What is Flywire?
Flywire is an international payment system created specifically to allow international funds transfer for educational purposes. The system is secure and offers an end-to-end traceable service at very competitive rates. What a payee pays is the total cost. There are no further additions or deductions taken by routing banks or high street bank currency conversion rates. It is our preferred method for receiving funds from non-UK domiciled parents (and re-paying funds, e.g. returning Acceptance Deposits). Please see our Flywire site for more information.
Why do you prefer we use Flywire for international payments over a traditional international bank transfer?
The charging structure of Flywire is far more equitable for parents/bill payers than retail banks. The system is secure and traceable by both the parents and the Accounts team throughout the transaction. It’s also much faster than traditional bank transfers. Feedback from those who have used the service say the system is easy to use, very intuitive and the rates of exchange favourable. Flywire offer a guarantee of being the cheapest method of transfers funds (within certain conditions).
Do you offer any form of fee assistance for children attending King’s Ely?
We do provide a limited amount of assistance under certain circumstances, mainly to assist children through their GCSE years. There are various other fee remissions available for choristers and former choristers, eligible military/FCO/Clergy families and sibling discounts. Please see the sections on financial assistance and fee remissions.
Can I pay the fees in advance for a year or more and do I receive any discount for doing so?
Yes. We offer a Fees in Advance scheme.
What happens if I don’t want to receive my invoice by email?
Please let us know and we will resolve the issue. It would also be useful for us to understand why, as the feedback since changing to this system has been overwhelmingly positive.
Can I pay my fees monthly instead of termly?
We don’t offer a Direct Debit payment facility at present. We have considered this previously but the extra workload/staff cost of reconciling a monthly payment for 100 students and doing this work three times a year is a significant factor. There are schemes available by providers who offer credit at very competitive rates for providing such a service (we however can’t introduce you, as we would need a Consumer Credit Licence to do this).
Who should I contact if I have a query about my bill?
Please contact Accounts in the first instance.
What happens if my child misses school owing to illness – will my fees be reduced?
This is not the case. You will appreciate that our costs do not decrease if a pupil is not in school for a period of a few weeks or longer, hence there is an insurance product to cover for such eventualities. All new joiners (and present pupils, through an annual request sent by letter from the Business Manager) are asked if they would like to opt in to an insurance scheme to refund fees for school missed through illness. For more details, please see the section concerning insurance.
What happens if I don’t pay my fees on time?
We will remind you, gently at first, and over a series of a number of formal reminders becoming more forthright. We will charge a late payment fee from the date the fees are first due until the date they are paid. The cost of this late payment fee is 1.5% per month (please see the Terms & Conditions). If you are in unforeseen, genuine financial hardship or you have extenuating circumstances, we will consider waving of the late fees. Communication with us as early as possible is key to our understanding the situation.