How many kids have left the school? (VAT)

Then there’s the private tutoring that many of these parents pay for. That’s allowed too. That’s ok. Despite the fact many people can’t afford private tutors, it’s OK for them because they Can afford it.

Yes I’ve never understood that.
The mention of private schools seems to be an enjoyable opportunity for some people to have a go at the children who go to them. ‘OMG privately educated children are entitled, arrogant, snobbish etc. I would never let my little darling get contaminated mixing with Tarquin and co”

Most shocking is that even special schools are not exempt from VAT. Of course, the councils are usually paying via EHCP, but some parents have no choice but to self fund, again due to councils neglecting their duties.

What I am trying to say, is that there are many parents like me, who are left with no choice but to send their child to private school due to SEN. The state provision simply isn't there. I am not wealthy by any measure, but I had no choice as state provision could not accommodate my child.

@RhaenysRocks and @Aislyn - the fact that SEND was not excluded from paying VAT is unforgivable and offensive to me. It is the main reason I thought the policy was nasty from the start. Still do not understand the rationale for not excluding SEND from VAT payments.

Absolutely. My child has significant sen and I tried to send her to a state school. It was an absolute disaster from the get go. She went for years and I tried everything with regular school meetings, often daily, fighting hard for an EHCP which took quite literally years. Nothing improved, and she was incredibly traumatised as she just cannot cope in a loud busy environment. I begged the council for help.

The state school advised me to withdraw her, and I am so grateful they did. She thrived in a tiny nurturing independent school. It was non selective and not academic at all, with parents from across the social spectrum, with many kids with send like my daughter who could not cope in state school.

The thing is @nearlylovemyusername what is “best” is subjective.
If my kids had gone to a competitive London private school, they would have been average nobodies even with top grades and top music exams and sports. At their grammar school, they are amongst the best and socially accepted and happy and popular.
So why would I send them to the supposed most sort after to be made to feel average? Even if I could afford it.
So not seeing the point and added value in private education when you have decent state options, I think is quite common place. Plenty of people just think well they all do GCSEs everywhere so why spend 300k getting to the same place.

Only if you have a choice of great state schools for your own kids and your private options aren't that good. Means you live in a very nice=expensive area.

Otherwise no, not possible. This would require some very twisted brain to chose no the best option for your kids if you can go for the best one.

Does anybody think it’s possible to be philosophically and politically opposed to private schools? And to be able to use private schools but choose not to?

I don't think its helpful to talk about the 'elite' in this conversation. So many of us are struggling by with an SEN child in a shabby, small, non famous school. They aren't going to be prime ministers or high court judges. But the educational setting they've accessed might just allow them to get some GCSEs and beyond and a chance at reaching adulthood without being entirely traumatised.

Yep Labour broke the social contract with this one. There’s no putting the genie back in the bottle.

Mostly on these threads it ends up most people agreeing Brexit was a disaster. The Labour Government used VAT on education as a symbolic punishment for Boris Johnson types?
However, it really is dangerous, because I have it on relatively good authority that so many of the public school elite are tilting Reform now and that is really bad news given ownership of social media and mainstream media.
So if anyone thinks life cannot get worse than under Labour, well it most definitely can get even worse.
This newest war shows how exposed we are as a single ineffective nation with illusions of grandeur amongst a world dominated by super powers.

Yes my parents too (I never supported Labour anyway)

I also hope it would be reversed. I am no longer a labour party member and I will never be voting for them again.

I’m certain it will be reversed.
Im also certain the U.K. will rejoin the EU at some point meaning taxing children’s education is illegal ..and offering protection for the children in the unlikely event that Labour get anywhere near government again.

Private schools have always paid VAT since it was introduced. Children’s education has always been tax free, you are conflating the two. You can call not taxing children’s education a loophole if you think it helps your argument …in which case it’s a loophole shared by almost every country on the planet and protected by EU law.

I don’t think the policy will be reversed. And yes a future government could decide to tax the things you mention @Araminta1003

When we left the EU, we were told that taxes would have to go up. People chose not to listen.

Or care home fees for the rich pensioners. The poor pensioners paid for by the Council can get the VAT back. This is why some people were concerned about VAT on private education fees.

The loophole analogy is dangerous because there is still private health care and uni education to tax, for example. Who is to say eg the Green Party would not do that, for example?

When I read posts like this I can’t understand why you aren’t able to see that the only reason private school was VAT free for so many years was due to a loophole!

They said they will, we know Labour definitely won’t. It’s enough for my vote.

I think anyone who thinks a different political party - Reform, Conservative will actually change this policy should they get into government is delusional.

@TooLittleTooLate2 Yes exactly, look at those 6 year olds over there..they’re to blame… vote for me and I’ll give them something to cry about.