To wonder where these kids are meant to go?!

[Wonderberry]

Unfortunately, my child's school is closing due to the VAT imposition on private school fees. She has special needs, and her fees are paid for by her EHCP, as it is a cheaper alternative to a special school. I am not rich. She cannot attend a state mainstream due to her special needs, and the council agrees with this.

I now have no school placement for her. The special schools are hugely oversubscribed (over 10 applications per place). Even if she could go to a state mainstream, there is no space in any of them, due to lots of schools closing locally. I have called dozens of them in desperation, as I need for her to go somewhere.

I have been frantically contacting the council to get her a new school place. They won't even respond. I'm faced with her being without any school place shortly. I cannot home school as I need to work.

My DD is far from alone in this. Unfortunately, the government has paid no thought into the wellbeing of SEND children, when imposing the VAT.

Because the tax break was taken away about 5 seconds ago. No school in a healthy financial position with enough students is going to shut overnight because parents have to pay VAT.
Unless every single parent pulled their child in September?

20% tax would damage any sector and quickly. Look at how fast tariffs and NI policy impacted businesses.

You may think it’s takes longer but the reality is policies are fast and often people make decisions even before they come in when they are definite. Particularly something like a long term cost.

Can you think of a sector where a 20% tax wouldn’t do damage quickly? Which one?

My DC’s private school - large, highly regarded, all through school - operates at a surplus of approx £1 million per year. At an average of £18,000 per year for the fees, that equates to 55 pupils. Given that there are approx 1200 pupils in total, only 5% would need to leave for their surplus to be wiped out. And many private schools don’t have such a large surplus as my DC’s school. They can get into trouble very quickly.

The VAT policy is absolutely having an impact already on many private schools. State sixth form applications have doubled in some areas. I get constant advertisements in my Facebook feed from private schools.

And let’s not forget, it’s not just VAT. It’s also the end of business rates exemption, increased NI costs and increased TPS contributions which have put massive pressure on the schools.

It’s not a tax ‘break’. No other progressive nation taxes education. It is the legitimate, well adopted route. The UK is very much the outlier.

Ignoring the insane implication that the current Labour government are leftwing, the notion that luxury goods (which private education irrefutably is) should be subject to vat like every other luxury good is not controversial.

What this really shows is that state provisions for sen children are dismal.

These tax breaks going have been a LONG time coming, inevitable in fact and even conservatives have admitted that private schools being treated differently from other businesses was going to have to end.
OP should be FURIOUS with the school who seem to - like many others- have NOT communicated with parents about their financial trouble and given parents more notice so they could look at other options.

They’re businesses though, so their focus is on ££ in.

A business is run to make a profit for the owners of the business (i.e. the shareholders, partners or sole proprietor). My DC’s private school doesn’t have any owners taking surplus funds. It is fundamentally not a business. It is run for the advancement of education.

The current Government are left wing when they want to be. The VAT policy is very much a “red meat” policy introduced to satisfy the very left of the party. No one in the party, whether left or more centric, seems to care that children are being caught in the cross fire.

True. Throw in a damaging policy like this to convince some.

Do cuts to welfare too.

Thank you, you have phrased this beautifully. I am trying to advocate for a suitable education for my daughter (note, not a perfect one, but a suitable one, like all children are entitled to) so that she is able to learn and one day be a productive member of society. If she had stayed in state mainstream she would have left school illiterate and innumerate.

I agree with those who have said there is a lack of state SEN schools. There absolutely is, but this isn't going to be changed anytime soon, and I need a school place very soon. I'm not sure if I mentioned, but the local state special school has over 10 applications per place. In this situation, it's not surprising that private schools often fill the gap left.

A big thank you to the many supportive messages and ones of advise here, I really appreciate it.

I wanted to add, ask for transport if you have to, don't feel you can't. If you are entitled to it, take it.

Frankly if the school closes because of VAT when at least some of the pupils have their fees paid for them, and I’m sure many other parents would just cough up the difference then it sounds like there are wider problems.

Most likely the school had been struggling for some time and would have closed shortly anyway.

I would put together a suggested package of tutoring/social groups eg forest school and other activities that support the needs in her EHCP.

Parents aren’t meant to be involved in the provision, so they’d have to also provide a TA to supervise her and take her to activities during the equivalent of school hours.

This is about state schools needing to provide for this group of students within mainstream or special schools or units or whatever . The state system caters for wide range across prus as well and hospital schools and small group providers for those missing schol due to illness including mh. Speak to lea. Maybe with other parents. Ask the lea to create a new unit.

Ahhh! The optimism! The innocence!

Do you think maybe this has been mooted before? “There’s no money for it.” (And yet the courts force them to pay for expensive provision, and they send along their own barristers to argue…)

I know the head of a local private prep school slightly and she told me that parents generally aren't quitting but they have hardly any new applications for Reception. This is their big worry, that they won't have new customers.

I am amazed that any private school place came in cheaper than what an EHCP pays out which quite frankly is peanuts. Give the LA a chance to find a place or take them to tribunal if they don't.

Indeed. Customers.

I am entitled to transport, but it is a fight to get anything from the council, and I didn't have the will for more fighting. The location meant it was possible (but difficult) to manage without. The new school location will be tougher, so I might need to get transport. So more cost as a result of this closure.

So sorry for you OP, another f...d up policy with no regard for sen children or their families. Hope you find a solution, sending you hugs.

EHCPs pay out significant amounts for special schools. I have been quoted in excess of £50k per year for this at our local special school.

Unfortunately, I cannot rely on the LA to find a place, since they have been ignoring me. I also have no appeal right for tribunal since they haven't given a reply as to whether they will amend the EHCP (this has already been covered). Currently I'm in a terrible no man's land.

Labour did consider exempting kids with SEN from VAT but decided against it because it would prevent them bringing in revenue. This tells you everything about their attitude to SEN, they don't care who they damage.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14564465/amp/Labour-admit-considered-exempting-children-special-needs-VAT.html

You utterly horrible person. We are talking about children, disadvantaged ones at that. Just because you hate their parents, you have no empathy for the mental distress of struggling children.

This is what happens when we allow the politics of envy to kick in. We have seen it on this thread: so many people envious of my disabled child having an education.

Are there any timeframes in the formal complaints procedure you’re following to be able to get the the omburdsman to jolly things along - along with your MP if they continue to stonewall you? That’s all I can think of - for not having responded for 6 months.
Perhaps it would be worth working out when you can put it for an emergency review eg 4 weeks before no placement etc and doing that as well, even though they’ve not responded to the very late yearly review just so you have evidence for tribunal that you’ve done everything from your side as it’s possibly where you’re headed when LA seem
like such unhelpful bellends.