Acceptance deposit- how does it work?

[Malina1]

Being a bit dense today whilst looking into private schools.

Looking at some London schools (Channing and Highgate) and they want a 5k acceptance deposit. How do these work? Is it refunded when they start or kept and refunded when the children leave the school? I have two children and would be applying for a bursary so working out financials. Not sure where I'll find this 10k from and unfortunately didn't factor this in.

Channing are amazing with bursaries, and if you get a bursary they will review the deposit. Worth contacting their bursar directly, they are super helpful.

Families who qualify for a full or very high bursary would absolutely struggle to find a 10k deposit! We have families in my school on full bursaries who are benefit recipients, and couldn't hope to have that sort of cash (which is why deposits for bursary candidates are sometimes much lower). Sounds like that might not be the the case here, if it's only a small bursary, but for some families a large deposit would be totally out of reach.

It’s some time ago now, but we received the deposit back at the end of sixth form, but I think they may have asked if we wished to donate some or all of it towards bursaries which we did. I would clarify with the school what would happen if you withdrew your child early, for example at the end of year 11. Part of the reason deposits are fairly high is that wealthy parents pay deposits at a number of schools to delay the final decision. In the mean time schools lose prospective pupils.