Private Schools- hear me out before you judge!

[Silverbook]

I'm a state school teacher in Scotland. Class sizes are - 25 for P1, 30 for P2-3 and 33 for P4-7. I currently have a class size of 25, most classes in the school are 25-28. Relatively small town- 2 primaries, 1 independent and 1 secondary. The next nearest independent is 45 mins away.

The local independent school is closing due to VAT, the pupils are largely coming here. This is pushing all our class sizes up. No extra funding or staff, obviously. My issue with independent schools closing is that is directly impacting the state sector and no extra funding, resources or infrastructure is in place to support it.

Yes, our classes are still within legal limits but it will always be the most disadvantaged children/those with greater need of support who are impacted most by larger class sizes as there is just less time to spend with them.

I really feel this has been a poorly thought through and knee jerk policy. Surely you invest and create capacity in existing resources before increasing pupil numbers?

How does it work then? It works like that in Wales too. How do they decide how much money to give each school in Scotland if it isn’t based on numbers on roll?

It is decided by pupils on roll. Just a quick google shows it. What’s your motive here, OP?

A factor directly impacting schools, funding, enrollment is the declining birth rate.
It could be suggested that some private schools had robust enrollment 10-15 years ago, perhaps driven by competition for places in “outstanding” state schools which were difficult to get into.
With less children entering education every year, there is shrinkage in both state and private with some schools feeling the effect more than others. Parents weighing up available education & cost. Some areas state school gains or loses, others private does.

There is no doubt that “government” is aware of population shrinkage which is possibly why just shrugging at the unplanned immigration. Hoping that people start entering employment to pay takes to support the population.

Reading the actual trends might also make one consider that VAT on schools a Spin-driven distraction to get the population focused on “inequality” and the vat in private schools to fix it. Rather than focusing on the ever growing bigger bottom of the inequality with more and more new arrivals without skills required to drive modern economy. More students with parents (assumptions here but read the attached) born outside the UK which could put more pressure on teachers / classroom. Two thirds, that’s 66% of births in “London” are to foreign born parents … and 33% rest of UK.
Sure it could be that all those parents, are English speakers, familiar with UK education system, and striving for Oxbridge … and they will drive education standards upwards. Or will it be like Finland where they report widening of inequality driven by immigration driving the bottom downwards.

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/bulletins/birthsummarytablesenglandandwales/2023

I don't think I said it was? It’s not all about VAT is it? It’s about wages and inflation and cost of living and burnt out teachers and burnt out parents and kids with SEN and neurodiversity. It’s a whole bin fire of life.

And there are not enough school places in some villages, towns, cities or counties.

Some of these types of schools don't exist in Scotland. We just have schools - which may have academy / grammar in the title, but are just schools.

Funding is decided on a single day in September, based on the roll on that day. Any influx. / loss of pupils mid year makes no difference to funding.

There is very little movement beyond catchment schools. Kids go to their school and should get a place there. Placement requests from further afield only happen if a year group is not full.

I think the thing that makes me most cross about this policy is it is aimed at parents who have made a choice. But it is really, really shit for children.

It is bloody awful for kids being moved mid year, losing friends, teams, teachers and their "home."

And I don't care how wealthy parents are, their kids should still matter to politicians.

It’s a day in January in Wales. Either way, you get funding per pupil.
Edit: I think the AI added academies. It’s about state funded schools.

Do you think it’s an increase in less-affluent old people dying from cold home and are you assuming THEY are Tory?

I’ve heard Tory old people live forever …

What an absolutely disgusting comment !