VAT on fees and schools wasting money

[Cinnamonswirled]

It seems as though the fees are likely to go up by 15%.

But is anyone else frustrated by how much their children’s schools seem to be spending on unnecessary things like never ending building programmes, ever-changing branding and gimmicky roles for staff?

It all seems a bit tone deaf in the current climate.

Does anyone else feel this?

Shop elsewhere ....

Not another one!

How many threads!

Try the state sector. They're not even fixing the crumbling buildings let alone building new ones & not enough staff to fill the basic roles so definitely no gimmicky ones.

Totally - and you've missed out cuts in staff packages to subsidise it all, including the VAT.

Are you familiar with Baines Cutler @Sewingmachine1 ?

IMO many private schools are pricing themselves out of the budgets of their target parents already, and that's before VAT is added.

The local prep schools to me are now charging £7k a term.

I just wish parents would realise that there is a consumer rights issue here. And that teachers who are witnessing the waste spending and inflated salaries of school leaders cannot speak out about it. It needs to be parents who call it out.

@Cinnamonswirled yes, BC is often mentioned. I agree with you that parents should become more aware of where money is spent.

What consumer rights are being wronged?

There is an issue of ‘pass through’.

Schools pay a consultancy (there is just one that they all use) to acquire data from parents via affordability surveys. They then sell the data to all schools. They say this isn’t illegal price-fixing because there is a legal loophole (they anonymise the data). But the effect is the same. They have driven up fees across the UK with their ‘benchmarking data’. Parents should be all over this.

The consultancy say to the Head and bursar, ‘you should be paid more’. So those salaries go up. Well above inflation. (Check the charity commission website for what your head is earning and when the salary suddenly jumped - about 6 years ago?).

They then say, change the timetable to make your teachers teach longer lessons. Reduce the curriculum. Don’t track inflation for teacher salaries- you can get away with that. Everyone does it! Blame the pensions. Use ‘fire / rehire’ just like P&O ferries.

They tell you to build new things, develop marketing and development departments, pay enormous entry fees for ‘Parent Power Times School of the Year’ competitions. Suddenly you have as many people working on the support staff as you do teachers - but these new staff aren’t supporting teaching… and your teachers are leaving (increasingly in unceremonious circumstances - check the accounts for severance fees) and being replaced with unqualified, inexperienced ones … and they don’t stay long either.

I could go on for ever @wubwubwub Until parents get together and stand up to schools and challenge them on spending, we will lose the sector.

There are plenty of people in private schools who are becoming very rich in this ‘financial crisis’ for the independent sector. They are not parents and they are not teachers.

I find the opposite, OP. My ds' school is adapting to the potential issues that may be caused by added VAT.

They seem sensitive to the CoL crisis and, while they have plans to make certain improvements to the school, those are things a lot of the parents have been suggesting for a while, and will benefit all classes.

I think it depends on the school tbh.

Surely, they can spend their money how they like? As long as they're providing the service they've contractually obliged to give you - namely, educating your child away in an independent of government rules/regs etc. They are businesses that deliver education - a business first, a school second... If you don't like how the business is spending the money you're giving it - then go elsewhere?

the unqualified/inexperienced teachers are there filling gaps - because they're allowed to have unqualified teachers at inde schools. There's a huge recruitment crisis for things like science teachers etc. and also they're cheaper to employ.

its just business.

How do you feel about schools using ‘fire / rehire’ on their teachers?

Just ‘business’?

How do you feel about schools using ‘fire / rehire’ on their teachers?

Just ‘business’?

Couldn't give a shit.

It's a business. They run it now they want. If people don't like the school because of the fact they have poor staff retention or unqualified staff teaching their kids, or want modern teaching spaces, or whatever... then the parents can choose to buy education from the hundreds of other schools available to buy education services from.

Do you care about other companies doing the same? Or care about how... Tesco spends their money on their offices?

@wubwubwub interesting that you believe schools should honour their contracts with parents but not with staff.

How do you know what's in their contracts?

I am surrounded by a few inde schools, and from the grapevine I’ve heard multiple people connected to these schools that these schools are tightening their belts majorly and restructuring and not replacing anyone leaving if the role is not that essential (non teaching staff). So, it’s the opposite.

Because ‘fire’ and ‘rehire’ is used to tear up employees’ contracts and get them to sign new ones.

And if Tesco used ‘fire’ and ‘rehire’ it would be on the front pages of every national newspaper. As it was with P&O ferries.

@wubwubwub I don't know what is in an individual contract.

You said 'As long as they're providing the service they've contractually obliged to give you' which indicates you believe schools should honour contracts with customers but you 'Couldn't give a shit.' if schools use fire and rehire, ie tear up staff contracts and renege on contractual obligations.

So...again... How do you know what is in their contracts?

many companies do this. It's not unique to these businesses?

It's not great. Agreed.

But again, if you know the school are doing this, why are you continuing give them your money??

I'm not trolling. Just wondering why you would carry on being a customer of theirs??