Independent School Fees Refund Scheme as a result of Coronavirus

[StrawberryBlondeStar]

I have 2 children in the independent sector. We are members of a Fees Refund Scheme (operated by Marsh) (looks like a lot of schools have same policy). Does anyone know if they will be covering the fees for the Summer Term (if schools don’t reopen). Policy does cover schools closure because of infectious disease; however, I am imaging they will refuse on basis that closure because of gov shutdown rather then individual infection in school.

I have been paying into the fees refund scheme for years through my son's school (insurance policy governed by Marsh Limited) and have just been told that I cannot get a refund despite the policy stating a refund would be made "if the school is forced to close due to an outbreak of an infectious disease amongst the pupils or staff which makes tuition impossible". The insurers are saying that the school was closed due to government intervention and not to an infectious disease amongst the pupils. Feeling pretty livid about this and intend to fight it.

That sounds harsh vanlea but it would fit with most business interruption policies that apparently aren’t paying out either.

If schools continue to operate remotely, with emailed work and teacher contact, does that mean the school isnt totally closed, just operating in a different manner?

We were expecting we'd apply for the difference between day and boarding fees as the boarding houses are closed but same scheme as above and they are refusing to accept claims. They have now totally reviewed their paperwork so that pandemics are not covered.

The insurance sector will always wriggle out of anything they possibly can wriggle out of. I can't blame them though - the principle of insurance is to spread the cost of things that might possibly happen somewhere, among all the people it might happen to, so that everyone pays for a bit of the amount lost rather than the majority (who are the lucky ones) paying nothing and the unlucky ones paying the full amount with no help. For insurance of this type to work, you need there to be dozens of schools who have no outbreaks of infectious diseases, full of pupils whose parents are paying the same premium, and all those premiums go towards refunds for the parents of pupils at the one unlucky school forced to close through an outbreak of Ebola or whatever. Insurance cannot work in a situation where everyone needs a payout - the money simply isn't there.