To wonder if Labour really understand the implications of their attack on private schools?

[Bumpitybumper]

I've just found out a private school near me is almost certainly closing. I honestly think this is a disaster for everyone involved. Obviously the direct employees (teachers, caretakers, caterers and cleaners etc) and the suppliers will suffer. The children will now need to find a new school either in the state or private sector. Easier said than done considering many of the good local schools are full so there it isn't like they are applying for a state schools with a full range of options that everyone else has. Most importantly though, I wonder if the government has quite anticipated the type of children that they are disrupting and harming here.

I withdrew my child from this private school because the school was basically acting as a bit of a school that unofficially specialised in SEN and my child doesn't have a SEN so it was a poor fit. Many of the children struggled with behaviour, socialising and needed adaptions to the school day to keep them on an even keel. The school managed this fine as it was small enough to adapt and create an environment that wasn't too stressful for the children. I am seriously worried about what will happen to these kids now. I don't think many of them could cope in a state setting, especially one that is struggling already to deliver a good level of education to the children there. I honestly think these children will either have their own education decimated or they will incredibly disruptive and resource hungry which will impact other kids. I feel really angry on these poor children's behalf. The parents that I know that sent their kids there were doing so as a last resort because they had been failed by the state sector.

AIBU to think that Labour really hasn't thought through who they are impacting with their anti private school policies? They are nowhere near nuanced enough to target the privileged only and inevitably many struggling and SEN kids are going to be hugely detrimented by this.

Yes and those increased running costs have been hugely exacerbated by Labour government policies.

More will be homeschooled.

Yes, but it can be claimed back for places at private schools funded by SEND budgets from councils.

VAT is hurting private schools a lot, along with the NI. My DB is a teacher in a private school and redundancies have just been made last week. Staff crying, morale in the toilet. This won't be in the news, it's happening invisibly. If the school closes, which it might, my DB will not teach in the state sector again. He was assaulted: kicked, punched, hit by a student during a lesson and this is what made him leave.

IMO, most private schools are filling a hole. There are only a handful that are really elite, the others are fixing problems. My DS is grown up now, but I sent him to a private school due to autism. Smaller classes, teacher availability to help him etc. There are areas where state schools are either very oversubscribed or very bad and private schools mop up those problems.

Private schools aren't really the enemy and there is huge privilege in parts of the state sector. My DS met a girl who goes to a state sixth form - her parents have purchased her a brand new mini for her 17th birthday, she lives in a £2m house and holidays all over the world. All whilst applying to schemes that are trying to help less privileged children and require children to be in state education to be eligible. Parents went to uni, are in fantastic professions. Laughable. Whereas my autistic child, who hasn't been on holiday for years and lives in a house with a fraction of that £2m value, is considered a privileged little shit just because we broke ourselves getting his special needs helped.

State vs Private is such an ignorant argument without context.

Exactly.

They want private schools to close though, even if they’re not saying it loud.

Not another bloody VAT thread!

Such as?

I work in education, we've had to build numbers year on year to keep up with increases in running costs since long before Labour got in.

Or are you implying Labour inherited a country in fantastic shape, and have destroyed it?

Schools do survive in financial difficulty for decades. VAT and NI have finally broken some of them. Just because they were in financial difficulty already, it doesn't make VAT and NI OK. It makes it worse - putting the death kick into a school where parents are trying to get their children a good education because the state sector failed them.

I’ve yet to see an announcement where the school closing hasn’t said - financial crisis, longtime coming, fall in numbers over years etc etc.
It’s almost as if THEY’VE priced themselves out of business…

I don’t that that Labour really understand the implications of any of their ridiculous policies tbh.

You know there is a reason why the government doesn't charge VAT on private dental and health care. This is because it relieves the state of a burden and we want a healthy population. The same logic applies to private schools. We want people to opt out of the state system so we have more cash for state schools and we want well educated kids.

It is absolutely not comparable to most businesses that don't perform a public duty and don't ultimately save the state money.

It is not an attack.

How many private school places are full funded by councils? That’s going to be a very unique rare occurrence but a very interesting position.

I’m out of the system now but my DS was SEND but we paid, so if VAT had been added would the council have covered our VAT element? This seems so counter productive.

A Whole load of admin and stress for no benefit? I wonder if labour ever regret this policy? As they will loose money on it.

If the number of children is the same as it has been for years, it can't be due to the VAT policy.

I don't want any children to have their education compromised, but I also think: we are in economic crisis, with US tariffs, the urgent need to re-arm, and desperately low productivity. In this context, yes I think squeezing private schools is acceptable. SEN support needs boosting (see the scars on my back) but it should be within the state sector.

As for the pp complaining that Labour vindictively targets those who won't vote for it: well, smell the coffee! Every government has to decide who is going to pay for its programmes, and every government tries to avoid creating too much political damage for itself in making those choices. Sadly, there simply aren't enough rich and evil people around to only squeeze those who 'deserve' it.

I guess you are lucky if it hasn't hurt you or someone you care about. My DB's job is on the line.

You are exceptionally fortunate in that regard. I am glad your child has got the help they need.

Exactly this!

I look at hospitality businesses now and the many articles suggesting the so many are on the edge of survival. Is our instinct to tax them out of existence or do we what we can to help them survive and protect the jobs etc involved? This is even more pertinent for private schools where we risk kids rebounding back into the state sector and a huge increase in demand for SEN provision. SEN provision is already bankrupting councils up and down the country and yet so many on this thread don't seem to care. Not for the private school children impacted directly, state school kids that will see their resources stretched ever further or the people that will now be unemployed.

I agree with all of your first paragraph, except for the idea that 'squeezing' private schools is the answer. Many private schools won't survive the squeeze. Unless those kids go to other private schools and keep paying VAT then this is going to cost an awful lot of money. Money we simply don't have!

There is no money to improve SEN provision is state school. None at all! Closing private schools will only lead to more kids turning to the state sector and more demands for SEN provision.

Why would you pay legal fees to get an EHCP? The entire process, including the tribunal and appeals service, is free. You do not need legal representation to navigate it.

I work in the private sector and thanks to the current economic environment MY job’s on the line. As are many people’s.
Presumably your DB is a half decent ( qualified) educator in which case he’ll be fined and no, not all state schools are full of stabby, illiterate ingrates before you down that line …
He should do what I and many people I know are doing - start looking for a position somewhere less volatile if the school he’s in is looking like it needs to make cut backs.

Why would you assume that her DB is a qualified educator? He could easily be one of the many support staff needed to run a school.

What nonsense

YOU removed your child because of the set up.

others will have done too no doubt

that’s the reason the school is closing, because there isn’t the desire for a school set up to run in that manner.

otherwise data suggests that parents who can pay, can pay more, and are doing just that. The doom and gloom that was coming from private school parents has not manifested

For the millionth time, the schools pupil numbers have been stable for many years. I withdrew my child but nobody else left. It wasn't some mass exodus.

We have no idea about the impact of this policy. Literally none. Wait until next year's admissions figures are finalised and maybe then we will get our first idea.