private school fees and September

[resskiestonight]

If you pay school fees and gave rolling notice for Sep, would you withdraw your children and home educate if you think they might be at home on or off for an academic year? Prep school parent here.

No because wouldn't you risk loosing your place? I would ask for a reduction in fees. You want expect not to pay but let your child go in and out of school when it suits according to lockdown or no lockdown.

Can't expect *

I would not expect to go in and out of school but I’m considering whether I would wait until I knew they were back for good before re-enrolling. School not oversubscribed. Just wanted to see if others are thinking the same if their income has dipped like mine due to Corona.

@resskiestonight I think a lot of parents may do this, particularly if there school isn’t oversubscribed and/or worried about their own finances. If schools don’t go back for the academic year 20/21 a large proportion of private schools will go under. Schools have had enough problems getting fees for this term when it’s unclear if they may go back for some of it. I know of 3 pre schools in the South that have gone under already.

Where private schools will survive is if schools are allowed back, but say with only 10/15 in class. Most private schools will ensure this happens (turn every available room/gym into classrooms). If states schools are only offering a rota system then some parents may look to the private sector.

That’s a good point re class sizes permitting schooling in private sector. I just can’t justify paying fees for them not to be there or only partly there. They have such long holidays anyway. Prep schools must be very worried given this plus pension contributions going up.

@resskiestonight I know my children’s school already came out of the teachers pension scheme, I imagine a lot of private schools may depart again to save money.

If you think you will get Your child back in afterwards then I would consider it, yes. I wouldn't as I think they would give my child's place to someone else- very popular school. I also wouldn't want to home school long term and have miss out on school days even if it was in and out.

I agree- I think they may not return full time anyway.

@StrawberryBlondeStar which schools are those? I know that Moreton Hall Prep in Suffolk is folding at the end of this term. I completely agree that lots of schools will go under if we don’t go back fully in September.

@ellie2201 HawleyHurst and The Park school in Yeovil have had to called in administrators.

I don’t know those. I’ve worked in quite a few preps in the South so always curious as to what’s happening. Thanks for your reply x

If there will definitely be places available, I would leave and then you’d presumably just have to pay a deposit again in September if needed.

I know someone who has done this.

Their school is not oversubscribed in her DC’s year groups, and she’s assuming it’ll be possible to re-enroll her DC (in terms of spaces being available) once things settle down.

I suppose where the problem will be is if too many other parents do the same thing for the school’s finances to add up. It’s not a big school.

In an over subscribed school you may lose your place, in an undersubscribed school the school may become financially unviable.

I think that’s a really risky thing to do. Even if a school is financially viable, if many parents did this they would have to trim their costs considerably. For example, a year with 2 classes in could be cut to 1 class, potentially losing a teacher their job and meaning there was no place for your child in the 1 remaining class.

I also agree that if state schools need to socially distance by doibg alternate weeks then some may indeed turn to indies and you may lose your place.

no I wouldn't do this. The schools will go back in some form after half term and there is no way I can home educate either of my kids.

if all the parents think like you do about an undersubscribed school, then that school will go bust and you will have nowhere to go back to?

My friend has done this but apparently the school will now reduce the workforce. She is now worried that she won't have a place when they reopen & the state schools where we live are very oversubscribed. It's a big risk.

I also agree that if state schools need to socially distance by doibg alternate weeks then some may indeed turn to indies and you may lose your place.

But won’t the independent schools have similar problems with social distancing?
Surely a typical independent school won’t be full of classrooms so enormous that a full class of kids can all be seated 2m apart?

The school my friend is at has big rooms & 10 per class.

But if you give notice now you are tied in till Dec anyway? Do you not have to give a full terms’ notice?

Minorarcana - many indies do have big rooms so can easily seat people apart. Ours take 24-30 per room for when they do larger group activities or form time. But generally only have 12-14 in for lessons.

They are after all seated apart for exams.

Up to you. If you happy with your local state school and providing you can get a place do what you want

Alternatively you child will have to commute somewhere else.

Pension contribution are already factored in and the holiday period you knew about upon application.

My issue is if the school is not going to be consistently open next year I can’t with a five and seven year old and full time job just neglect them for long period in day. I need to reduce my hours and get some internal help and I can’t do that plus school fees. Clearly I don’t know what will happen in sep, but strongly suspect it will be prolonged periods of remote learning off and on.