Deposits for Independent Schools

[bevelino]

Does anyone know why certain London schools expect half a term's fees as an acceptance deposit and do they normally allow payment in 2 tranches? I appreciate that schools need a firm committment from parents but is it reasonable to be expected to pay up to £2,500 which is an awful lot of money to pay upfront and to be told by school it is not returned until child leaves?

Your views/experience of the above would be most welcome.

It depends on the school. I have previously used the blag 'but I get paid on ....' It's normal for them to ask for this, I suppose the higher the fees, the more parents just cut an run, leaving them in the lurch, who knows.

Similar thread here.

Is it definitely all for the deposit?

At ds' school, part of that payment goes towards the first terms fees, with the balance due later in year.

Its to stop parents booking places at several independent schools and a few state schools to keep their options open.

Most schools will for such a deposit and also a term in advance on top as the start date gets nearer.

They have to plan their finances and they want firm commitments form people. I cannot blame them in the current climate.

Half a term's fees is a lot. In the two schools my children are in, one was £400 and the other £800. The money goes towards disbursments in the final term, which could include examination fees and leavers' educational visits outings/camps. It also goes towards unreturned or damaged textbooks, and possibly damage caused by leavers' revelries .

I would imagine that the school pitches its deposit based on experience, and possibly having had their fingers burnt in the past, either from families who failed to take up their place, or the final term's disbursements.

I paid £500 of which £300 was applied to first term's fees and £200 will be applied towards leaver's statement. At secondary school level it seems to be about £1000 all applied to leaver's statement or none if ds stays at same school for secondary (and we get a slight fee reduction in year 7 compared to new joiners).

Thanks for all your replies and I have been told by friends that the 2 schools in question are the top 2 private girl's schools in London and a lot of fiercely competitive parents (especially the mothers) would cut both arms off to get their dd's in. Both schools know this and charge half a term's fees because they know that they can get away with doing so.

The money is definitely not set against the first or the last term's fees.

Sounds fairly normal to me - I think we have paid £2K for primary

Thisis what it says about senior school fees deposit at NCLS so I can't imagine the pre-prep is any different.

NLCS