All staff meeting end of day - handhold

[Backtoreality1]

Pretty sure that we are going to be shutting down - but whether with immediate effect not sure. Its been a horrible day as we were informed about the meeting first thing this morning, so you can imagine how much work is getting done! Only one topic of conversation and its all going round in circles which is driving me crazy.

All those blaming Labour might want to listen to recent Radio 4 More or Less on this

more schools closed under the last 18 months of the Tory government than have closed in 18 months of Labour government.

but don’t let facts get in the way, I guess

But more private schools are closing in no small part to the VAT being applied to fees.

The VAT has been the final nail for many private schools. Of course there are other slower squeezing issues but the VAT and the way it’s been applied here is the reason for closure. This has been the situation for many of the 100+ schools that have closed since January’25.

As a side note, I cannot believe the way this has been handled. Another local private school made a public announcement within hours of the staff announcement. Had the school even managed to communicate the closure to all pupils and parents before they started their recruitment drive? I hope so or it’s an awful way for them to find out. I feel for all those heading into the school today - so much uncertainty.

It is beyond appalling the way that school owners handle these situations. Imagine going to a meeting to announce to the staff that their jobs and homes are gone - and being poorly prepared? It's outrageous.

Not necessarily. Some State school caretakers live in a tied house on the school grounds. It is absolutely not unheard of for a small State Primary school to 'amalgamate' with another school, with all pupils moving to the other school at the end of the academic year. In that case every effort should be made to reduce the likelihood of statutory redundancies for staff. And unions should be involved in the process, including Consultation with staff. Management are likely to be looking for voluntary redundancy amongst the staff, maybe combined with early retirement.
It is an uncomfortable situation to be in but within the education sector it usually works out quite well for individuals, when they look back.

well that’s the impact of VAT on school fees and falling numbers and cost of living crisis. The independent school advertising has gone crazy chasing pupil numbers. Alas more schools will follow. There is a small indie not far from me with a high percentage of SEN which friends who work there anticipate closing in a couple of years. They need the sixth form to grow to support the rest of the school.

Lots of schools adapting to chase numbers including RGS Guildford and Sir William Perkins going co-ed next year - it’s all about numbers.

Fingers crossed you can find another job @Backtoreality1

People normally only think about teachers but there are ground staff, caretakers, support staff, kitchen staff etc

Not true. The BBC podcast More or Less talked about this. more private schools closed in the last year of Tory Govt. Also the birthrate is falling so less children in total so therefore less children going to these schools. Some interesting datat on there not what the DM just published. Apologies to @nothingtoseehereatall who went into a bit more detail earlier

Sorry to hear this. I took redundancy/early retirement at Christmas. I am back at my school doing supply as my pension isn’t sorted. It intended of the unknown. At least I had an option of taking my pension early and the LA paying the shortfall until I am 60- in a few months.
Do you teach a shortage subject?
I hope it works out for you OP.

Teachers will all be fine wont they? Secondary schools in state sector always after staff arent they?

And financial mismanagement/falling birthrate etc (other factors are available)

I am sorry to hear that, OP. I learned of a proposed closure through the social media posts of other - themselves not exactly thriving - schools circling to claim additional pupils for themselves, and thought how badly handled it seemed.

The private schools closing over the last months have not been the ‘top notch, thriving’ ones. They’ve generally been struggling for a while; much lower than full numbers; sometimes not well financially managed. Parents do their due diligence, and as rumours swirl and previously ‘hard to access’ schools become easier to join as birth rates fall, there is a move away from struggling establishments. VAT is not closing schools that are doing well - it’s the final nail (sometimes also a more palatable excuse than ‘gradual decline and insufficiently clear-sighted management’) in an already-made coffin.

It depends on the subject, and on the teacher’s skills. Maths, yes. Other subjects, possibly not, especially if the state schools are looking for excellent behaviour management; knowledge of multiple needs etc. With squeezed budgets, schools are opting to cut subjects and increase class sizes rather than recruit, too.

Staff at the right pay level. Pay portability is a thing of the past. State schools may be after teachers but not at any price. Quite often inexperienced cheaper teachers will win over someone with years of experience

And bearing in mind that all might not be qualified to the extent the state require, meaning they will likely find a job, but at a much reduced wage.

Why do people blame the VAT on schools closing okay it hasn't helped
Near us one of the state primaries had to close three years ago due to lack of children (redevelopment of the surrounding flats so fewer children) and will increase as people are only having the one or two children. Plus several going down to one form entry.
A private senior school had been shrinking in numbers for years.
Even the popular oversubscribed ones (three within about ten minute drive) have been reducing scholarships and bursaries for about five years.

Let's be honest, private school closures are as a direct consequence of Labour's policies on employers' NI increases, VAT on private school fees and increases in minimum wage.

Its a tragedy for kids and staff involved and for the tax payer who is going to have to pick up the slack.

Labour need to go!

I live in a wealthy part of London, and both state and private schools are really struggling at primary level.

I’ve known of both state and primary closures, dropping a form at one school, going co-ed - and my most local prep school (well known) is only at 60% capacity in reception (told to me by a friend who is there).

If the people round here can’t afford it, I’m not sure who exactly is supposed to be able to (fees £25-30k a year).

Declining birth rate + the schools were already getting wildly expensive + state primaries already generally pretty good.

Even the well off aren’t immune to the ‘cost of living crisis’. Having a huge 30-year dual-wage mortgage is enough to make committing to private school fees fairly insane (as most of these parents will have now…!).

Easy way to take a pot shot at the government.

For most of the schools that have closed, the writing was on the wall anyway with years of struggling for pupils.

Sounds better than ‘we couldn’t attract enough pupils’.

To reiterate the point about ‘it depends on the subject’ as to whether teachers will find jobs in the state sector:

If it is the school I have become aware of, there are currently 10 live secondary teacher adverts on the main county advertisement site. 5 are for Maths; 3 for MFL; 1 for English; 1 for Science. It’s not exactly an easy jobs market for a newly-redundant teacher to walk into.

Exactly.

It's a catalyst not a cause - all the issues are longer-term, but a big sudden fee hike at once concentrates the mind in a way the drip-drip of well above inflation fee increases for years don't quite. It's also such a handy excuse for governing bodies - it's much nicer to say 'nasty Labour did this to us' than to say 'the writing has been on the wall for years and if we'd been honest with you we could have told you three years ago when you enrolled your child that there was very little chance they'd get to see out their education with us'.

A village school close to us closed in 2022 which was really sad. Bloody Labour, how do they sleep at night?

Not a fan of the government, but PP is right, the private school I know that have closed or are struggling have been in decline for years.

The main cause is the reduction in the birth rate and cost of living pushing the lower earning parents across to the state.

When I worked in a private school, we had to pay VAT on everything - remember being VAT registered works both ways, it also allows VAT to be claimed.

Its far more nuanced than the tiresome labour bashing.
Many state schools are also closing (particularly pre schools and primaries), sixth forms are closing, post 16 courses and undergraduate courses are being scrapped.
It's a combination of col crisis thanks 14 years of tory austerity and pandemic grift!, lack of investment into buildings/facilities and - most importantly - declining birth rate.
Brexit has also had a big impact...the highly skilled EU workers who left had children/would have had children who would be going into Y7/Y12 around now.
There is SO much more to this issue than the application of VAT.

So sorry, OP! Especially as it was badly handled, just rubs salt in the wound. 💐