Need legal advice for school fees issues

[tggs1]

A quick question about private school terms and conditions...

It is pretty common for private schools' require a terms notice in order to remove a child from school.

In our case, we have given a term notice verbally and in writing on the 17th December 2013,due to financial situations.

The principal of the school, accept it and suggested that we could pay on monthly basis during summer term, as it will be ashamed to see our child leave the school, as this will be her final primary year.

When summer term begins, we end up paid the full fees for that term. Unfortunately, our child is being bullied at school, which I have reported the problem to the class teacher previously. To make the matter worst, our child end up self harming due to bullying at school, and we have report it to the principal as it is become very worrying and requested for the school to take actions and reassurance in order for our child to return back to school.

To my surprise, the principal did nothing to resolve the situations only insisting that my child need professional help, despite other parents have complained about the bullying by the same child who bullied our child.
We have tried and suggested some ideas to the principal in order for our child return, but she did not seems to take it very serious about bullying.
There is no other alternative other than remove our child from the school, as they have failed protecting and safeguarding to our child safety.
Therefore, we have emailed the principal with our decisions and attached copy of email of the terms notice given in December, and requesting for part reimbursement of the fees.

Please let us know, legally the school have to partly reimburse the money as we have given a terms notice?

Thanks

And apparently since we remove our child from the school since May, there's more complaint from other parent about their child been bullied by the same child, and yet again nothing has been done but instead the school keep rewarding that child. Surprising, how the school works nowadays.

Thank you Lizs for your all your advice.

A school has a duty of care to all its children.

If an adopted child is causing problems for other children, the school has a duty of care to protect the other children and keep them safe.

It also has a duty of care towards the adopted child. That may mean dealing with the AC differently from how they might deal with another bully (because they are looking at the underlying reasons and trying to resolve them).

Being adopted is not a 'get out of free' card wrt bad behaviour.

(adopter).

Your school is just rubbish at dealing with bullying. Let it go.

Hi, great advice and we very pleased to get advice from all the wonderful parents. Thank you so much.

Personally, I wouldn't bother chasing the money.
If you want to make a complaint about the response to bullying, to the Governors of the school and any bodies the school is a member of, then do so. I suspect that you won't get far with that anyway, as the child has now left.
Regarding the money, you left the school about 5 weeks ago. Did you request a refund at that point? Earlier posters who say schools never refund fees already paid for the current term are right. Unless you are prepared to go for a big legal fight about it, then you are unlikely to get anywhere, as you voluntarily withdrew your child.

Actually, I'd check too that you are not liable for the autumn terms fees, because technically you should have given notice at the end of the spring term and you have not done this, by the sound of it. You may owe them money, rather than them owing you money.

Your DD is about to move to a new school with a fresh start. I would move on and put all of this behind you. Is she going to a private or state school? I hope she does not face bullying there and is happier.

Hi ChocolateWombat, many thanks for the advice. We gave the notice in December for the summer term, we kept her there when the summer terms begin as the HT is very fond of her and stated that we can pay monthly or find another way should we can afford to pay the fees. Tbh we just want to move on now, but still report it to ISC it's up to them to investigate it as we don't really want to know the outcome. Gladly our DD is starting Grammar school for girls this September and from current parent review is that the school she's going to is very good, with good pastoral care and definitely they don't tolerate bullying as the punishment is harsh. She is going for her induction tomorrow and seems very excited about it.