article: Parents Craig and Bonnie Morgan want their children to have the best possible start in life. And like many others, they have come to believe that a private education is the best way to achieve it. But so desperate are they to get their son Craig – known to them as CJ – into a local prep school that they’ve put their house on the market in order to pay the fees. And that’s not all. They’ve also slashed their weekly grocery bills by more than half, taken in lodgers, and have pinned their hopes on a ‘crowd-funding’ initiative, hoping members of the public will help them achieve their dream. Scroll down for video . The Morgan family outside their home in Hastings with dad Craig, mum Bonnie and sons Craig Jr (known as CJ), nine, and Alfie, four. They are selling it for £185,000 to help pay for Craig Jr's prep school fees . ‘We believe any child will benefit more from what a private education has to offer,’ said Mrs Morgan. ‘There is simply no comparison.’ The Morgans, from Hastings in East Sussex, settled on the idea of a private education for their children after CJ, who they say is academically gifted, found that he wasn’t being stretched at his state primary school. ‘We always knew CJ was very bright,’ Mrs Morgan said. ‘By the age of two he could recite the continents and at nursery he was identified as gifted and talented. ‘By six he knew what every road sign meant and was reading paperbacks. Teachers say he is at least two years ahead academically compared with other children of the same age. And we’ve been told if he continues as he is doing with his maths, he is likely to gain a maths scholarship when he goes to senior school.’ Despite his success at the local school – rated as outstanding – the Morgans felt he was too bright for state education and not achieving as much as expected. And then, they say, came a problem with playground bullying. ‘He won a trophy for his go-karting hobby and after taking it to school he was constantly taunted by two boys,’ Mrs Morgan said. ‘He started coming home in tears. ‘The final straw came when one yob yelled in his face and another punched CJ for nothing. The staff agreed it was an unprovoked attack but CJ no longer wanted to go to school. He started biting his nails and becoming withdrawn.’ Battle Abbey School in East Sussex. ‘Friends and family can’t understand why we are giving up everything' to send CJ to the £4,000 a term school, says mum Bonnie . Heartbroken, the Morgans kept their son at home and contacted their local council to see if he could be transferred to a different primary school, but no places were available. Eventually in August 2014 – and with CJ refusing to return to his state school – he sat the entrance exam for Battle Abbey Prep School. Mrs Morgan said: ‘He sailed through the exam and when we looked round the school, we all fell in love with it. There is a big emphasis on good manners there – something that simply wasn’t emphasised as important at CJ’s old school. He loved it and in September started as a day pupil.’ But at £4,000 a term, the fees were crippling for the family, particularly as their income depended on Mr Morgan’s work as a taxi driver. However, having seen their son join the choir and become part of the water polo and hockey teams, all within just a term, the family decided to cash in the only real asset they possessed. ‘Our net monthly household income is £2,300,’ said Mrs Morgan. ‘After bills and the mortgage have been paid, I’m often left with just £50 a week for food. But we just want the best for CJ. ‘Friends and family can’t understand why we are giving up everything. They think we are mad to pauper ourselves to give CJ – and ultimately his four-year-old brother Alfie – a private education.’ As well as putting their house on the market, the Morgans have taken in a number of lodgers and have set up a ‘gofundme’ account in the hope of attracting donations of £115,000 from the public. Mr Morgan works as a taxi driver meaning the Bishop Abbey fees were crippling for the family, forcing them to sell their house, take in lodgers and attempt crowd-funding to afford them . ‘Holidays are out and even day trips aren’t possible as we can’t afford the petrol,’ said Mrs Morgan. ‘CJ and Alfie have given up their bedrooms so we can rent them out. It means they have to sleep in the same bedroom as Craig and me.’ Private school fees are a growing problem for parents, with those on middling incomes finding themselves increasingly forced out. Since 1990, fees have quadrupled, with the average cost of sending two children to private school now estimated at more than half a million pounds. Even so, figures from the Independent Schools Council suggest that demand for private education is increasing. Mrs Morgan said: ‘The fees include extras such as some after-school clubs and trips. His uniform alone with its different pairs of sports shoes and PE kit cost us £500. We owe £9,800 on three credit cards but can only afford to pay off the minimum amount every month.’ To help cut costs, the family’s £120 weekly grocery bill has already been slashed to £50, thanks to bulk-buying and plenty of home-cooking. The Morgans have had to slash their weekly grocery bills by more than half to try and give CJ, and in future his brother Alfie, the private education they believe they deserve . ‘Our clothes come from second-hand shops and we’ve even stopped the boys’ pocket money,’ Mrs Morgan added. Once their house is sold, the Morgans plan to rent a property, using about £85,000 of equity they have in their home to pay the fees. ‘Ironically, as our mortgage is only around £200 a month and renting will cost about £1,000, it is going to add to our outgoings,’ Mrs Morgan said. ‘But this way we can sleep at night. We can clear our debts and, most importantly, pay for CJ’s school fees. ‘Of course some people’s children are lucky – they sail through a state school and go on to become lawyers or doctors. Everyone has a choice and some parents would simply not want to make the sacrifices we are doing. But, the facilities, the ambiance, the atmosphere – it is all so much better than any state school. If your child is at a private school he is simply far more likely to reach his potential. ‘Every day I pick CJ up from school he has a smile on his face. He is full of enthusiasm and inspired by his lessons. ‘Craig and I will always know we did the very best we could.’ To donate to CJ’s scholarship fund go to gofundme.com/qrbd8w .
highlights: Craig and Bonnie Morgan are desperate to keep son Craig at prep school .
  From Hastings in East Sussex, they are sending him to Battle Abbey .
  Fees of £4,000 mean selling their terraced house and trying crowd-funding .
  Claim 'academically gifted' Craig wasn't being stretched at state primary .
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