Will school fees overstretch you? This is a question often asked by middle class parents − and certainly taken into account by many independent secondary school governing bodies. The Times talked to Heads about their fees policy and spelled out the problem for parents, after several surveys from the financial services industry suggested that some parents may be facing financial overstretch. It also outlines several possible financial solutions.

A generally accepted rule of thumb for parents is that your annual school fees should not amount to more than 25% of your gross annual income. So that with secondary day school fees of say £10,000 pa your gross annual income needs to be £40,000+.