Private Secondary School 70% scholarship

[rinkustinku]

Can this school be any good?
There was a selection test but no interview. The online reviews aren't great.
My daughter didn't get any of her choices of good local comprehensives. This private secondary doesn't get the best results. Every time we speak to them they keep threatening to charge us the first terms fees if she doesn't attend. They have threatened legal action if we don't pay for 1st term regardless of whether she attends or not. We have already paid a £500 holding deposit.
They also keep warning us not to disclose the high scholarship to other parents.

When I look at the league tables the school is not much better than the local low achieving comp my daughter had been offered a place at.
I am torn and stressed out. Any advice anyone?

Is your daughter going into year 7 this month? If so then surely it's a bit late to be asking these questions?

You have a contract with them - they offered you a place and you accepted and paid a deposit. term is starting in a matter of days - of course you have to pay the first term's fees!

You say your daughter didn't get any of her choice of good local comprehensives - so what is your alternative at this late stage?

Almost certainly you will have signed contract stating that you need to give a terms notice of withdrawal from school or will need to lay a full terms fees.

Whether they're any good or not you'll have signed a contract saying you agree to pay a terms fees as notice. I also think leaving it till now to decide it's not any good is a bit late to ask them to be lenient. Surely you looked at results etc before even applying?

Why are you dithering now? Yes you are liable for a terms fees in lieu of notice but unless you give notice before term starts you'd also be liable for Spring term whether she turns up or not. Realistically what are your alternatives? They could have offers the place to another child and perhaps got more than 30% fee income for that place or assisted other children.

If you don't have another school for her to start at then it does not look like you have any choice but to pay the fees and send her when she is supposed to start. Have you bought the uniform?

Why not base your judgement on the school after she has started. You could also look at other state schools in the area that perform better on paper and see if it is worth getting her name on the waiting list, in case your doubts about the private school are confirmed. Exam results are not the only worthy measure of a school.

Where are you getting your information from regarding results? Are you comparing like with like?

Why did you choose this school if the results are not good? Did you not do any homework or did you think that all private schools have stellar results? Was there nowhere else that was better? I agree that the school is correct in that you have a contract with them. You need to decide what you are doing and do it quickly.

Re not disclosing the scholarship, afaik that's standard advice. Partly for the reasons tiggy said, and also because it can place the expectation from peers that the scholarship child will always do better/ is brighter etc, which isn't ideal for any of them.