Pre School Fees

lynseydee

My son started school this September and previously attended pre school.

As he was leaving the pre school to start school it didn't occur to me that I still had to give notice and so having asked me what my son's last day at pre school was going to be they have taken the six weeks notice from the date of my reply and so they are charging me up to the 15th September.

Originally they told me the figure would be what it would be with the funding my son was entitled to. They then sent me a chaser letter stating a different amount. When I queried why the amount owing was considerably more the response was that as they are unable to get the funding the price has gone up.

I sent a cheque for the original amount stating that I thought it was irrelevant that they were unable to get funding for my son as he is no longer in their care. They have subsequently e-mailed me to say that they no longer take cheques as payment and that I have to pay either by bank transfer or card and that the full amount is to be paid.

I was just wondering where I stood on this? Am I liable to pay the full amount or should I just bank transfer the amount of the cheque and see whether they take any further action?

Any help or advice would be appreciated. As a single mum I could do with not paying anything I don't need to.

Thanks

Guest101

Did he previously use the facilities during the holidays?


What does your contract say?

onlyroz

Regarding when the last day was, it's reasonable for the pre-school to want to know this well in advance - some parents will want cover right up until the day their child starts school, whereas others might take them out mid-July.


As for the funding issue, your post is a bit confusing. Was he eligible for funding or was he not? And if not, why did this change?

lynseydee

Guest101 wrote: »

Did he previously use the facilities during the holidays?


What does your contract say?

He did use the facilities part of the holidays. They then e-mailed me to ask when his last day was going to be and I e-mailed them back confirming his last day. They then responded to my e-mail saying they required six weeks notice and that his last day would be the 15th September and telling me what the fees were.

The contract does state that six weeks notice is to be given but I didn't realise I still had to give notice as he was leaving pre school to start school.

onlyroz wrote: »

Regarding when the last day was, it's reasonable for the pre-school to want to know this well in advance - some parents will want cover right up until the day their child starts school, whereas others might take them out mid-July.


As for the funding issue, your post is a bit confusing. Was he eligible for funding or was he not? And if not, why did this change?

I understand it is reasonable for the pre-school to want to know when his last day is going to be. I informed them that he would be off for the first three weeks of the school holidays, back for a week and then would not be back as he was starting school. I believe I told them his last day would be the 24th August but as this didn't give them the six weeks notice they worked out the notice period would end on the 15th September.

He was entitled to the funding. My argument is that they told me what the fees would be obviously not taking into account the funding would stop when he started school. They have now increased the fees as they are unable to claim funding for him but as he is at school and not in their care I think it is irrelevant on whether or not they can claim funding.

Guest101

I suspect you could argue it unreasonable for them to not calculate that he was leaving to start school and knock of a week or 2 when he was actually in school


But ultimately do you want to fight it in court?

lynseydee

Guest101 wrote: »

I suspect you could argue it unreasonable for them to not calculate that he was leaving to start school and knock of a week or 2 when he was actually in school


But ultimately do you want to fight it in court?

I don't want to fight it in court but did offer the lower figure as a full and final settlement payment by cheque but they are saying they no longer accept payments by cheque.

If I bank transferred the lower amount to them I guess I could see how far they would go in pursuing me for the outstanding amount? As the amount is about £90.00 is it something they would actually do?

Guest101

lynseydee wrote: »

I don't want to fight it in court but did offer the lower figure as a full and final settlement payment by cheque but they are saying they no longer accept payments by cheque.

If I bank transferred the lower amount to them I guess I could see how far they would go in pursuing me for the outstanding amount? As the amount is about £90.00 is it something they would actually do?

I think it may be slightly foolish not to fight it in court - given the nature of the business it's reasonable for them to take steps to mitigate any loss (IE realise the child is starting school)


I wouldn't transfer anything until I had a written agreement.


I don't know them, I would happily go to court over £90.00 - knowing that if I won, the person would end up paying 4 or 5 times that amount

sheramber

They will be charging the full amount as they could have allocated the place to another child if they had known he was not going to be there. So they are charging the amount they would have received.

lynseydee

sheramber wrote: »

They will be charging the full amount as they could have allocated the place to another child if they had known he was not going to be there. So they are charging the amount they would have received.

But they knew he would not be there as they knew he was going to be starting school. That is my argument. The fact that one minute they're telling me it's one figure and then once realising they can't claim the funding for the first two weeks of school they're now chasing me for the full amount.

Guest101

lynseydee wrote: »

But they knew he would not be there as they knew he was going to be starting school. That is my argument. The fact that one minute they're telling me it's one figure and then once realising they can't claim the funding for the first two weeks of school they're now chasing me for the full amount.

I would pay nothing and write to them offering a F&F figure of 4 weeks (excluding the two which were clearly never on the cards)

lynseydee

Guest101 wrote: »

I think it may be slightly foolish not to fight it in court - given the nature of the business it's reasonable for them to take steps to mitigate any loss (IE realise the child is starting school)


I wouldn't transfer anything until I had a written agreement.


I don't know them, I would happily go to court over £90.00 - knowing that if I won, the person would end up paying 4 or 5 times that amount

I have an e-mail from them stating what the fees would originally be after I told them when my son's last day would be and then another e-mail and a chaser letter confirming the new figure, the e-mail being received after I queried why the amount they were chasing me for was more than they originally told me they would be.