‘I don’t want to raise Lola and Liberty with a sense of entitlement’

When she finds out her daughter has won a place at a private school, Charlotte Cripps is delighted... until she sees the bill

I can’t put all my eggs in one basket with my chosen state school – and I’m struggling to add others to my list – so I’ve also put Lola’s name down for a private co-ed in my road in north Kensington. I have no idea how I would pay the school fees but you never know what the future holds.

I went to the open day and met the headmistress with her sidekick Labrador/therapy dog. Most of the boys looked like Little Lord Fauntleroy. I was shown around by a seven-year old called Persephone, which made Liberty’s name sound bog-standard.

But I like the school. It’s not full of pushy parents and it has more of a creative vibe. I paid £150 to add Lola’s name to the waiting list. But for most parents, who put their child down for at least seven private schools, because they are so oversubscribed, it is the most expensive lottery in town.