By . Dominic Prince . and Jo Knowsley . PUBLISHED: . 17:08 EST, 15 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:08 EST, 15 February 2014 . Parents struggling with the spiralling cost of private education are signing deals which give Britain’s leading public schools a share of the family home in return for deferring fee payments. The Mail on Sunday can reveal that parents are so desperate to keep their children in top schools, they allow them to take a ‘charge’ on the house as a guarantee against unpaid fees. It means the school allows the child to remain in education but claims the fees when the family’s house is eventually sold. Millfield School in Somerset, which charges up to £30,385 a year, is one school taking a 'charge' out of parents' properties in order to cover fee payments . In extreme circumstances, the school could force the sale of the house to recover the debt. The headmaster of a leading South London day-school, who did not want to be named, told The Mail on Sunday that taking charges on homes had become common practice. Schools including Millfield in Somerset, whose former pupils include Lily Allen and model Sophie Dahl, King’s School Canterbury, where Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe and children’s author Michael Morpurgo were educated, and Saint Felix in Southwold, Suffolk, have all agreed deals to take charges over parents’ properties. Millfield charges up to £30,385 a year, King’s up to £32,235 and Saint Felix up to £24,420. Millfield has at least one charge over a West Country property which is currently for sale at £1.3 million. Bursar Mark Suddaby said: ‘We understand that school fees are a major financial commitment for parents and that financial situations can change. Taking a charge on homes is the last resort.’ He added that there were no recorded cases in the past five years of the school forcing the sale of a house to recover an unpaid debt. John Jackson, a governor at the school, said: ‘Public schools do take out legal charges on occasions but this is only done when parents are  in real difficulty. ‘It allows the parents to pay the fees later while the school can be content that the parents can’t disappear without paying.’ Mark Taylor, bursar at King’s School Canterbury, confirmed that the school held charges over several properties. At Saint Felix, a floating charge against parents’ property has been enshrined as part of its ‘affordability packages’ offered to help parents pay the fees. The King's School, Canterbury, which charges up to £32,235 a year, is also accepting charges. They allow the school to take part of the value of a house when it is sold . School governor John Whyte said: ‘We have had this  system in place for four or five years and I would say it has been successful. We only have a handful of legal charges against property – probably about four or five. ‘It all started when a couple of  parents got into hardship when the recession hit and we felt it was important to be as fair and flexible as possible. ‘We only take out legal charges if the loan is more of a long-term agreement that requires more security, as we give some parents the option to take eight years to pay back the fees. ‘It is usually the whole fees amount that parents borrow. ‘The middle class have been squeezed over the past five years and I would say that all independent schools are having to look at ways  to make it easier for parents to pay the fees. ‘I think we have to use all the weapons in our armoury to make paying the fees as flexible as possible for parents who have come to  us with problems.’ Mike Lower, general secretary of the Independent Schools Bursars Association, said that it was not known how widespread the practice had become. ‘At a time of recession parents will struggle more to pay their fees, so it is only logical to estimate this is happening more often,’ he said. Since 2000, private school fees have more than doubled, with pupil numbers dropping from 514,531 in 2009 to 508,472 in 2012.
Private schools are placing 'charges' on parents homes .
Charge allows the school to take a portion of sale value to cover fees .
In extreme cases schools can force parents to sell the family home .
Millfield school, Somerset, The King's School, Canterbury, and  Saint Felix in Southwold, Suffolk, have all agreed deals with parents .
By . Dominic Prince . and Jo Knowsley . PUBLISHED: . 17:08 EST, 15 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:08 EST, 15 February 2014 . Parents struggling with the spiralling cost of private education are signing deals which give Britain’s leading public schools a share of the family home in return for deferring fee payments. The Mail on Sunday can reveal that parents are so desperate to keep their children in top schools, they allow them to take a ‘charge’ on the house as a guarantee against unpaid fees. It means the school allows the child to remain in education but claims the fees when the family’s house is eventually sold. Millfield School in Somerset, which charges up to £30,385 a year, is one school taking a 'charge' out of parents' properties in order to cover fee payments . In extreme circumstances, the school could force the sale of the house to recover the debt. The headmaster of a leading South London day-school, who did not want to be named, told The Mail on Sunday that taking charges on homes had become common practice. Schools including Millfield in Somerset, whose former pupils include Lily Allen and model Sophie Dahl, King’s School Canterbury, where Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe and children’s author Michael Morpurgo were educated, and Saint Felix in Southwold, Suffolk, have all agreed deals to take charges over parents’ properties. Millfield charges up to £30,385 a year, King’s up to £32,235 and Saint Felix up to £24,420. Millfield has at least one charge over a West Country property which is currently for sale at £1.3 million. Bursar Mark Suddaby said: ‘We understand that school fees are a major financial commitment for parents and that financial situations can change. Taking a charge on homes is the last resort.’ He added that there were no recorded cases in the past five years of the school forcing the sale of a house to recover an unpaid debt. John Jackson, a governor at the school, said: ‘Public schools do take out legal charges on occasions but this is only done when parents are  in real difficulty. ‘It allows the parents to pay the fees later while the school can be content that the parents can’t disappear without paying.’ Mark Taylor, bursar at King’s School Canterbury, confirmed that the school held charges over several properties. At Saint Felix, a floating charge against parents’ property has been enshrined as part of its ‘affordability packages’ offered to help parents pay the fees. The King's School, Canterbury, which charges up to £32,235 a year, is also accepting charges. They allow the school to take part of the value of a house when it is sold . School governor John Whyte said: ‘We have had this  system in place for four or five years and I would say it has been successful. We only have a handful of legal charges against property – probably about four or five. ‘It all started when a couple of  parents got into hardship when the recession hit and we felt it was important to be as fair and flexible as possible. ‘We only take out legal charges if the loan is more of a long-term agreement that requires more security, as we give some parents the option to take eight years to pay back the fees. ‘It is usually the whole fees amount that parents borrow. ‘The middle class have been squeezed over the past five years and I would say that all independent schools are having to look at ways  to make it easier for parents to pay the fees. ‘I think we have to use all the weapons in our armoury to make paying the fees as flexible as possible for parents who have come to  us with problems.’ Mike Lower, general secretary of the Independent Schools Bursars Association, said that it was not known how widespread the practice had become. ‘At a time of recession parents will struggle more to pay their fees, so it is only logical to estimate this is happening more often,’ he said. Since 2000, private school fees have more than doubled, with pupil numbers dropping from 514,531 in 2009 to 508,472 in 2012.
schools a share of the family home in return for Millfield School in Somerset, which charges up to payments . In extreme circumstances, the school Morpurgo were educated, and Saint Felix in Southwold, Suffolk, have all agreed deals to take parents are  in real difficulty. ‘It allows the The King's School, Canterbury, which charges up