Page 11 | If you’re charged VAT will you remove your child from their private school? I’m v stressed!

Liikklu · 2024-05-27T17:05:17+00:00

We won’t be able to pay the increase. Only hope is asking grandparents for the shortfall which we don’t want to do. Anyone else in a similar boat? Do you think it will literally be a 20% increase on fees or will schools absorb some of it? Our school has said they will address the matter ‘if and when’ it applies.

Elizo · 27/05/2024 22:07

This thread illustrates perfectly why this policy should happen. My son is in his local comprehensive, this is not a sought after school, it is in fact undersubscribed with high levels of deprivation. What you do at home has way more impact than the school. They socially segregate and have smaller classes and better facilities but your children can do well anywhere with support at home, I believe this. I went to Cambridge from an OK comp, not sure what my son will do but he is on track for excellent GCSEs. Stop this hysteria. I can see people don't want to move their children, but giving private schools a tax break on basis of charitable activity is madness and should have ended years ago. State schools have made huge savings year after year and private will have to do the same - I'd be lobbying the school to make savings and not increase charges.

thirtyseven37 · 27/05/2024 22:07

@80smonster
Roald Dahl isn't year 4 by the way. It's year 2.
Year 4 students tend to read David Baddiel, David Walliams, Antony Horowitz and Tom Fletcher.

Oneanddone23 · 27/05/2024 22:08

I work at a private school. It is the main employer in our quite impoverished rural area, and would cause real hardship to me (I work in the admin side) and many many others employed by the school if it folded.

I don’t think Starmer has fully considered the real consequences of this policy - it is not just the ‘rich’ who will suffer.

thirtyseven37 · 27/05/2024 22:09

Elizo · 27/05/2024 22:07

This thread illustrates perfectly why this policy should happen. My son is in his local comprehensive, this is not a sought after school, it is in fact undersubscribed with high levels of deprivation. What you do at home has way more impact than the school. They socially segregate and have smaller classes and better facilities but your children can do well anywhere with support at home, I believe this. I went to Cambridge from an OK comp, not sure what my son will do but he is on track for excellent GCSEs. Stop this hysteria. I can see people don't want to move their children, but giving private schools a tax break on basis of charitable activity is madness and should have ended years ago. State schools have made huge savings year after year and private will have to do the same - I'd be lobbying the school to make savings and not increase charges.

This is literally the most sensible post on this entire thread.

Bululu · 27/05/2024 22:10

@Elizo none of the others country in Europe charges VAT for education it is illegal.

Bululu · 27/05/2024 22:11

Why are people commenting on this post if their kids do not go to private?

SensationalSusie · 27/05/2024 22:11

aiak · 27/05/2024 18:32

I won't remove mine as it'll be just one year of sixth form.

However, I am disgusted by Starmer's hypocrisy on this matter. He sent his own children to a rather lovely state primary school. Loads of that catchment consists of houses in the £2million region. Like Starmer's house. Just like Blair's went to London Oratory or whatever. The state schools that politicians use are ones that most of us could only dream of. Massive inequality. Selection by price of house. Which, if we destroy our private sector, will happen more and more.

My house is probably worth about a quarter of what Starmer's is worth. I don't have access to the kind of exclusive state schools he does so I sent mine to private school (and I don't have an expensive house to show for it at the end of the education process).

The state sector obviously needs money. Why aren't we taxing those in £1million+ houses who use state schools? They could pay VAT of 20% on the value of their free state place? Seeing as it's OK to tax education and the state sector needs money. Why only tax those of us who've had to pay for private due to the shit local state options. Why not actually tax the rich people who are using state places for free, having gamed the housing situation? Like Starmer himself.

@aiak agree, my DC go to a state school that is essentially private via catchment - we got in having a smaller house in that area, now moved out for more room but continuing to go to the posh state school.

I was privately educated. I was, and continue to be shocked, by the amount of wealth rolling around my kids school - endless range rovers, designer bags, holidays every school break, luxury jewellery.

