*Urgent help!*

[sarahwilson2]

my dd has passed the 11 plus and got into a private school. Everything was going very well until an unfortunate family bereavement due to the death we no longer have enough money to pay. We now only have a week left to pay the fees! I don't know what to do!

Please help

Sorry to hear this. Can your DD accept a grammar school place if she has passed the 11 plus?

Talk to the school first off and explain the situation - they may be able to help / do payment plan etc.

If it's a no go then you need to work out where next - other/cheaper school / another way to get money /state school - you'd need to contact your local authority to work out where she could go.

Good luck!

Wat Dora said.

Call the school.

If they can't offer help, you will have to send dd to another school. Possibly not the one you would have chosen, at least initially.

Talk to the school, they might be able to help or at least not charge the full contractual cancellation fees due.

Ring council and get your DC on state waiting lists as soon as possible.

It's A level results day, so school will be staffed, but very busy. Have a very clear, brief script prepared and be happy to Email instead if they ask.

this must be a horrible time for you.

You do need to contact the school as soon as possible (if fees are due, it's likely there will be some office staff at work for the processing and they should be able to help you and/or contact the senior bursar) so you can find out what the options are for the immediate crisis of being unable to meet this bill right now.

Then you need to work out if there is any way you can sustain the plan to pay for her schooling. Or at least start with the original plan and have the time for an orderly move to a different school.

If you do need to find a state school, then you need to get on to the admissions team at your LA to make an application. Schools may well be full, but you might strike lucky with a vacancy at an acceptable one. And sometimes there is a bit of a shakedown in places if expected pupils don't actually turn up in September (though it takes a bit of time for the LA to establish that a 'no show' is indeed a relinquished place, not just an absence), so it is worth making sure she's on the waiting lists for all schools you like before the start of term.

Are you saying you just don't have this terms fees or that you cannot pay full stop .

If the former just let the school know the circumstances and when you will be able to pay .Usually no problem.

If the latter then obviously you have a much bigger problem and need to find another school.

Sorry you find yourself in this situation . Is it a short term problem or indefinite ? If the former the school may give you an extension or offer payment terms especially if your ds is potentially a good pupil and did well in the tests, if long term then suggest you cut your losses now and ask LA to find him a place .

I agree with the others.
You've not made it clear if this is a temporary cash flow problem or a problem ever paying the fees.
I would start off by looking at the schools website, look at what they write about bursaries, many of course make grandiose claims but at least it will give you some idea about their general ethos, or if they're only available to scholars, some state the maximum they are prepared to give. Then sit down and do some figures, if this is a short term problem work out when you're realistically going to have the money e.g. will have to wait for probate, a house has to be sold etc. explain you will keep the school informed every step of the way. If on the other hand your saying your unlikely to ever be in a situation to afford the fees, then again sit down and work out if you can realistically afford anything. Either way then phone the school and ask to speak to the bursar directly. In many schools bursars don't take the same holiday as the teaching staff, some bursars are even responsible for over seeing school maintenance, hiring/ firing of all non teaching staff etc it's a big job they generally don't take 18 weeks holiday a year. Ideally ask for an appointment, face to face is always better IME but if he can't see you ASAP carefully explain your situation over the phone including what you could afford etc. We've dealt with lots if bursars over the years they are usually very human and very helpful.
I would also start looking for state alternatives if this is a long term problem, just in case the school can't help although I sincerely hope this won't happen. Good luck. If you find the time do let us know what happens.