UK INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS


have fees that reflect the quality of the education and opportunities available, with termly fees registering just above the average.


Also worth considering are the registration, enrolment and overseas-pupil deposits that some schools require. Many of these are fully refundable on leaving the school. However, they are significant sums of money; an overseas deposit can be as much as £10,000 in some cases. Most schools will request a fee even before an application is made, to register the family’s interest in the school, but this is usually no more than a couple of hundred pounds. It will be helpful for professionals to be aware of some of the pitfalls for families when negotiating admission to fee- paying schools. Matthew Cook, managing director of Castle Consulting, which offers help to families looking to secure a place at a UK school, points out that, when parents accept a school place, they are very often agreeing to pay the first term’s fees, and could find themselves owing money to a school their child is not attending.


“When it comes to accepting a place at a school, parents need to be mindful of responding in a timely manner and that a deposit is usually required,” says Mr Cook. “In accepting


a place, you are entering into a legally binding contract and will be liable for fees whether your child attends the school or not. This can be problematic for families when a child is offered places at more than one school. It is also worth bearing in mind that there will be a notice period (usually one term) should you wish your child to leave the school.”


TIMING OF APPLICATION AND ENTRY It should be noted that the timing of entry into some of


the UK’s top independent schools is structured around the completion of entrance tests and assessment days. For example, many pupils join Sevenoaks School, in Kent, a coeducational day and boarding school for students aged 11–18, when they are 11+, in what is known as Year 7. The closing date for registrations is at the beginning of the previous September – a full year before entry. This allows time for children to sit a competitive examination in maths, English and verbal reasoning, take a group interview, and file a report from their previous school. For admission to Year 9 (13+), applications for both day and boarding places need to be made at least two years prior to entry, and entrance assessment takes place in the May of Year 7.


St Lawrence College


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