Can’t afford school fees, does this sound ok?

[Rightmovestalker]

Ds is year 11,GCSE year, going to state school in September for A levels. DH has a job but I now don't. The fees bill covers Easter - July and is £4.5k. My pay would have covered it but I’m not entitled to any state help.

We are overdrawn but have £3k available credit of our overdraft limit. We have another overdraft available for £1.5k. If we pay the fees now we will have no cash at all until 30th April when dh is paid and we have other bills to pay.

We are thinking of proposing that we pay £500 now and then chip away at it until it is cleared. Dh usually gets a bonus in July but it may not be paid this year. If it is we can clear it. Our other child went to the same school and we’ve spent c£160k in total with the school. This is the last year of fees. Does our proposal sound reasonable? Thanks.

YABU = borrow more to pay
YANBU = your proposal sounds ok

[NoMoreDickheads]

YANBU- I would discuss it with the school. There will be other parents in the same position and the school will have to make allowances in the circumsances.

[NettleTea]

speak to the bursar. Our school has a hardship fund and some parents have paid extra into it simply to help out their fellow parents.

school should be offering a reduction and you could ask about bursaries

[swimster01]

Agree a payment plan with the school - even though your DS is leaving, why should other parents pick up the tab?

[Biscuitsneeded]

I feel for you OP but I think people suggesting you shouldn't pay are wrong. If you had lost your job for another reason than Covid-19, the advice here would all be "speak to the school, explain the problem, see if you in pay in instalments/get a reduction in fees" etc. That shouldn't change. The school will still have to pay exam entry fees, do all the admin to submit your child and provide evidence for the grading and the exam board will still have to process it. The teaching may have switched to online teaching but in reality your child would probably only have had 3 weeks of teaching of the summer term before GCSEs anyway. Some might say that's unfair, but that's what you signed up for. Time and again on here the advice is given that you shouldn't commit to private school fees unless you have a solid contingency fund in the event of a change of circumstances. What those circumstances happen to be isn't really relevant.

[CooCooCachoo]

The FM clause may assist despite other opinions up thread but it will turn on the specific drafting in the clause.

All an FM clause does is state how the contract will operate should specific circumstances arise. Those circumstances may include a restricted ability to provide the service you are paying for.

If you are not clear on how the FM clause operates (and I very much expect that this HAS been triggered), ask the school directly for their view on this and how this affects payment of fees.

[Bringringbring12]

@Biscuitsneeded

I totally agree with your stance

[Biscuitsneeded]

I should add that I am not criticising the OP, whose proposal seems reasonable, just pointing out that she is being given some advice that I don't think is fair or correct.

[Bringringbring12]

Agreed

[Bringringbring12]

Type of person who says “just don’t pay”is no doubt adopting the same approach to their own debt - which will do nothing but contribute to the negative situation we are in

[Alsohuman]

Just don't pay, your child is no longer at school

This.

[Blankscreen]

The final term for year 11 or year 13 always seems s abit of a ripoff but that is what you've signed up for.

Don't get into any more debt for the fees but offer a payment plan. £500 a month is fair I would say.

[Greydove28]

Please don't take this the wrong way but I am shocked you are privately schooling without savings??

[coconuttelegraph]

Please don't take this the wrong way but I am shocked you are privately schooling without savings??

Really? That doesn't even surprise me never mind shock, all kinds of people use private schools, they certainly won't all have £000s in savings.

[girlicorne]

We are struggling too, our school have allowed us to pay what we can when we can as long as it's cleared by the time DD starts year 8 in September, which I hope it will be! (We have set up a payment plan, they did nt just say yeah pay whatever). Private schools are being more than reasonable at this time as there are a lot of people struggling, even with furlough its to a max of £2500 a month which certainly doesn't cover school fees as well as living costs. Just talk to them I am sure they will be understanding.

[Tonyaster]

coconuttelegraph as you have no experience of private school what you think isn't hugely relevant.

[Tonyaster]

Just don't pay, your child is no longer at school yes you could let them sue. My school would if there had been no contact.

[CatWithKittens]

I would be very surprised if you are not contractually bound to pay the fees, at least for next term, if the School is still providing some services. You will be too late now to give notice for next term - most schools insist on a term's notice. However I would be equally surprised if the school did not recognise your position and is not prepared to enter into an arrangement with you for payment over the next few months. Unless they are registered with the FCA they will be limited to an agreement of less than a year I think.
I echo the advice already given to speak to the school. Just not paying will probably mean that the school takes a far less understanding line than if you have explained your problem. They are almost certainly entitled to sue and obtain a judgment which will go on your credit history. I strongly suspect that they will be trying, as our DC's school is doing, to give the GCSE children as much support as possible next term, though much of it is often study leave for them anyway in many schools so you are not paying for a lot of lesson time even in normal times. If your school is like ours it is probably struggling and having to dip into reserves to make up full pay for staff who have been furloughed and cover losses like not being able to let the premises during holidays or reduced use of its stables or any of the other things which so many independent schools do to try to keep fees reasonable. DH is a governor of such a school and I know how troubled he is by the effect on the school of this crisis.

[findumdum1]

have you seen these threads OP? might be some useful info for you.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3853467-Independent-school-fees-and-Coronavirus

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/3851638-Boarding-schools-fees-notice-periods-and-coronavirus

[BubblesBuddy]

I have known people remortgage to pay fees if they didn’t have savings. However the advice to contact the school is the right one. I’m sure there will be flexibility. I also know schools will negotiate fees beyond when a child leaves. They would rather have the money than a bad debt!!

Regarding your deposit, I think schools might repay this early in the circumstances so your bill would be reduced. That seems reasonable to me. Obviously a bursary isn’t now an option and you should pay what you owe. In return the school might be able to set prep work for A levels. I know DC isn’t staying but keeping learning going would benefit all pupils.

Hope it works out for you.

[houselikeashed]

yes, this is us too. No income at all until we can work again.
Luckily my parents have paid the summer term fees, but we've had to give notice to one school as we probably won't be able to pay in Sept either. Not great for a y10 ASD child.

[DollyDoneMore]

Oh no, I can no longer afford to pay for privilege!

(Tiny violin plays.)

[houselikeashed]

DollyDoneMore
just to clarify about my daughter - she has been school refusing since y4 due to autism issues. We have tried many different schools along the way, and finally found a specialist school which she has been attending successfully since y9. Yes, it is a private school and we have a bursary for her to attend. Now we're probably back to square one, in the middle of her GCSEs. F**k off with your tiny violin.

[AprilFloundering]

Contact them and explain your change in circumstances. don't offer any money. Ask for a waiver for the last term or bursary to cover his last term. He's moving on next year. He just needs his grades.

[voxnihili]

I work in a state school but DD goes to an independent. We’re still paying fees but I’m hoping for a reduction. She’s EYFS so not really anything online for her. I’m just paying to keep her place.

In terms of exams, entries will have been made by now unless it’s a late entry as try e deadline has passed (part of my role is exam officer). If you can’t pay I doubt the school would be so silly as to look less favourably in the grade he is awarded as we have to base what we’re predicting on evidence . However, it is possible that they could withhold his certificates until the bill is paid (much like some universities do). I would contact them though - they’ve probably got a contingency already as you won’t be the only ones.

[tara66]

Haven't read many posts and am not in this position but thought there may not be any school anyway - so don't pay (too much). Read some private schools will be bankrupt by Xmas (especially in Scotland).