To wonder if Private School parents think we can’t read?

[Captainmycaptains]

Work/volunteer in Education so following the whole VAT debate.

SM is full of private parent groups ‘organising’ to get the proposed VAT on fees cancelled - fine you would, wouldn’t you esp.if you’re used to getting your own way.

They’re advocating hassling local schools, councils, demanding stats and figures that don’t exist, wiring to MPs - telling people to ‘claim’ their state place to ‘disrupt’ the ‘system’ while also saying ‘ Obvs we won’t be taking Charlotte and Hugo out of school, we’ll find the money’ etc strive harder, getting granny to chip in’ but this might make the council ‘panic’.

Do they think that people in support of the VAT aren’t seeing/hearing/reading all of these plans???

the funniest one yet is the poster who said ‘ well going to claim our state school places then! See how they like that! We’ll going holiday, pay the mortgage down, shop at Waitrose and save £700k in the process, ha!’
I. no you aren’t 2. Okay - go for it! Who on earth would think £700k is worth it?? Behave like a normal person then…

YANBU - yeah, they’re noisy as expected but the rest of us are as think/ concerned as they seem to think. Also - it’s too late for Sept - waiting lists only…

YABU - applying for school places you have no intention of using is daft, and of course everyone can see what they’re trying to do.

😂suggest you do some reading. Are you sure you work in the education sector?

It is completely comparable because you've just described the intake for DDs indi school ie rural, military etc. State boarding schools are just as privileged as indi ones, the only difference is Labour deem them to be an acceptable form of privilege.

That's part of the problem though.

When something affects you and others say "hard cheese", you aren't going to be inclined to give a shit when the time comes for something to affect others.

@purplecaterpillar - VAT and maths teachers, as requested on LBC. This is not the only time he has spoken openly in interviews directly about funding for Maths teachers from private school VAT. “Fully costed and fully funded” I suggest you start listening to our actual leaders speak, rather than secondary sources in the News. Ed Davey spoke well on LBC yesterday.

Starmer absolutely does not address the disabled children question properly.

So if you support this policy, you have to be willing to throw some children with SEN under the bus who do not or do not yet have an EHCP. Are you OK with that? I am not! Listen to Michelle’s question. Proper head of a proper Special Needs School. 7600 catered for, 103000 SEN DC not catered for.

Apparently they are not responding to the head teachers of special needs schools properly. I find that pretty disturbing all round.

No they don't. The write in a remarkabley similar style to an OP a few weeks ago who claimed to have worked in 100s of private schools 🤔 the more the thread progressed the clearer it became that they had never put a foot inside am indi school in their life

The ones I am familiar with provide education for children living on Scottish islands or super remote parts of the mainland. There are no secondary schools on these islands and therefore the only way for them to access secondary school is to board on the mainland.

It really is not "just as privileged" at all. The island they live on don't have schools. Therefore their needs cannot be met there.

So still not comparable.

As for the ones at your private boarding school - they can remain there and pay VAT or transfer to a state boarding school and not pay VAT.

Insults and hatred…directed at people who most likely pay a lot of money to your household.

I imagine that you will claim that you are earning 6 figures and are a net contributor but when I read your post it screams of jealousy.

Yeah: frightening hatred.

Do you grow up narcissistic? I thought it was a genetic trait!🤷🏻‍♀️ Bit off the topic but it made me wonder …

There a state boarding school up the road from me in Kent...it's not exactly remote...I commute into the City!

Just shows there are obnoxious people in every sector of the population, state, private, rich, poor (or middle), Labour/Green/Conservative, vegan or meat eater, religious or not... yep they are everywhere!

I dare say that is true for many, but i personally know that one family who was in my friends class and didn't attend school during lockdown (despite neither parent working) absolutely had wifi because they talked about all the x box games they played to me. Meanwhile my husband and I who were both working online, were fighting with the kids for turns on the computer/tablets. It was such hard work, but we jugged and just about managed it (whilst pulling our hair out).

I’m not able to watch all of the interview, but did he also mention anything about using the money to provide breakfasts for state school pupils?

I seem to remember Emily Thornberry suggesting that this is what the money would be used for.

The majority aren't like your example though ie Home Counties etc

SEN children will be exempt from vat if they have an ECHP

And what about Scottish, Welsh and NI kids with SEN?

One way of dealing with the military and SEN question would be to make sure all children in those categories go automatically to the top of state school waiting lists and get priority admissions to any state school of their choice. But obviously for SEN some official paperwork will have to be provided, but I cannot see a full EHCP working due to the massive delays in the system.
If they want to make education more equal for all then they have to shake up the admissions code completely and also give FSM choice of school. Transport would still be a massive issue in many areas and we cannot afford to cover that though for all.
I think I can get on board with that. I think if they did that then private school parents would have to suck it up too. Otherwise they are just playing private school parents against state school catchment/grammar parents etc. They are literally making the top private schools even more elitist and the top state schools as well. Makes zero sense for a Labour Party to do that.

Don't think they've thought about those.

Only around 7k SEN kids in private schools have EHCPs. 108k SEN kids in private schools do not.

Starmer announcing last week that SEN with EHCP will now be VAT exempt was obviously music to the ears of those with SEN kids in state schools trying to get an EHCP.

He just incentivised 108k parents to apply.

@Dancingonthemoonlight

Well, the state system didn't exactly teach you any empathy did it? In fact, you rather sound like one of the bullies that some of us encountered ourselves at state school and are now keen to avoid ourselves.

I am sure you do. But the children attending the one in Oban have to get boats to it.

40 in the UK with 2 in Scotland and 1 in Wales. The overwhelming majority don't serve remote places.

That's fine but that doesn't alter the fact that I was simply commenting that not ALL state boarding schools are on remote Scottish Isles! Just as they aren't all in the home counties!!!!

I'm unsure of the "I am sure you do" comment?

There are only 30 state boarding schools in the UK and of them 25 are in England.

Presumably the ones in the Home Counties are attended by those who parents are working overseas in the military, diplomatic service etc.

Again those attending private boarding schools by choice can still chose to do so and pay VAT or apply for a place at a state boarding school if they meet the criteria.

I went to a state boarding school. It was a super-selective grammar for boarders and normal grammar for day students.

It was a mix of overseas military parents and those who lived outside the catchment, had children with high enough scores and could afford the fees. The catchment has always had a massive premium on house prices because you didn't then have to pay the boarding costs.

It ran along the lines of a minor public school.

Most state boarding schools I know are the same.

Just to reiterate that if you child goes to a fee paying boarding school and you don't want to pay VAT then apply for a place at a state boarding school if you meet the criteria.

Its just the same as those choosing private day schools. Pay VAT or move to the state system.

I look forward to seeing you on the PTA.

So we are back to what is acceptable privilege and what isn't. How are 600,000 kids going to get places in 40 state schools?
The fact remains that most state boarding schools are the same privilege as private ones, with exactly the same background of pupils.

Not bloody likely 😆