Schools mull fee refunds

Parents who spend tens of thousands of pounds a year on independent school fees could get some of their money back after schools were shut to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

A number of fee-paying schools are considering discounts or fee freezes in the next academic year, as well as more funding for bursaries, after the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown.

Whether or not parents get any money back depends on the individual institution. Schools are trying to strike a balance between appeasing parents and keeping afloat. Some institutions are unlikely to offer any discount on fees at all, while others may offer refunds on services they are no longer providing, such as meals or coaches.

They may also offer discounts in the form of credit to be deducted from next year’s charges.

In all cases, the core cost of tuition is highly unlikely to be refunded, as most schools are teaching pupils via online classes.

Hollygirt School, a small independent school in Nottingham with about 200 pupils and 60 staff, said it was considering refunding parents the cost of catering and transport to sports facilities and fixtures.

It is also looking into a fee freeze for the first term of the new academic year, which starts in September.

Pam Hutley, the headmistress, said she was trying to consider the financial situation of parents while preserving the school’s own finances and keeping her teachers on the payroll.

“There is a popular myth that if you send your children to a fee-paying school you are extraordinarily rich, but most of our parents are normal, Middle England, working people, several of whom are working in the NHS, and they are already struggling to afford fees,” she said.

“These are uncertain times and we want to help our parents. Without them we would have no business and the school would cease to exist. On the other hand, if we don’t have money coming in, we can’t carry on either. I also have my staff to think about and I am hoping we can save some costs, some of which may be passed back to parents, by using some of the support schemes the Government has put in place.”

The headmaster of a small independent school in Bedfordshire, who asked not to be named, said the larger schools in London and the South East, which were more likely to serve wealthier families, were unlikely to offer any kind of discount, as parents were already well-off.

“It’s the smaller independents like us, who don’t want to have parents

Institutions are trying to strike a balance between appeasing parents and staying afloat and pupils leave us because of all this economic uncertainty, that will be trying to change things,” he said.

He said he was considering implementing a credit system under which additional costs for services no longer being used, such as school dinners, could be deducted from the overall bill next term.

Parents are advised to speak to their children’s schools to find out what fee breaks are on offer.

Anyone struggling to pay should also inquire about bursaries. Many schools have switched from scholarships to bursaries in recent years to provide places for pupils who otherwise would not be able to afford the cost.

‘PAY UP OR LOSE YOUR PLACE’

Nurseries have also asked parents to continue to pay for their child’s care, even though government measures have forced them to close.

Most are small private businesses, which face not being able to pay their staff and possible collapse if there is not enough money coming in. Some have told parents their child could lose their place if payments stop.

This has forced many parents of young children to pay for emergency childcare on top of the nursery fees. While key workers such as NHS staff can continue to send their children to school, some small nurseries may decide to shut their doors. Hiring an emergency childcare provider for 50 hours a week would cost around £240 over five days, or £192 a week if using tax-free childcare. The typical cost of having an after-school childminder is just £72 a week.

Some nurseries will remain open to the children of NHS workers, but others will not. Rebecca O’Connor of Royal London, the insurer, said this would put a strain on some families. Many may have already suffered loss of income, due to the shutdown, and have no visibility on when this will change.

She said: “For working parents, particularly those in the public sector, such as nurses, the cost of emergency childcare may simply be unmanageable. They could end up in a situation where they are going straight into debt through paying for childcare in order to keep their jobs. “This is especially likely if they are trying to shield from contact older family members who might otherwise provide free childcare.”

She urged parents to check if they were eligible for help with childcare costs, whether through Universal Credit or tax-free childcare. People can check this on the Childcare Choices government website.

Covid-19 has caused institutions to close, but there may be a chance to get some money back, finds Harry Brennan ‘These are uncertain times and we want to help our parents’