There was nothing like it at private school for me - all people’s money went on school fees, activities, school trips. Most had an annual holiday, a few a ski trip too… but virtually none living the sort of lavish lifestyle I’m seeing day to day at state school - their houses are 2-3x the price too as they aren’t having to hand out 210k per child to have them educated.

The flack that private school education gets in light of this is an absolute joke. I agree it will absolutely be private school via catchment.

littlekittyhoward · 27/05/2024 22:12

Catlicker · 27/05/2024 21:53

Yet another ‘panic panic’ Labour post. If you can’t afford to send your kids to private school you just don’t do it. Like 98% of the population.

also living in a post London area often means the state schools aren’t as good as everyone sends private, so that argument doesn’t stack up

Brilliant post. Some people need a reality check.

Bululu · 27/05/2024 22:13

‘don’t think Starmer has fully considered the real consequences of this policy - it is not just the ‘rich’ who will suffer.’

KS knows perfectly well but he is just desperate to get in and as you can see the haters here love it. It is disgraceful and if this is the best he can come up with God helps us.

Skippythecat · 27/05/2024 22:14

Mummyoflittledragon · 27/05/2024 22:05

That’s nice some privileged dcs are coping in state schools. My dd isn’t. She has a seizure disability. Her heart stops beating when she has a seizure and she wasn’t coping in state school. We moved her in year 9 and she has just sat GCSEs. As is, idk if she will even make it to 6th form. She has an eating disorder. She had a seizure in A&E and the nurses don’t get the disability, which traumatised her further. She is now eating so little that she’s lost almost a kilo a week for the past 2 months. She is so tiny.

It is abhorrent we should pay VAT for her. She is severely disadvantaged and would not cope in state. I tried very hard to get her back to a non fee paying school for 6th form. If anything the state should give the money she would cost the state to her school seeing as she couldn’t cope with the provision in the state sector.

Now with the ED idk if she will even be at home rather than hospital or worse with the weight loss she’s suffering from come September. We are using dwindling savings to pay for dd’s education. We could crack open the savings and pay in advance and idk what to do because dd might not be able to even attend school at all.

Labour don’t care that dd can’t cope with state or that the fees are crippling for some people like us. I have a disability myself. I am too ill to work and have never claimed PIP because I prefer it to go to those, who need it more. I think it’s about time I did tbh.

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My ND child wasn’t coping at all in state. Private school truly saved them. Our GP / CAMHS must have saved thousands too as they haven’t been back to either since they started. They really are thriving. I don’t like private schools on principal. I wish there was a state school they could get into where the teaching environment was calm and bullying was minimal, but there just wasn’t. We need to look at behaviour in schools, and plough much more into state schooling to ensure every child has a state school place that meets their needs.

Your daughter seems to be going through such a hard time of it. She and your family have my best wishes.

Elizo · 27/05/2024 22:14

Public schools were originally given charitable status because they existed to educate poor children. Do you really think what they are doing now is charitable? It's a business, people are buying a service. And generally it is people who are much better off than the rest of the population. I just think this is a big fuss and the schools need to make cuts. I was a governor for years and we had to make cuts year after year. Why can state schools do this but private cannot? With 3-4 x the per pupil funding. Take the fight to the school gates!

Haveyouseenmylemons · 27/05/2024 22:15

Liikklu · 27/05/2024 20:10

@vodkaredbullgirl probably sell our fourth home in Monaco.

I don’t know. Probably re mortgage for the shortfall.

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And there you go. A solution. Well done. You can relax a bit now surely. We are all having to tighten our belts. Some can’t afford food some will need to remortgage. I’d rather be in your shoes than worried about feeding my kids.

