Council spends £8000pa on a taxi due to VAT on private schools

[Iwishicouldflyhigh]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14403627/Labours-VAT-raid-teenage-girl-private-school-council-fund-8-000-taxi-bill.html

So now a place is being taken up in an overscribed school, a 15 year old has had her eduction severely disrupted and the local council has 8k less in the pot.

Well done Labour!!! One of many stories, i'm sure and so predictable.

I'm not really understanding why so much of this thread is focused on VAT for private schools, while that is the reason for the child leaving her previous school it's got absolutely nothing to do with the parents decision to choose the state school that they did.

Quirks of the academy system, entirely known to the DFE and should be known to Labour, if they had any clue whatsoever! In addition, to the fact that many academies will welcome high attaining privileged kids, if they can, within the rules, somehow. Entirely logical and obvious to most of us, except seemingly, those in “charge”.

The LA can only process an in-year admission if the application is made. Theyte not nind readers. And yes, your last bit outlines exactly what this family has done, I'd say. There's no chance they'd have got a place at this school in year 7 as they'd have been too far away. As luck would have it, they've now gained a place by stealth.

Agree
It obviously helps to be in the system though, which those in charge don’t seem to be.

Girl gets a place at a state school.
Girl lives far enough away to receive free transport to said school.
Girl is provided with transport.

Good.

I understand that you are ideologically opposed to private schools. I wish everyone could see that this whole policy is based on ideological opposition and not financial consideration. On this basis, I am very happy for the family to gain as much financial compensation as possible, as this decision was forced upon them by others. I do not see this as a policy which has gone smoothly. It is affecting many, many people and will continue to do so. The impact on those working in private schools (not just teachers) and providing services for private schools has barely been discussed and this will be a growing problem as more schools announce closures. Surely your ideological opposition could have focused on actually improving state education rather than punishing private education?

I don’t like how they have used their child in the publicity but, at 13, she could have refused. I hope she was given the choice.

Precisely I think she flew under their radar till she wanted something from them.

Seems the only choice she was given was lose your home or leave your private school

Yes that really long waiting list certainly moved fast !

It's all about the mum and Labour though isn't it?

Not good.

This still boils down to schools not having places and dc having to have places at schools. LAs cannot plan for this. Parents are pushed into a corner. Undoubtedly the schools were full nearer to home or they definitely would not pay transport costs!

Where I live, if you go to one of the grammars, but go past an “all ability” school on the way, you pay for transport. Therefore it seems no school on the way could have had a space. Sitting on a waiting list isn’t a place.

The school the child attends didn't have a place either, but it's the only one the mother bothered to apply for a join the waiting list.
If she had applied, been turn down and them appealed for a close school she would have very likely been admitted to one of those

Indeed. A more standardised approach to both admissions and education itself in the state sector might restore confidence.

The system is completely screwed up. There are so many inconsistencies between schools that there's no such thing as a "standard" state education. Parents really can't be blamed for playing the system to the best of their abilities to ensure their kids have a decent education.

For the price of your taxes, your kids can get an education to rival any private school at a top grammar, a 'bog standard' education at a normal comp, indoctrinated in a religious horror show, left to survive as best they can in an anarchist hellhole or be dehumanised in one of those awful 'zero tolerance' academies that are so popular nowadays. It is one big mess for parents to deal with.

To be fair, if that was the choice, that was the choice. The Labour government put the policies into place which made that decision necessary.

When we moved, the LA used the fair access protocol to offer dd a place in the nearest school. Ant other school they would have had to pay transport as the next nearest was 5 miles away. It was clear in the docs we had that no school place could be offered without considering the cost of transport. Fortunately dd was over the infant rule.
So, if the la had been more pragmatic in placing the child they could have avoided the whole issue

I don’t think they knew about her until
the mother put a request in for transport for a school she had already started

I would say they would have been cutting it finely.

The whole system is is wild
my Daughter is starting a private school for year 7 as they could no find her a place in a state school plus transport

80k a year it’s going to cost them !

Is that via an EHCP?

How will it cost £80k
Cheltenham ladies and Brighton are the priciest with boarding but none are anywhere near @£80k

Or does this include flights or something 🤔😀

or what @OhCrumbsWhereNow said. Although the figures still don’t stack up

@Plantatreetoday it may be an independent special school or a non-maintained special school. These can be incredibly expensive. Some are far more than £80k.

The fees are 65k with VAT plus transport and additional costs for senco and occupational therapy .

Super intensive SEN placement, is my guess. They can cost more than that, too.

It is s very bizzare we were happy with our local Sen schools / resource based 6 consultations all 6 said no
only option was a Independent specialist dyslexia school
80 percent of their students la funded .. surely there is a cheaper more productive way for the systems to work.

I don't think that is likely unless you are talking about the likes of Eton with fees of over 40k... Unlikely for a nurse.