Private School Term Fees

[pankajarora]

My Son have been going to Private School for 4 years and he needed further support from Support worker because of Nystagmus and also support from support teacher for fine / gross motor skills. We received the letter from school that there was going to be charge for every session support teacher visits the school in addition to normal fees. This was additional burden on us and this led us to look for State’s school during summer holidays. Support teacher and Support worker can visit to State School quite often and we do not need to pay for it as well.

 

So during summer break we applied for State school as special needs support worker can visit state school that often and got the seat as soon as school opened . We did not get any time to give notice as if we have not taken place, the state school position will go to someone else. So i accepted it and now private school is asking for full term fee in lieu . As you can see school themselves could not even do their commitments for special needs and we ourselves did not have enough notice. So how can I avoid this .

 

 

 

Kind Regards,

Parent

[sir_gilmour]

pankajarora welcome to The Consumer Action Group community.

 

You haven't received any replies to your problem yet so you might be better off posting your story again directly in the sub-forum which deals with your kind of situation. You will get lots of support there.

 

Also, spend some time looking round the forum. Once you understand the layout, you will be able to get best use from this Consumer Community. It is a big forumm and may take some time. But it will be worth doing.

Good luck.

[dx100uk]

di you inform them your son would not be returning?

 

dx

[pankajarora]

Yes I did inform the school on the same day when I came to know that my son got admission in state school. I have also explained the reasons as stated above.

 

Thanks.

 

Parent.

[dx100uk]

if you consider you gave them resonable notice, then they are being a bit cheeky to ask for lost fees

 

dx

[moaning myrtal]

I realise this will not be the news you want to hear, but my take on this is as follows.

 

When your child started the school you will have signed a contract/acceptance form accepting the school's terms and conditions. One of those will have been to give a full term's notice of withdrawal of your child. You have not done this and so regrettably, you are pretty much stuffed and will indeed owe a term's fees in lieu of notice. Unfortunately for you the school's position is very strong here as the terms and conditions you agreed to contractually oblige you to give a full term's notice whether or not you consider it fair.

 

A key issue here is when exactly did the school inform you that these additional charges for individual support would apply? If they wrote to you in the Easter holidays telling you this then they gave you a term's notice that additional charges would apply thus giving you the opportunity to give the school a term's notice that you would not be able to afford this and would therefore have to withdraw your child. If however you were not told about the extra charges for support lessons until near the end of term, you may have a case to write to the school saying it was not possible for you to give a full term's notice as you were not aware a term in advance that additional fees would now apply.

[dx100uk]

thread is 4mts old!

 

dx

[moaning myrtal]

Indeed - but there didn't seem to be any kind of useful reply. I wondered whether the poster might have an update also.

[dx100uk]

well you certainly seem to be interested in all schools threads

 

can we help you or are you just here to help us?

 

dx

[moaning myrtal]

An area I have a great deal of experience in - was trying to help...

[honeybee13]

Hello MM.

 

I'm sure the people who have been waiting for answers will appreciate your experience and advice. Nice to see you here.

 

My best, HB

[edwincluck]

Private schools are only businesses, albeit with privileged tax status. As such they will fight to secure trade, using threats of legal action, valid or otherwise.

 

The Independent Schools Council described the economic climate as "the most challenging for decades".

 

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/apr/28/private-schools-drop-pupils

[bottomburp]

For what it's worth, and I realise it's late advice and it's not what you want to hear, but moaning myrtal is right. When you sign up with independent schools you agree to give one whole terms notice. So if you decide to leave the school in August you will have to pay the Autumn term fees. End of. Tough. (I'm a parent who's been through this, not a school!)

[edwincluck]

When you sign up with independent schools you agree to give one whole terms notice.

 

Who says? Does every school use an identical contract? Nope. Many parents will individually negotiate the terms.. "We reserve the right to move little Hamish elsewhere, without penalty, if this school doesn't suit him.."

 

Independent schools are getting very worried. The British economy has become a basket case. Middle Englanders are now forced to tighten their purse strings. The state education system is 100% free. Moving Little Hamish out of a fee-paying school and into his local comprehensive is a very easy and immediate way to save £10k+ per annum. It's either pull Hamish out of the school or risk the house being re-possessed. No brainer.

 

The independent school system is running shills on consumer forums to discourage parents from taking flight. One technique, as we can see above, is scaremongering. The shills are issuing vague and unattributable threats of legal action against parents who've pulled their kids. One should hope that those reconsidering their children's education will recognise these bluffs, and will seek appropriate legal advice..

Edited February 18, 2012 by edwincluck

[bottomburp]

In my experience when you sign up you agree to give one full terms notice.

 

I am a parent, not a school, but have seen many contracts wtih independent schools with the same timeframe in their "notice of withdrawing child" clause.

 

And it seemed, from what the OP was saying, that they'd probably signed a contract with one terms notice required.

 

The best thing the OP can do, and any other parent who finds themselves in a situation whereby they need to withdraw their child from an independent school, is read and make sure they understand the contract - and if it says you have to give a full terms notice then, if you don't give the requisite notice and don't pay for that term in lieu of notice, you should not be surprised if the school threatens legal proceedings to recover the money they have lost by holding the place open for your child only to find your child isn't going to use it.

[natalie]

 

Independent schools are getting very worried. The British economy has become a basket case. Middle Englanders are now forced to tighten their purse strings. The state education system is 100% free. Moving Little Hamish out of a fee-paying school and into his local comprehensive is a very easy and immediate way to save £10k+ per annum. It's either pull Hamish out of the school or risk the house being re-possessed. No brainer.

 

 

I dont think this is necessarily true, for the first time in 5 years our school has a waiting list... why? because many parents, myself included have ended up there after being completely disillusioned with the state education system. I moved to this area 18 month ago and my children were in state education here for 1 1/2 terms. The teaching was poor, the discipline was nonexistent and the final straw was my 6 year old being beaten up in school by 3 boys and the head claiming "boys will fight".

 

It is a tremendous struggle to send my children to private school. But I would spend every day cleaning toilets if thats what it took to keep them there. And most of the other parents are in similar positions, they are sacrificing something to send their children to this school. Not everyone who sends their child to a private school is loaded or a "Middle Englander".

 

In answer to the OP, why not make an appointment with the head and go and talk to them about it. Explain your financial situation and chances are you will be able to negotiate.

[dx100uk]

Who says? Does every school use an identical contract? Nope. Many parents will individually negotiate the terms.. "We reserve the right to move little Hamish elsewhere, without penalty, if this school doesn't suit him.."

 

Independent schools are getting very worried. The British economy has become a basket case. Middle Englanders are now forced to tighten their purse strings. The state education system is 100% free. Moving Little Hamish out of a fee-paying school and into his local comprehensive is a very easy and immediate way to save £10k+ per annum. It's either pull Hamish out of the school or risk the house being re-possessed. No brainer.

 

The independent school system is running shills on consumer forums to discourage parents from taking flight. One technique, as we can see above, is scaremongering. The shills are issuing vague and unattributable threats of legal action against parents who've pulled their kids. One should hope that those reconsidering their children's education will recognise these bluffs, and will seek appropriate legal advice..

 

 

totally agree

 

they can wave their arms about as much as they like

basically there little the school can do

 

they certainly wont do court for fear of bad publicity

 

dx

[rebel11]

Thread has been moved to the correct forum.