than the amount invested.

The levels and bases of taxation, and reliefs from taxation, can change at any time. The value of any tax relief is generally dependent on individual circumstances.

**This figure is an example only and are not guaranteed. What you get back depends on how your investment grows and the tax treatment of the investment. You could get back more or less than this.