Bendegedig · 27/05/2024 22:16

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Haveyouseenmylemons · 27/05/2024 22:16

Elizo · 27/05/2024 22:14

Public schools were originally given charitable status because they existed to educate poor children. Do you really think what they are doing now is charitable? It's a business, people are buying a service. And generally it is people who are much better off than the rest of the population. I just think this is a big fuss and the schools need to make cuts. I was a governor for years and we had to make cuts year after year. Why can state schools do this but private cannot? With 3-4 x the per pupil funding. Take the fight to the school gates!

Agree

Garlicked · 27/05/2024 22:16

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I clicked on the thread because I was curious about parents who can afford £20k for school fees but can't afford another £4k. I'd have thought with that kind of budget, you probably have expensive holidays, a spare car or similar that you could let go. Maybe a holiday home you could let out, or let out more often. Drop the tennis club or something.

I imagine there are some families scraping by like us poor people because public school is their only priority for some reason. Not many, though.

However, there's no talk of how you will readjust your household spends to make room for a fee increase - only furious wailing at the prospect of contributing a few thousand to public funds in exchange for the privilege of cloistering your children away from the riffraff public. State schools are utterly desperate for funds, which come from tax revenues; wouldn't you consider it reasonable to be making a modest additional contribution to other children's education?

As PPs have pointed out, anyway, the schools will be able to reclaim VAT paid, so will offset that against any they have to collect from parents.

Haveyouseenmylemons · 27/05/2024 22:18

Bululu · 27/05/2024 22:11

Why are people commenting on this post if their kids do not go to private?

Its a public forum?

Vivi0 · 27/05/2024 22:19

Elizo · 27/05/2024 22:07

This thread illustrates perfectly why this policy should happen. My son is in his local comprehensive, this is not a sought after school, it is in fact undersubscribed with high levels of deprivation. What you do at home has way more impact than the school. They socially segregate and have smaller classes and better facilities but your children can do well anywhere with support at home, I believe this. I went to Cambridge from an OK comp, not sure what my son will do but he is on track for excellent GCSEs. Stop this hysteria. I can see people don't want to move their children, but giving private schools a tax break on basis of charitable activity is madness and should have ended years ago. State schools have made huge savings year after year and private will have to do the same - I'd be lobbying the school to make savings and not increase charges.

What you do at home has way more impact than the school.

Only to an extent.

Don’t underestimate the impact peers have on children. Most children just want to “fit in”.

but your children can do well anywhere with support at home, I believe this.

You may believe it, but it is not true for me. I went to a school that was in an area of high deprivation. My parents however, were educated, loving and supportive. I was bullied relentlessly for being smart, for doing homework, for wanting to learn. My school experience was traumatic, it still affects me as an adult and it is the main reason I send my sons to private school.

Pelham678 · 27/05/2024 22:19

aiak · 27/05/2024 18:51

Starmer's kids apparently attended Eleanor Palmer Primary School. They don't go there any more as they are teens so not sure why the identity of that school should bother anyone.

London Oratory gets lots to Oxbridge. Say anything you like about it, but that alone shows what a fantastic school it is and the Oxbridge admission stats are hard facts. I believe at least one of Blair's kids went to Oxford and at least one had paid private tutoring.

These labour MPs have gamed everything to their own advantage, whilst pretending that they are there for the poor man.

I'm no tory. Didn't vote for Bojo. But to ignore this raging hypocrisy is rather short sighted.

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All politicians game the system. Like Boris lying about EU money for the NHS knowing full well that he would get superior treatment if he ever needed it or could afford to go private. Or Tory MPs claiming money for a duck moat. Or Jacob Rees Mogg lobbying for Brexit and then moving his company to Ireland to get all the benefits of having it within the EU.

How many of the Tory cabinet DIDN'T go to private school. If you can afford to send your children to private school you're already gaming the system because you're giving your children a far superior education and they will have better chances to go to a good University and have a better career. And I know this because I sent my child to private school.

If you think the Tories have invested more in education (during all those years of austerity) than Labour did then you really are on crack. I know people who work in schools and they really do end up buying supplies with their own money. The situation is absolutely dire.

