Getting a refund of 13+ deposit in London

[February7]

I wonder if anyone can help me?

I paid a non-refundable deposit of £2000 to secure 13+ place for my child at a London day school. This school was one of 2 back up plan schools in case my child failed favoured school at CE.

Back up school 1 held entry exams earlier than all London day schools and wouldn't let me hold the offer we received for place 2 weeks until I got results of Back up school 2 exam. We landed up paying 2 deposits as back up school 1 was not for us.. Non-refundable... And then our child was successful at CE at favourite school.

As soon as I heard that my child had got into back up school 2 we called school 1 and told them 1.5 terms in advance that our cold would not be attending. They filled the space dozens of times over and refused to refund the deposit, in stark contrast to the other London school who returned the 2,000 saying it would be "immoral" to keep it as his school was full.

Can anyone suggest how I can approach this best? Or recommend a lawyer who could help?

I'd like to explore the legality of school not refunding a place-holding deposit of £2,000 even though

1. I have given 1.5 terms notice in February that my child would not start school in September.
2. The place were all filled
3. Is non-refundable deposit permitted in these circumstance, by legislation or charities regulation?

In my view this school has simply moved its entrance exams to before everyone else's cynically, knowing well that it is a back up school and using this system of taking deposits as a cash cow from London parents where there are few private schools around.

Any help/thoughts much appreciated

sleepwhenidie
It sounds much better in N Ireland. The system here sucks. We send our kids to independent schools because decent CofE schools are 1. not that decent and 2. impossible to get into. What to do? Move out of London--that may restore some sanity.

In the US, almost everyone I knew went to state schools and thrived. Post code lottery to be sure but still more equitable than here.

I am sure the only solution is to have the govt do something about it--50% of all independent school places offered to deserving candidates with tuition from govt bursaries. Not 10%, not 20%, but at lesat 50%. Mix it up. Social Experiment style.

There are plenty of less deserving candidates who get into some of the finest just because their parents pay or the school thinks they'll get some donations out of it. Some of the so-called elite schools have such a mix of talents going in, it's hard to fathom.

In the meantime, you want a decent education for your kid so you fight for some place, imagining that it is truly based on merit (it's not...that's only part of it). The schools and people who only thrive on being members of exclusive clubs are the only beneficiaries.

They want to keep the downpayment, I think it might just be worth fighting for. What's to lose?

Time, energy and emotion that could be spent more rewardingly? But that's obviously just my opinion. I think the OP was incredibly lucky to get the other deposit back and if I were here I'd feel glad about that instead of engaging in a battle she's pretty certain to lose