'Why is my February bill the same as March?'
Your terms say fees are charged in equal monthly instalments, averaged over the weeks you are open. It is simple for parents to budget. Then a parent notices February has fewer days than March and asks why they pay the same. Another family starts on the 17th of the month and gets a bill that seems too high. A child changes from three days to two in November, and the office works out a part month by hand.
In December, the setting closes for a week. A new parent asks why closure days are charged. The answer is in the averaging, but it takes a long email to explain, and each part-month calculation is done a little differently depending on who does it.
Why averaged fees cause confusion
- The averaging method is written in the terms but applied by hand at edges: starts, leavers, changes.
- Part months are calculated by days, by sessions or by weeks, depending on who does it.
- Closure days and bank holidays are already built into the average, which parents do not always realise.
- Pattern changes mid month need two calculations blended together.
- The invoice shows only the monthly total, so parents cannot see how it was reached.
How you set fees and which closures are included is a decision for you and your terms. We build around your method, not ours.
What the confusion costs
Parent queries take time and some goodwill. Inconsistent part-month calculations mean two families in the same situation pay different amounts, and parents compare notes. Errors at starts and leavers either lose income or overcharge, and correcting them means credit notes. The office spends time explaining the same averaging method every term.
How we build fee plans
- Your averaging method is set once: the weeks you charge for, how the annual total is divided, and which closures it already accounts for.
- Each child's regular sessions produce their monthly fee automatically from your price list.
- Starts and leavers are calculated using your pro rata rule, whether by sessions, days or weeks, the same way every time.
- A pattern change during a month is split at the date of change, with each part shown.
- The invoice carries a short line explaining the figure, for example 'three days a week, averaged monthly over your charged weeks'.
- A parent-facing summary of the year shows what they will pay each month, including the part months at the start or end.
| Situation | How it is calculated | What the parent sees |
|---|---|---|
| Normal month | Your annual fee divided as your terms say | Same monthly amount, method explained |
| Starting mid month | Your pro rata rule from the start date | Part month with dates |
| Changing days mid month | Old and new pattern split at the date | Two lines with dates |
| Leaving mid month | Your pro rata rule to the last day | Final part month with dates |
| Closure week | Already within the average | No change, and a note if you wish |
After the change
The parent who asked about February gets a clear answer on the invoice itself. The family starting on the 17th see a part month with dates and the calculation. The November pattern change shows as two lines. Staff do not calculate anything by hand, and two families in the same situation always pay the same.
When you review prices for next year, the new annual figures and monthly instalments are produced for every family at once.
Signs this is you
- Parents query why monthly fees do not vary with the days in the month.
- Part months are worked out by hand.
- Different staff calculate starts and leavers differently.
- Closure days prompt questions every year.
- Invoices show only a total, with no explanation.