to suggest that every single parent with a child at private school apply for a state school place asap?

[sarjd]

let's see how that works.

@noblegiraffe but they will have more staff per pupil than state schools

Renters care because they are downstream of the landlord's mortgage.

Of course you need to be able to absorb a 20% increase in mortgages. Where have you been?

How many more of these threads must we endure? Anyone would think this policy affected 93% of the UK's parents, as opposed to just the 7% it actually does. Or less, when you consider the tiny numbers who genuinely cannot afford an increase in private school fees, out of that 7%.

I have no idea what you mean by "you people" but if a child has significant SEN needs that cannot be met in mainstream education then that is not the fault of mainstream education? I do know that there is an extreme shortage of spaces in special schools so there are children in mainstream education where provision for them is inadequate, and that benefits no one either.

State schools have cut staff to the absolute bone and beyond. The idea that private schools need more staff per pupil and cannot make any cuts is rather eyebrow-raising.

It seems to vary all over
We do have a problem in Kent.
School places in Ashford and Canterbury hit the headlines in 2022 ( for example) with no places available at all in Year 7 and Year 9 for any extra people / arrivals.
Birth rates have been dropping every year but some places still suffer more than others

So whats the solution?

Leave our children with no education whatsoever because heavens forbid the child otherwise receives a private education, funded entirely by their own parents?

Not my situation, btw - my DD is at an independent funded by her EHCP. We should be safe but KCC seems intent on coming for children like mine in private even funded by EHCP.

My point is a lot of these mainstream schools tell SEN parents there is no space, because its easy for them to do so. Many posters on here are saying this is actually not the case.

Which is it? Why does it seem acceptable to lie to parents of disabled children?

Based on the average school fees, the VAT per term would be £1,360. Or £350 a month.

You really expect people to believe that finding that money would leave these squeezed middle classes destitute?! Or would they just not be able to afford a holiday every year.

Absolutely, but MN is over represented by parents who can afford private.

It seems the majority of people obviously don't care too much and are quite happy for this happen otherwise the polls wouldn't be saying Labour is going to win - I don't think it's going to lose them the election.

All this shouting and screaming from parents of children at private schools shows how much power and influence they have particularly in the media - state school parents don't seem to get the same coverage nothing seems to have happened regarding the RAAC scandal for example. In my mind all of this makes the argument for getting rid of private schools even more powerful.

@noblegiraffe I know that. But you can’t just get rid of staff, redundancies cost and there is a process. Where possible state schools have relied on natural wastage. Not sure all private schools could take a hit of 20% without passing at least some of the cost to the parents. And if they pare everything down to what state schools have had to not sure parents would want to send their children there.

But surely we don’t want a race to the bottom. Everyone is concentrating what is happening with private schools while the woeful funding of state schools go under the radar

There’s some deliberate lack of understanding here. There is capacity/spaces in state education. Is state education good enough? No. There is a lack of funding and politicians constantly demanding new paperwork etc for things they have little knowledge of which take up time and restrict teachers doing what they know best.
We have more diagnosed SEND, behavioural issues and mental health problems than ever.
We are forever being asked to do more with less.
However, there are spaces and if those spaces are filled, more money comes in. Also, if filled by parents who are active in their child’s education there will, in time, be more pressure for change.

Are state schools good enough? No
Are teachers doing their very best with poor funding and unrealistic demands from parents and policymakers? Yes
Are there spaces for children? Yes

We all want what is best for our children but we are not all in the same boat. It seems that now those who have managed to avoid the mess that is state are being impacted - it is beginning to matter. It is not a race to the bottom. We should be advocating for all children.

Can't really be bothered to explain the gist of what I'm saying - but you've misunderstood it completely.

My point is a lot of these mainstream schools tell SEN parents there is no space, because its easy for them to do so.

Saying they have ‘no space’ is not one of the two reasons that mainstream schools can give as reasons not to accept a pupil with an EHCP. Schools will just be directed to take the place no matter how many pupils in the class. An EHCP will override even the KS1 class size cap.

But they start with an awful lot more money per pupil than state schools do...

I’m not enough of a socialist to believe in the this.

Well I'm afraid they do it all the time. Hence me saying that parents are being lied to.

From what I've read, children with EHCPs will be exempt from the VAT on fees.

Your pure petulance on this thread pretty much says you do that already.

Yes please. Our school and many in the area are losing staff because they can't maintain the classes due to falling role numbers, so we're desperate for every last new pupil who would like to come our way.

Lovely, 'leafy' primary.

But that means nothing, the LA will just name them as the Section I school anyway, and the child will have a space allocated there.

@noblegiraffe has that been confirmed

This was pretty much exactly why I vetoed private for our son.

Well, that's cleared that up 👍🏼 Meanwhile, I can assure you that my mortgage is up far more than 20% and it would have been unwise of us to buy a house if we couldn't absorb that kind of increase.