How many kids have left the school? (VAT)

Exactly and also why a tax free non state alternative is was available for all children. Plurality of children’s education eh? Down with that sort of thing.

As PP's have said, there are so many factors at play here. Businesses are struggling for various reasons. But no, my heart does not usually break for a child when they need to move schools. Especially a DC with engaged parents that will likely thrive wherever they go to school.

Our old school closed down although the group that acquired it didn't help they essentially ran it into the ground and writing was on the wall when they made no investment just vague promises so I don't solely attribute it to VAT. We were relocating anyhow. Other more established school have benefited. What is sad which people forget is it's all the ancillary staff as well. The big change as PP have mentioned is people just aren't sending their kids to prep schools now either saving up for secondary or using tutors for grammar etc.

It’s day one for Reform and Tories and yes fees will have gone up by 9.7% just with inflation alone. Is your point that not taxing children’s education won’t help children’s education?

Free education is not available to all if you have SEND that is unmet by state provision.

It’s like putting an extra tax on private healthcare when the NHS is already on its knees

The “forgotten” element in this disastrous policy are all the cooks, cleaners, groundskeepers, minibus drivers, local businesses relying on selling produce to the schools etc.

The effect of private school closures or schools laying off staff, especially in rural areas with little other employment opportunities, is causing real hardship.

Good teachers can usually find new jobs without too much trouble. It’s the situation of the “unskilled” men and women, often older, who suddenly find themselves out of work, that I find heartbreaking.

It is important, that is why free education is available for all.

Children’s education isn’t a luxury, some people consider it incredibly important.
Yes I agree that the tax ‘adjusted the threshold of those with the ability to pay for it’. That’s my point.
Whether moving schools is a big deal or not probably depends on the child and situation, but forcing tens of thousands of children do so will undoubtedly have resulted in some ‘big deals’

Changing school is quite a big deal for a child and not something most parents would do lightly unless they had a good reason.

Funnily enough I remember my psychiatrist insisting that when I changed schools as a child it was an adverse life event that must have contributed to my depression. (It wasn't and it didn't and he was a condescending bastard so this is purely tangential. Also, completely different as I had wanted to change schools)

An excellent school in my area has announced its intention to close at the end of the academic year. It’s incredibly sad. A nurturing school, excellent reputation, much loved by the whole community. VAT and other cost increases, meant it was no longer viable.
There are many decisions made by this government that have lacked common sense, fair execution and forethought. Decisions driven by ideology. Removing the exemption is right up there.
I find it particularly enraging actually.

I haven’t done the workings, and have not claimed to. I quoted from an article pp linked from LSE.

In DC's school about 60 kids have left and the school is struggling and increasing fees (after the Vat increase) for the rest of us. I wish we could take dd out as well but she struggled to cope and was miserable in the state school she started in so we can't just send her back there . She is happy in her current school and thriving.

We didn't take up a pre prep place in september as the low birth rate meant we got an unprecedented excellent out of catchment state place. If we'd have been given our poor catchment school we'd have continued with private.

Theres probably plenty like us who didn't go ahead with private for this reason or VAT, also we were concerned about falling numbers which I'm aware is a self fulfilling prophecy

It doesn’t make any sense, I’m amazed there are still people attempting to rationalise it.

assuming the Govt of the day make it a priority which it isnt so prob more like 4 years but schools may well have put their fees up by eg 10% a year and the school pupil numbers will continue to fall.

Many of those leaving probably would have had to anyway due to the cost of living increases. Like everything, if you wish to pay for the luxury version it is taxable. Free education is out there, or, if you can afford it you can pay for it. All the vat did really was adjust the threshold of those with the ability to pay for it. Moving school is not a big deal.

You’re describing inflation which definitely has an impact on affordability, the 20% is on top of that.

I never understood the VAT thing. For one, it means that parents who could JUST about send their child to private school could no longer do that and secondly there are now lots more children who are putting a burden (not that the children are a burden) on state schools who are already oversubscribed and struggling which just adds to another issue? Private or not why would you put tax on education

I’ll just add, my child goes to a state school. They have to raise £9k a year just for the school to run, how miserable

Most people wouldn’t pull their settled children out of a school without a good reason, it’s pretty obvious why not. Is ‘heartbreaking sounds dramatic to me’ really a good reason to tax parents into having to pull their children out of schools and school closures?

Absolutely this.

I'm describing things that could quite likely be factors alone, regardless of vat.

Yes, you are describing inflation.

No, why so aggressive? I mean mortgage rates, car costs, energy costs etc. Everything has gone up so spare money is naturally tighter.

Kids leave schools all the time. In my child’s class, Y3, they’ve had 5 kids leave since Reception (and 4 start). People move, or change schools for other reasons. Heartbreaking sounds dramatic to me.

If parents can no longer afford something, then the kids adapt. It’s how the parents frame it that makes the difference. There are lots of wonderful state schools out there.