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.

Weren’t you the it’s only been two minutes poster it can’t be impacting schools yet

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

^ This. I can well see that increased NI contributions will have an effect but that's true for many many businesses.

It’s only on mn I read this. My friends with dc in independent schools are all saying the impact is minimal. Full 20% hasn’t been passed on so increases have been manageable. Only one angry family I know ranted on fb (dc Sen and struggled in state school) but the week earlier she’d been sharing architectural drawings of the house they are building - it’s a mansion.

This article suggest there’s no mass exodus https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/mar/10/no-exodus-to-state-sector-after-vat-added-to-private-school-fees-say-english-councils

NI increase and business rates.

The VAT changes have had an impact because they have impacted projections regarding future demand. I also think Reception intake was low but their classroom was away from the others so I didn't really get a sense of that class size.

Private education is a luxury, not a necessity therefore should attract VAT. I have had to pay VAT for tiles on my roof, hardly a luxury item. I pay tax on my private health insurance (quite rightly). Why should private education be exempt?

This article is fundamentally flawed. When I sent my child privately I also applied for a state place. Lots of parents have historically done this. The difference will be in how many of these state places are actually taken up.

Would love to know the school OP - we are thinking of moving ours to a similar sounding private and would hate for it to be about to close as we just had that with another! We’re in Essex

0.4% of school children in England are at private school and have an EHCP.

Not me. The child's parents. I have no idea but the wait for assessment/ diagnosis was 3 years and when child became suicidal they paid for private care. I don't blame them even though private health care is another contentious issue.

You shouldn't be paying VAT on your private heath insurance. You will be paying an Insurance Premium Tax. If you paid for your healthcare privately and didn't rely on insurance then you wouldn't pay VAT.

Private education should be exempt for the same reason private healthcare is exempt. Because it is in the country's interest to have a healthy, well educated population and it saves the taxpayer money if people will pay for these things themselves.

Not in Essex!

Not everyone with SEN needs or applies for an ECHP.

20% of the yearly fee for the nearest private school to my house is more than £6000.

Okay, is your business a registered charity which has a board of trustees, must follow charity law and governance, can’t make a profit and must reinvest any surplus in core activities? I’m a trustee of several not for profit foundations/educational charities, and they can’t operate as businesses. They are audited as charities every year, and the accounts are approved as charities, so they really aren’t operating “as businesses”.

Private schools that operate as educational charities have accounts that don’t fundamentally differ from the accounts of state academies or academy trusts (which are also charities - technically “exempt charities” with a different regulator).

At my child's school it was £2.5k. This is about average for the area.

OK then. 1.1% of children at school are at private school and receive any level of SEN support.

I also think Reception intake was low but their classroom was away from the others so I didn't really get a sense of that class size.

But we know that birth rates are dropping so all schools, private and state will have falling rolls.

I thought that some state schools already pay business rates.

Sorry, I meant IPT. And if they charged VAT I'd happily pay that too. Because it is a luxury item I am paying for, not a necessity - it is my choice to have health insurance.

They're charity on paper most of the time. Offering the barest minimum in order to do so. Yes, there are a few truly charitable schools, but the vast majority, while not having 'share holders' are not charitable. Offering a few 20% bursaries means only the rich can afford it still.

I think they understand. But they don’t care.

Healthcare isn't a luxury. Private healthcare could be viewed as a luxury but unlike champagne and yachts, it is helping the state immensely if you fund your own healthcare. The state is relieved of the burden of funding your healthcare. It would be crazy to disincentive people from paying for their own treatment. We need more people to do this, not less!

Tax wealth not income!!!

ISC census results suggests 20% of children in private schools have SEN.

No, it says 16.7%. Which is the figure I used.

Sensible post. I wish your son well.

On another note, why do so many people quote the OP? Including the very first reply! I wish MN would disable that function.