Book for our Discovery Mornings

Discovery Mornings are a chance to explore the Schools on a normal working day.

You and your family will tour the School in the company of one of our pupils and will meet the Principal and senior team over tea and coffee.

Junior School (Reception – Year 6):
Wednesday 15 May 8.45am – 10am

Senior School (Year 7 – Year 11):
Wednesday 15 May 10am – 11.30am

Spaces at a Discovery Morning are limited so that you can have as much time as you need to see the School at your own pace and discuss your child as an individual.

Fees In Advance Scheme

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How It Works

The objective of the Fees in Advance Scheme is to provide a method where the cost of independent education can be reduced by making an advanced lump sum payment.

In return for a lump sum payment to the School, at or after the acceptance by the parent of an offer of a place for the child at the School, the School will apply a credit against the amount due under each term's fee invoice for an agreed number of terms. The total value of these credits will be commuted at an agreed rate in order to calculate the total amount of the lump sum payable by the parent to the School under the Scheme, with such calculation carried out prior to the parents joining the Scheme.

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Examples Of How It Operates

The scheme operates by parents buying a credit against future invoices at a discounted amount. These two examples show how parents can benefit from the scheme:

Example A

Parent/guardian pays the majority of school fees in advance

Parents ‘A’ wish to provide a sum of £6,000 per term for the full period of their child’s time at the senior school, which would be 21 terms. The total of the fees credited over these 21 terms would be £126,000.

The commutation rate is currently 3.0% so parents ‘A’ actually pay to the school the sum of £114,273 (from the Standard Table £19,045.55 x 6) so the termly cost to parents of providing the £6,000 worth of fees is reduced to £5,441 (an effective saving of 9.31%).

The parents will receive an invoice each term showing the full fees. The Finance Department will then contact parents each term to confirm the actual payment due.

Example B

Parent/guardian pays the minimum qualifying amount

Parents ‘B’ wish to purchase 9 terms at a rate of £3,500 per term. The total of the fees credited over these 9 terms would be £31,500.

The commutation rate is 3.0% so parents ‘B’ actually pay to the school the sum of £30,280.87 (from the Standard Table) so the termly cost of £3,500 is reduced to £3,364.54 (an effective saving of 3.87%).

The parents will receive an invoice each term showing the full fees. The Finance Department will then contact parents each term to confirm the actual payment due.

For all enquiries and to receive a personalised and accurate quote for the Fees in Advance scheme, please complete the below form.

Your Name

Your Child's Name

Your Child's Year of Entry

Email Address

Contact Number

Address

Street Address

Address Line 2

Town/ City

Post Code/ Zip

County/ State

Country

Can I make a lump sum payment and guarantee that I have no further fees to pay in the future?

Unfortunately not. As we do not know what tuition fees will be in the future, we are unable to guarantee that you will have nothing more to pay. The fees in advance scheme also only covers tuition and boarding fees; you will still have to pay extras (like music lessons or trips) on a termly basis.

If I make a lump sum fees in advance payment can I have my money back if I need it?

Banking regulations mean that we are unable to refund fees paid in advance other than under clauses (14) to (16) of the following terms and conditions. This effectively means we can only refund fees if your child leaves the School.

What does the School do with fees paid in advance?

Fees paid in advance form part of the general unrestricted reserves of the School, the School is therefore free to used fees paid in advance as it sees fit. However, as a general rule fees paid in advance are held in a separate bank account from the School’s general account and an amount is then released to general funds at the start of each term.

What happens if the law is changed and VAT becomes chargeable on school fees?

As the law is currently written, VAT is due on a taxable supply of a service at the earlier of the service being provided or payment being made. If the fees in advance scheme is used, the time of supply would be time that cash is received into the School’s bank; and under current legislation that means VAT would not be due. If VAT does get added to school fees in the future and the time of supply rules are not changed, VAT would not be due on the amounts paid in advance. Parents could therefore potentially save the cost of the additional VAT by paying in advance.

However, if VAT is added to school fees at some point in the future it is also possible that the time of supply rules could be changed at the same time. If VAT does become chargeable, the School will have to pass this on to parents regardless of fees having been paid in advance. There is therefore a risk that either way parents will be liable for VAT at some point in the future.

The School is unable to provide legal or taxation advice on whether using the fees in advance scheme is appropriate for parents. We recommend that parents obtain appropriate advice from an accountant or solicitor before opting to make a lump sum payment.

Can a grandparent make a lump sum fees in advance payment?

Yes; however, we may need to undertake further checks to confirm the relationship with the student and the source of the funds.

Is there a minimum cash payment?

Yes; there is a minimum limit of £30,000. This amount is the minimum to be paid to the Schools and is the amount after the discount has been applied.

Quick links

Fees In Advance Scheme

How It Works

The objective of the Fees in Advance Scheme is to provide a method where the cost of independent education can be reduced by making an advanced lump sum payment.

Examples Of How It Operates

Example A

Example B

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