Private school fees - fact finding

[Cutie101]

Background: We have found ourselves in a position that our daughter is extremely unhappy at school and has had serious ill mental health because of it. She desperately wants to be in school but the local schools are too big for her. We have found a small private school which she really likes the feel of (very calm, from what we can tell teachers don't shout etc). We have only ever been in state schools and feel very out of our league but if it will help her, we want to make it work.

Fees are high, due to her mental health she now has an EHCP but LA will not pay for the school. Obviously fees have risen with the tax change and you can no longer claim gift aid. We are remortgaging our house to make this happen and we are fine with that, but wanted to know if there are any tax loopholes/can you gift the fees or anything just to make it a little less of a strain?

I hope this message is taken as it is meant, we aren't trying to avoid paying, we just want to fact find it there is anything out there that will help.

Thank you

No there aren’t unless you mean grandparents paying and avoiding iht. Assisted places and reclaiming tax went in 1980s! Would she qualify for a bursary?

LAs can be made to pay private school fees if it is named on an EHCP but it depends on the circumstances. Was it your LA who said they would not pay, or have you sought advice from an SEN advice organisation or solicitor who said you would be unlikely to win a case? If the former I'd encourage you to seek advice from IPSEA, SOS SEN or a specialist education solicitor.

Have you appealed to SENDIST?

Some schools will let you pay for several years upfront, which avoids fee rises (these can be frightening, do factor them in), but means you lose the money if she leaves for whatever reason.

Who has contributed to her EHCP? Is it just the LA and professions they have requested?

I’d consider getting a private EP and sensory OT to assess her and go to a tribunal to fight for the school to be named and for the LA to cover the fees.

Have you challenged the LA at all? My sister's DD was originally told no by her LA, but they took it to tribunal and won. Using various freedom of information requests, she was able to demonstrate that the private option was cheaper overall. I appreciate her circumstances will be different but it might be worth the challenge?

Nope you can't do salary sacrifice etc. Only way is if grandparents pay etc.

Have you asked about a bursary (although caveat that with the fact that since VAT these are more scarce + harder to get).

Remember also you will need to give 1 terms notice if she then wants to leave and yes they do enforce that + the fees payable.

Sorry to butt in, what do people mean by id grandparents pay? Does is make it cheaper?

I think because the money for fees can go into a trust to avoid IHT. As we personally aren't in that position I'm not 100% on it

Or they pay the school upfront

Well yes that too

You can get the money back if they leave.

I would fight for LA to pay too. Remortgaging your home should be a last resort.

I know this isn’t what you asked but check out the school’s accounts with the charity commission. Some small schools are really teatering on the brink of viability and it won’t help if she gets settled and then the school closes.

Thank you all. Much as I thought. I doubt the school would be keen on giving a bursary. The school is actually doing well at the moment which has attracted us to it.
The EHCP was based on EP guidance from the LA, however it does specify she needs a small, nurturing and low stimulation environment. She has been awarded top tier finding before it hits specialist school threshold and I can easily prove that this is significantly cheaper than specialist school. It is also very close so no transport costs which we would have if she were to go to the state school that the LA have suggested.

If you are remortgaging and so will have a lump sum, I would speak to the school and request a discount for paying several years fees up front.

We’ve paid 3 years in advance and if our child leaves we get our money back, I’ve never heard of a scheme where you pay in advance but then can’t claim it back.

Have you appealed the EHCP?

For wholly independent schools, who need to prove the LA’s proposed schools can’t meet needs &/or it isn’t u reasonable public expenditure.

Was advice and information sought from any other professionals such as SALT and OT during the EHCNA?

Is ‘small’ defined? If not, it is too vague and woolly.

I know someone who got the LA to pay the extra funding that would have been allocated to the state school towards the independent fees but without covering sll fees. That may be an option?

@Honoluli please can you explain how that works. What extra funding would that be? Anything would be an option and help!

Not sure all the details as it was another child in my child’s primary when moving to secondary and we are not in close contact any more but it was recent. The child has EHCP and parents wanted Council to fund an independent school that has a dedicated SEND unit but council wouldn’t pay, as they said the child’s needs could be met at a state secondary school. However parents rejected that place and still chose to send child to the independent school and they somehow appealed to get the council to pay around £9000 towards the fees, which of course doesn’t even cover half of it but it is something. Apparently it is the extra funding that they would have given the state school had the child taken their place. Not sure how they managed to get it, I guess by insisting.

In a minority of cases some LAs will occasionally come to an arrangement whereby the LA will fund the special educational provision and parents pay the normal fees. These arrangements are becoming even less common than they once were. However, most of the time they will say parents are making suitable alternative arrangements thereby relieving them of the duty to provide the provision in F.

Would the private school even take a child with significant mental health issues?
Locally to me the ones that pride themselves on being small & nurturing & supportive of SEN will still exclude any child who is underachieving / has high absence etc as exam results are still going to be a high priority for them.

We looked into private for one of mine (a good few years ago) and found one we thought was ideal but turned out that their understanding of SEN was high functioning autism & mild/moderate dyslexia. They wouldn't accept a child with significant mental illness.

You can usually get a refund if the child leaves with the appropriate notice, you lose it if the school goes bust

I would not advise anyone to pay school fees up front. Ours has just announced closure in the summer with the possibility of not being able to run in the summer term unless they can secure an emergency interim funding offer. Countless people have paid up front with the high possibility they won’t get their fees back. More and more of these schools are closing.