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

[Liikklu]

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.

😂👍

I did genuinely know someone who drove a clapped out car but sent their dc to private school.
However this was because they had gone bankrupt and their dc’s education was paid out before creditors.

I assume Labour will introduce the VAT gradually to give parents a chance to make their decisions based on actual information.

I have one child in private school, 2 in state. I have no views on the VAT on schooling. Yes the EU doesn’t charge VAT on education and I think it’s an odd place to start tax raising, but the choice to be able to send your child private is a luxury. I’m ambivalent.

And yes if the House of Lords is at all representative of the public (as opposed to being stuffed with old Tories) which I think it is these day, it ought to pass unopposed.

In fact this policy is very very harmful to all children. State schools will be under even more pressure financially when they have to absorb so many extra children. Share more sen support, cater and feed so many extras. It’s a disastrous, ill considered policy that will create more division and even less for the state school children. Slow clap for Starm.

I don’t think that it will start out gradually unbelievably it’s Starmer’s flagship policy, to undermine children. It’s says everything about the priorities of the Labour Party.

There are times I am irritated by the narrow-minded, snobby, selfish, 'couldn't-give-a-toss-about-anyone-but-me-and especially -not-the millions-of-vulnerable-people-in-this-country-who-are-just-idle-loafers' attitudes that pervade so many posts on MNET . However, what I have seen on this thread is so unintelligent and narrow-minded I now see that all the mini-Thatchers still exist.

You are living in a bubble and it is going to pop and yes, it will be change and it might be unsettling and not just in relation to education.

The social infrastructure of the country has been almost destroyed over the last 14 years- all of it. It will take decades to re-build. Your children will have to grow up and live in that world. If they have special needs you are doing them no favours by continuing to vote Tory - there will be no systems to support them outside of school if the Tories continue.

I can't bear to read any more of this drivel. I'm off to my job in the State school sector.

Op definitely talk to your school. Ours are looking at various outcomes depending on what policy actually comes into effect. Our fees have been steadily rising anyway as the school have been open about raising staff wages to support them with rising cost of living (and to retain staff so they don’t leave the education sector altogether).

My son has ASD and would be eaten alive at our local (failing) secondary school (which is currently partially closed due to an arson attack by a current pupil). There’s not a hope we could even dream of being able to afford to move to the catchment areas for the ‘good’ state schools near us so we’ve decide we’re going to pay the fees no matter what, which is likely to involve second jobs (no family money here - we were both council estate kids).

Doing it gradually would be sensible. I doubt we’ll see it.

You only need to read the comments from school teachers here. I would exhaust all possibilities before sending your kids to state school. What the schools and universities really need is a good purge of this kind of people with extremist ideas disguised as equality.

I don't know how they could do it slowly. It seems to be the mainstay answer to any questions about how Labour will raise new money, especially now the non dom loophole cannot be attributed to new projects.

As for Labour so much fuss about Corbyn left. This is the kind of thing Corbyn would do. Just wait and see.

‘You need to weigh up more than the cost. Even with the Conservatives in, I am already seeing push back on PS kids. I’

I assume that those who chose private school can afford to continue that privilege after too- because in the real world there is starting to be massive push back.

Our grad scheme at our global company is looking for diversity, particularly by socio-economic background. It’s a very MC+ industry traditionally. last two year not a single private school grad has been hired - and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

You know your typical teacher in state school isn't represented by the noisy union-waving teachers who parade up and down MN with a chip on their shoulder though, right?

Yeh they’re leaning on it too much to do it slowly

Apparently all these private school parents are going to join the school and raise standards. Not quite sure how they will manage this but I have read here that it’s definitely going to happen ;-)

‘You know your typical teacher in state school isn't represented by the noisy union-waving teachers who parade up and down MN with a chip on their shoulder though, right?’

I really hope so because is really scary.

You see I tried so hard to make the school see that all of the children attending the school deserved to be taught in a quiet, safe environment and they agreed, but only had resources to try to provide basic safeguarding and ensure no one got seriously assaulted, staff or pupil.

Support in the state system is often a lottery, for which there are few winners. This screw the rich mindset policy is going to end up biting many people in the backside like Brexit did.

I’m only commenting on this comment as it’s picked up a lot of traction but why is your school not providing free sanitary supplies to students through the budget the DfE gives school specifically for this enabling them to purchase for free through php?

Period poverty is a very real issue in the school I work in - and I’m sure all schools and this money is a lifesaver. I manage the budget also and it’s quite generous.

That said I don’t agree with Private Schools and of course teachers spend their own money on many things for their students but it is alarming if schools are not adequately using this money or not letting their students know about free period products / placing them appropriately around the school so students can access.

If I was starting my kids’ school journey again and had funds, I would consider going private based on the honest comments from state teachers on Mumsnet about what is happening in their schools. Lack of funding, social problems and teachers desperately unhappy and burnt out and unable to do their best.

I wouldn’t touch comprehensive state education if I had others options as the teachers here have made it look pretty horrendous right now. I think it’s important to listen to them on the front line. It’s a massive privilege of course but I am afraid I would want to opt out.

In the end it’s far easier to kick school's in the bollocks rather than actually pledge to RAISE standards for all children!!!

Why on earth haven’t Labour pledged to make every single school a place of opportunity, academic success and level the playing field that way!!!! Surely people would rather not pay for schools if their local schools were not in various stages of decay and decline. People would be happy to send their children to good schools free of charge if it was possible! But it’s not in many areas. Do you think parents actually WANT to bankrupt themselves to pay huge sums when they don’t need to?

Starmer could achieve his dubious levelling up (or down) ambition simply by raising standards for all kids, job done.

But no, Labour can not bring themselves to do something constructive and positive for all children, so they do this instead. A cheap win for the far left, and our children including state school kiddies, yet again, will pay the price.

Apologies, you are correct, I have just double checked the finance committee notes from Fridays inset meeting.

the local authority pays us £5030 per pupil per term, a total of £15,090 per pupil per year, which they are maintaining, not increasing in academic year 24/25 exceeding the NFF recommendations.

Yes, the resources are what they are. And heads’ hands are tied with how they can deal with disruptive pupils. Ofsted don’t like exclusions. I am not sure what former private school parents joining the schools can do really. They are not all exactly powerful politicians.

Tbf it depends where the comprehensive is. Selection by house price means some are pretty hard to access. This extra tax will make it harder.

@Nmchnger Why is your school not supplying sanitary products? https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/period-products-in-schools-and-colleges/period-product-scheme-for-schools-and-colleges-in-england