Allfur · 27/05/2024 22:19

Should it be a private forum that we pay for

JustTooMany · 27/05/2024 22:20

Garlicked · 27/05/2024 22:16

I clicked on the thread because I was curious about parents who can afford £20k for school fees but can't afford another £4k. I'd have thought with that kind of budget, you probably have expensive holidays, a spare car or similar that you could let go. Maybe a holiday home you could let out, or let out more often. Drop the tennis club or something.

I imagine there are some families scraping by like us poor people because public school is their only priority for some reason. Not many, though.

However, there's no talk of how you will readjust your household spends to make room for a fee increase - only furious wailing at the prospect of contributing a few thousand to public funds in exchange for the privilege of cloistering your children away from the riffraff public. State schools are utterly desperate for funds, which come from tax revenues; wouldn't you consider it reasonable to be making a modest additional contribution to other children's education?

As PPs have pointed out, anyway, the schools will be able to reclaim VAT paid, so will offset that against any they have to collect from parents.

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I'd have thought with that kind of budget, you probably have expensive holidays, a spare car or similar that you could let go. Maybe a holiday home you could let out, or let out more often. Drop the tennis club or something.

So many assumptions. Your prejudice and ignorance are showing!

EasternStandard · 27/05/2024 22:20

SensationalSusie · 27/05/2024 22:11

@aiak agree, my DC go to a state school that is essentially private via catchment - we got in having a smaller house in that area, now moved out for more room but continuing to go to the posh state school.

I was privately educated. I was, and continue to be shocked, by the amount of wealth rolling around my kids school - endless range rovers, designer bags, holidays every school break, luxury jewellery.

There was nothing like it at private school for me - all people’s money went on school fees, activities, school trips. Most had an annual holiday, a few a ski trip too… but virtually none living the sort of lavish lifestyle I’m seeing day to day at state school - their houses are 2-3x the price too as they aren’t having to hand out 210k per child to have them educated.

The flack that private school education gets in light of this is an absolute joke. I agree it will absolutely be private school via catchment.

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Yep and as @Bululu said

Thegreatergoodgerald · 27/05/2024 22:21

Elizo · 27/05/2024 22:07

This thread illustrates perfectly why this policy should happen. My son is in his local comprehensive, this is not a sought after school, it is in fact undersubscribed with high levels of deprivation. What you do at home has way more impact than the school. They socially segregate and have smaller classes and better facilities but your children can do well anywhere with support at home, I believe this. I went to Cambridge from an OK comp, not sure what my son will do but he is on track for excellent GCSEs. Stop this hysteria. I can see people don't want to move their children, but giving private schools a tax break on basis of charitable activity is madness and should have ended years ago. State schools have made huge savings year after year and private will have to do the same - I'd be lobbying the school to make savings and not increase charges.

Totally agree. The near hysteria over the idea that they might send kids to normal schools is patronising and insulting.

ttcat37 · 27/05/2024 22:21

TimeFlysWhenYoureHavingRum · 27/05/2024 18:40

Have you considered switching to value brands at the supermarket? Or getting rid of expensive mobile phones / netflix subscriptions / brand name trainers etc?

Ah. That £7.99 a month from our Netflix subscription, and we’ll sell our 2 pairs of used Nikes for £10 each, and our old iPhones for £50 each. We shop at Aldi. So you’ve worked out how to save us £7.99 per month and earn £120.

Could you give us your top tips to find the other £9170?

Hedgeoffressian · 27/05/2024 22:22

Sorry OP but private school is a luxury afforded only by those who are fortunate enough to be able to pay for it.

If you can afford to send your child to a private school then you absolutely should be taxed on it. I’m not a Labour voter but this is one policy I’m in full support of 100%.

Thegreatergoodgerald · 27/05/2024 22:22

Haveyouseenmylemons · 27/05/2024 22:18

Its a public forum?

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It’s a public website, what do posters expect????