re. this deposit?

[popmimiboo]

I am, technically, BU to post on here as I am abroad so can't act on your viewpoints anyway, but, just from a theoretical position:

DD2 is in her last year of primary. In September, we enrolled her into the private secondary that her siblings already attend.
(Disclaimer -private schools here are nowhere near as expensive as in the UK and are means tested so affordable to most people.)

Anyway, in January, her place was confirmed and we were asked for a deposit of €100.

Fast forward to now. DD has been offered a place on an accelerated sports programme which involves an adapted time-table. She has to go to a different (also private) school. She is ecstatic about this opportunity. We visited the new school and had to pay another deposit there to secure her place.

I went to the first school first thing this morning to inform them that we no longer needed the place and explained why. The secretary replied huffily, "fine but you won't get your deposit back!"

So €100 is not going to break the bank and I'll have to suck it up, but I think they have a cheek. They have a huge waiting list so the place will be filled and they will get another €100 cheque from the replacement child's family.
Are the school BU or would you say this is normal practice?

A term's fees are about 250 Euros?! Wowzer - private schools really are less expensive on the continent.

Anyway, congrats to your DD on getting into this other place and the sports programme stuff, she's obviously very talented

In UK IME it is mostly referred to as a registration fee. I always imagined it covered the admin costs associated with on-boarding a new pupil - processing forms, corresponding and setting up their account etc. This has probably already been done even though you are not taking the place they will have to do it again for a different pupil.

I'm glad that at least it won't cause any major issues for you

Tbh I think the school person could've phrased it better, it's not even like you'd asked for it back!

YABU. It was a deposit. There would be no point in anywhere charging deposits in the first place if they gave it back anytime people changed their mind.

our deposit is £750 + £100 registration, plus at least 1 month's fees in advance....... the registration fee is deducted from the final term's invoice (ie: if you leave early, you lose the deposit).

This is the exact purpose of a deposit. I'm wondering what you previously thought a deposit was?

Are you in Italy? The same thing happened to me except it was 200 euros. I was pissed off though because I was applying for my twins and only one got a place (it was a deposit for the waiting list) - I was expected to just send the one and when I said it was only any good if I could send both, I lost the deposit!