How many kids have left the school? (VAT)

[limeandwater]

It's been long enough now that I think we can make a reasonable conclusion on how bad it has hurt school.

To be honest at our school I only know 3 pupils that have left because of the VAT so not as bad as many feared.

Still heartbreaking for the kids though.

It's the pipeline. You make it work as long as you can to avoid the disruption for settled children and I would never move my kids if it wasn't a transition year.

But my youngest never started at pre prep and took a very good state school place. My daughter will go to state in y7 and middle will follow (again most oversubscribed school in the area).

I hope the parents of the children who lost out on those places as a result voted Labour not for another party. They at least then have got what they voted for, so it's fair for the family, even if not the child affected. The second best option is a long way off the best in the area I live.

Do you see children’s education as standard and luxury packages?

Of course. As does every parent who pays for private education.

Of course it’s a luxury and one that comes with advantages, otherwise no one would be paying for it in the first place. Let’s not pretend it’s some noble act to “ease the burden on the state system” people are paying for benefits for their DC over state school children, and they’re all heading into the same job market. Which is fine just don’t act surprised when it’s treated like a luxury and taxed accordingly.

The fact is that all VAT has done is push forward the inevitable. People who can’t afford the 20% rise would be pushed out of private education in the next few years anyway. I can’t say I agree with it but school fees have risen so much over the years vs income that it was moving that way regardless. I started off paying £2500 a term at prep and finished paying for 6th form at £8500 a term and that was pre VAT

Yes. It’s frustrating that so few people acknowledge this. A number of private schools have been closing or on the brink of closure before VAT was introduced. And the schools that have closed were largely vulnerable for other reasons too.

It can definitely function as a luxury, but it’s about education choice. Is it Eton and Winchester closing or is it your local preps with less than a 100 kids? Would you rather more choice for more children or less choice for fewer children? Schools that specialise in sports? Dance? Academics? Drama?

I’ve never seen anyone claim to do it to ‘ease the burden’ even though it does, it’s obvious it’s a good deal for the tax payer especially since independent kids grow up to be higher tax payers on average.

i think some people can’t afford it and don’t want it for other children, so dress it up in all this nonsense. It essentially comes down to wanting to spite some children.

1/6th of one child’s year left for state, they clearly cited cost as the main reason.

Intake in Reception is down 25% on previous years but this could be down to other factors. There used to be waiting lists and in one year they added a whole additional class due to demand, this is no more.

Think you’d have a better idea next year. My DC and a few others from her year will be leaving private after the next natural break in education/entry point, so struggling it out until then.

You could use that logic to justify any tax.

Maybe it wasn’t the best time to start taxing children’s education, if there ever is a good time anyway.

If you can’t afford a 20% increase in fees, you couldn’t afford the fees in the first place. It’s only 20%

That is rock solid logic right there.

I expect your kids aren't at private school Polly. Many people in that situation may be able to afford 20% for one child. But how many can for 2 or 3, plus inflation on everything else, mortage rates rising massively, wage stagnation and so on. A lot of parents were doing their best to find the fees but this was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Stop trying to push the bullshit that it is taxing children's education. It's not a blanket tax on it, as well you know.

It's a tax on private education, not children's education. A subset of children's education, at a push, but not children's education

It’s a tax on children’s education when not provided by the state. That’s what it is. I agree it’s a bullshit tax. It’s not a subset of children (as if that excuses it), it applies to all children as soon as you choose a non state education option.

So it doesn't apply to all children, just those in private education. So not a tax on children's education. Glad we've cleared that up.

It applies to all children and taxes their non state education at 20%.

That's nonsense. 20% is not a small amount. You also have to remember that the 20% is on top of the usual fee hikes and the usual fee hikes have been worse than ever because of the sudden increase in costs. We'd budgeted for that but not for an additional 20%. Imagine if the interest you pay on your mortgage suddenly increased by 20%. You wouldn't say then that if you couldn't afford a 20% increase you couldn't afford the house in the first place.

Agree

A bloodbath? Wow. We've had local state schools shut and merge without such hyperbole. A couple of sad news stories but no bodies strewn across fields.

“Doing their best to find the fees” means they could never afford it.

Bur there are not wonderful state schools in every area. In our town there is one reasonable ex-grammar and four poor quality comps where bullying and violence are rife.

DGS private primary school closed down shortly after the introduction of the 20% VAT. However, rolls had been falling for a number of years and it is likely it wasn't viable anyway. He moved to a competing combined
Primary/ Secondary school and is very happy there.

Private primaries are being hit particularly hard I think, because so many secondaries have moved to launch their own primary option that competition was hitting them hard anyway. I also think that some schools with lower fees are being hit- partly because the parents may be struggling to afford the fees anyway; but also because they often can't afford the 'extras' that can make the difference between them and a good state school in a nice area, so many parents are happy to opt with the state option (particularly at primary).

I know of 7 children from my daughter’s year that have left, some had siblings who have also left. 5 of the children had SEN and went to the school because state school couldn’t provide what they needed. I know 1 of those 5 is now at another private school but at least 3 are being home educated with their parents having to give up work.

My nephews school closed. They moved to another private school but a few of their friends went to a local state school or again are being home educated with parents having to give up work die to the children have SEN.

I know a few families that were going to send their children to private school but have now chosen not to. They've all used the money that they’ll save on school to buy a house in an area with really good state options.

My youngest is in year 12 so it’ll only impact us for another year, although then there is uni to pay for. The VAT increase was not an issue for us financially, but if it was, we’d have done whatever we could to keep our youngest at their school. So many state schools are failing children, especially children with SEN. I’m so glad that we had the option to choose a good school as a good education and good experience of school days is vital imo.