to not pay 1st term fees for a school my DC is not going to?

[staranise]

Bit of a long story but...

DC didn't get into any of her state school choices in April. After a few weeks of panicking and getting nowhere with the LEA, we reluctantly registered her private, paying a deposit of £1000+. A couple of weeks later, the council acknowledged they'd calculated our route wrong etc and we got a place in our first choice state school. I emailed the private school saying that DC would not be going there, though we had paid the deposit, they migth as well keep the place open for her (they are not full, indeed are undersubscribed so we were not taking up anyone else's place), though we didn't need home visit/induction/uniform details etc.

Now have jsut received an invoice for first term fees. According to them, we had to give a term's notice in writing - though we only registered her half-way through the summer term anyway, and thn told them she wasn't going two weeks later.

Are we at all liable for these fees? We've already lost the deposit, which is fair enough, but it never occurred to me they might pursue us for fees as well. Are they likely to seriously expect us to pay them?!

BTW they will probably add interest if fees not paid by due date.

Okay, I admit I am naive of how private schools work. Whsat can I do given that I can't get hold of this? Can't face stressign about this all summer til Serptember, we are not rich and severeal k is a lot of money!

can't get hold of them, not this!

they will be in during the summer

write to them in a letter

what do they mean they never meationned fees?

do you mean to say you gave someone £1200 of you money and SIGNED and you never thought to ask about fees or what you were signing???

Somebody will be there at some point over the summer, send a nice email and if that doesn't work send a solicitors letter outlining that you made a genuine mistake and the correct thing for them to do would be to accept half of the fees owed.

The deposit of £1200 is returned at the end of schooling less a small administrative cost. Your liability will just be the term's fees - ? £1150. If it's for reception, you are probably just talking another £1k or so.

I'd agree that the £1200 is the confirmation of a place fee that is generally refunded once your child leaves the school.

Sorry - i think you are liable for the first term's fees.

sorry - cross post squeaky

I thought the deposit secured the place until september and then once the term starts, the child starts etc, the fees are due. I thought I had given notice in June, as soon as we knew that DD wouldn't go, ie, as much notice as I was able to.

Nope - and I'm sure the paperwork never intimated that.

It would be over £2 k (fees are roughly £3.5k)

3.5k for reception - wow!

i think the unfortunate thing is you havent read the paperwork whicvh for a big service contract is essential

the same as if you ordered a kitchen or double glazing

it probably does seem harsh but these schools are businesses and run strictly on business principles

if they hadnt kept a place and you decided after all you wanted it then you would be equally cut up

I've jsut checked all the paperwork and there really is no small print - it jsut says that a term's notice in writing must be given which, TBH, I thought I'd given, ie, notice that DD would not be attending in Spetember.

a terms notice would be a whole term so it would be before the start of the preceding term

Yes, but we didn't register her til mid-summer term so couldn't give a full term's notice.

agree with zippi. very unfortunate mistake.

your gonna have to do some sweet talking to someone at school or they will teach you a lesson on reading before you signing the hard way.

perhaps you can even make a deal. say you just can't afford it. plead your case. if you go in all guns blasing they may just make you pay it coz they don't like attitude.

It will have been in the terms and conditions - £1200 would have been to accept the place and the t and c's which went along with it. You have been naive to part with that amount of money withiut looign into this I'm afraid but as they seem to have acknowledged that she wasn't going this Septmeber you may be able to either defer the place, in case you want to take it up later, or compromise on a term from the date of their letter and pay pro rata.

but you can ie the september term would be the notice term so she would attend for that and leave a tchristmas to fulfill the t & cs

its tough but all you can do is try and ask nicely but i wouldnt be optimistic they tend to be quite hard headed except with existing pupils unforeseen circumstances like bereavement

I can't see that it makes any difference that you didn't sign her up a term in advance. You knew the conditions when you signed, therefoe it would be implied that you also knew that you would be expected to pay for a term and either use it or not use it - but still pay it till Christmas.

which I thought paying £1200 entitled us to do...

and we wanted to do given the insecurity over the state places, though I thoguht I had made it clear to them that she wouldn't be attending hence no home visit, induction, uniform fitting etc etc.

Clearly I was mistaken, I have no experience with private schools, my friend is in the same situation - we never thoguht that we woul dbe liable for fees. Will have to throw ourselves on their mercy...gawd help us