Holding offer until state allocations

[JustToBeSure]

We've had an offer from a private secondary we really like to start in September but the offer expires on the same day as national offer day (and, although unlikely, if we got our first choice of state, that might change things). To accept the place we pay a deposit (in the hundreds) which is fine - happy to pay that as a gamble. But just checking what is standard after that? I think, reading T&C's, that we would just have to give notice before the start of the summer term to then reject the place and not owe any fees. Does that sound right? We are new to this! Thanks.

That was how it worked with us and a primary place, we had to give notice before Easter holidays started and then didn't pay any fees. Obviously we lost our deposit.

It will depend on the exact contract - for some schools it might be before the last day of the spring term rather than before the first day of the summer term. But essentially yes. You can choose state with no penalty on the National Offer Day. Between that day and the contractual notice period the penalty is just to lose the deposit. After that deadline you will be liable for a term's fees and do not even think you might negotiate out of that, you will be held to it.

The private school is making money by forcing people to pay deposits before the state school offers are out. This could be seen as unethical. In any case, it is nicely profitable for them - and tells you something about the way they operate.

Many private schools keep their offers open until after the state school offers are made, because they understand that parents may choose a state school over private.

Sounds normal. If you accept the place you give a full term’s notice although check whether that is the first day of summer term or by the beginning of summer term. It relies on you getting state offers early enough on the day to decide and cancel otherwise.

To be fair they do say the deposit would be refunded at the end of your time at the school, so hopefully we'd also get that back - but I'm not going to bank on it!

But probably not if you not take up the space.

We turned down a school the day before the beginning of the summer term assuming we would avoid losing a term’s fees but that we would lose the deposit - but they paid it back without us asking. We were very impressed!

Be very careful re the wording on the contract. My contract was deposit plus first term of fees and I have friends who have had the same.

Not if you don’t take the place up. The deposit is returned at the end of your time at their school, not any school.

This was how DD’s school did it. The deposit will be offset against her last term’s fees after GCSEs but would have been forfeited had I not takes up the place in favour of a state school.

Usually the deposit will be offset against your last school bill. If you don't go there is no bill to offset it against.

In any case I think the nature of a deposit is it is forfeit if you do not take up the place. I would not expect to see the deposit again if you take the state school place, but you are choosing to play that game and those are the stakes.

Most private schools set their deadline for acceptance and deposit at midday on state allocation day. Can you not just do that morning of March 2nd and avoid this?

Unethical.

So the private school has multiple parents rescind the acceptance and not take the place leaving them to find other pupils and you think that's unethical?

A deposit is nothing compared to the money saved on school fees by the family being able to choose state instead.

If only that were true in London… parents have about a week from being offered to pay the deposit

Thanks for all the replies. It was really a question (now answered 😊) about when we'd need to withdraw our acceptance in order to avoid the first term's fees than about the deposit - whether or not we would get the deposit back is much less of an issue. There are also other factors in the mix (not just state offer day) which will ultimately determine which school our DC will go to, so just working out when we need to make a final decision - decision paralysis! Thanks.