To think parents of private education school children will be fine

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I’ve seen lots of threads on this topic recently. It would be great to have it’s own section so those who want to chat about it with fellow parents , can without an argument.

But private school parents and their children!! We will be just fine. There’s so much smugness and bitterness and hate coming from people who think it’s great the VAT will be added and force some out. In fact I don’t disagree - add VAT on ! Great, and then we can take either our state places up … win win we have more money to spend on holidays, deposits for houses for our kids, private tutors, extra cirricular activities etc and we can probably move to better areas with the outstanding state schools or OR we pay it it we can afford to keep our children there.

On some of the independent school committees they are working out how to charge the fees differently so the actual fees we will pay 20% on are low and the rest of the money is on stuff that’s exempt from VAT. They are also looking at changing the nature of the schools so the children get their state education allowance and then pay extras on top- like you would nursery extras.

The chance of labour implementing it is low. There are solicitors looking at it now and whether they can change the law to allow it.

So either way we’re not in a bad position - as most of the threads argue we are the wealthiest in The UK- some can’t afford food bills etc so we are incredibly lucky to have choice and it is true we must have money to
even contemplate spending £25k on each child in school.

Of course there are ways to cut support staff. One less cleaner, one less grounds staff, one less security guard, a receptionist, a couple of sports coaches….it all adds up.

"Of course there are ways to cut support staff."

Well, no because then it means that others have to do more and that doesn't work.

What might happen is Private schools might become more efficient.

I can assure you that’s what happens in most private organisations. Yes, the people left do more work and often become disgruntled. It’s obvious that people are going to lose jobs over this. Labour are telling schools that they will have to absorb the costs. If 70- 80% of your costs are staff, then there will have to be cuts.

The first thing to disappear completely will be supported places for lower income and children of teachers.

If parents are now going to be paying £50k extra tax per child for the state education of other people’s children, all goodwill will diminish towards subsidising private education for anyone else.

It’s £50k tax per child over 12 years, assuming £21k fees per year.

@Sk1lark
As do all the parents of bullied SEN kids who use state schools and who form a massive majority. Our children cope, yours will too.
Cope? Well according to you YOUR child is coping. Some don't. Some kill themselves. But that's ok isn't it. You have to accept losing a few of the weaker ones 🙄

" Labour are telling schools that they will have to absorb the costs. If 70- 80% of your costs are staff, then there will have to be cuts."

Lots of big assumptions you are making, just to fit your narrative.

Most likely a load of rubbish.

No they won't as this is a great attraction for recruitment.

Parents will just pay the higher fees.

Very little else will change.

I think fee remissions for teachers might reduce slightly in percentage terms for schools struggling the most, but there's no way they will do away with them. They are a massive draw to recruit, and more crucially retain, teachers.

Bursaries on the other hand, totally see these being done away with, particularly if funded solely from fee income. Schools will support their existing parents who are actually providing their income. On this particular policy, it really is a race to the bottom for Labour.

Oh common, it’s just basic economics. Or are you denying that the biggest cost for a private school is its staff?!

I’m not the one spouting rubbish.

What's "most likely a load of rubbish"? That 80% of a school's outgoings is staff? Because this is absolutely true

This policy will likely affect those on bursaries or scholarships, who are already being "subsidised" by full fee paying parents.

The question is at what tipping point the smaller private schools (who don't have the resources of Eton etc.), will become non-viable when attrition into the state impacts.

For example we had 3 at private (1 remaining), and I would guess if 10-15% of children were to leave the school would have to close. If they increased the fees to the remaining 85% to cover the deficit I doubt we'd see value and switch schools.

That would have wide ranging implications for staff, suppliers, contractors as well as pupils who all lose.

I checked and our termly fees have already increased by over 20% in the last two years alone. I suspect when VAT is added they will support from this legacy increase combined with VAT reclaim which they currently miss out on.

I can assure you that they will cut staff. I am a governor of a local prep school and have friends who are governors at others. We are all reluctantly looking at cutting staff numbers.. we have a few acres that are not being used for sports pitches, they are enjoyed by walkers etc as a public footpath runs through them. We are probably going to cut the number of groundstaff, mow the footpath only and leave the rest alone. One less groundsman.
Another school has a minibus driver who takes the children on school trips and to matches. They are now going to arrange more local matches, and fewer school trips. One less minibus driver needed.
Another school employs a local woman who comes in and teaches the younger children cookery skills. They are going to swap that role and give it to one of the catering staff and absorb that woman’s work amongst the others. One less chef needed.
Another school is a boarding school… they employ gap year students to help in the boarding houses and to give them experience of sports coaching etc. they don’t need to hire as many as they do so they’ll cut these too.

it beggars belief that you think that staff costs won’t be considered and cut. Yes this may be economising, but it is also taking away jobs and opportunities.

This is the REALITY for me and others at the private school I work at (which my DC do not attend). I’m sorry job losses and hardship don't appeal to your emotions.

If you think it’s easy to walk into alternative jobs in an impoverished rural economy, you’re living in cloud cuckoo land.

Low skilled jobs will be the first to be cut in an economy drive.

" I’m sorry job losses and hardship don't appeal to your emotions."

Please do not make out that any of this is some kind of benevolence,

None of it is going to result in large lay offs but the way you are presenting it is like it is.

It was an appeal to emotion, fail.

Most of them will be. The majority of private school parents who are whining have become accustomed to the most vulnerable in society being shat on from a great height whilst they sit back, I'm Alright Jack.

It's time for a bit of fairness.

How is it scheming to have lawyers look at something?

🤣🤣

Are you a Nigerian prince or a private school teacher? No teacher that I have come across either in state or private would be so dismissive about someone losing their job.

Why are you making private school parents responsible for all the World’s ills? Fair, you wouldn’t know the meaning of the word.

Wooosh.

I can be dismissive about people losing their jobs, the reason it is being mentioned is an appeal to emotion rather than an actual attempt to justify the VAT not being implemented.

None of them suggested are large levels, or mass redundancies, although I did like the carefully constructed story where the private school is both the major employer in a rural area ( which suggests a certain size) and will people redundant with few other opportunities. Shouldn't a school of that size be able to find efficiencies elsewhere?

Are you talking about Clayesmore school in Dorset? Are you accusing the headteacher of crafting a story?

https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/money/saving-and-banking/cant-afford-private-school-no-state-places-labour-election-3115370

"Are you talking about Clayesmore school in Dorset? Are you accusing the headteacher of crafting a story?"

The head teacher who wrote the whole letter about it being a small rural school and forgot to add the bit where it charges 29,500 to day pupils and 38k to boarders?

I'd call that carefully crafted.

The number of people who will be affected by this is so small in the scheme of things. It really isn’t on most people’s radar.
Labour ARE going to win by a massive majority. VAT on private schools IS going to happen.
A few private school pupils will move into the state sector (which can easily cope with the numbers) and they will no doubt enhance the state school they move to.