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.

@OvalLemon please can you provide a link to the study? I’ve just googled and not found it.

I see your point and I do agree with you. I still feel like they’re going for low-hanging fruit with this policy.
They’re picking off easy wins rather than tackle the real inequality as it’s a much easier prospect.

I’ve already stated further up the thread that I benefitted from private school. There is a small chance that we might send our child there. We ’work really bloody hard’ too.

However, I recognise my privilege and IF we can afford the school fees I would be willing to pay more tax to subsidise the state system.

They’ve backed away from it because they don’t want to spend years, and significant amounts of money, bogged down in litigation for something they’re hardly likely to win.

Rich and poor kids go to school together in the UK already. The majority of any income bracket sends their kids to state. If all those parents haven’t been able to effect change, how will a few more make a difference?

100% this. So why is Starmer hell bent on wrecking the independent sector and guaranteeing that it will become purely for the elite who can afford it rather then pulling up our state schools and making sure that all kids have access to a great education?

It's class envy and spite and a sop to the far Left of the party which will not raise the money it's intended to and will have a negative effect on state schools already short of resources.

I have to say it's been a real eye opener seeing how much bitterness and resentment levelled at private school parents there is. Never known anything like it. I'm not a private school parent myself but I know a lot who are including my siblings children and I've never once thought to scape goat them. We're getting ready to buy and planning to move to the catchment of an outstanding secondary. There are 3 private schools in the same area and I'm dreading being out offered by others who will need to forgo the private school option but can offer a bit more on the asking price.

It's most definitely not an explanation, and it's amazingly narrow minded that anyone would think this way.

kirbykirby
*Besides, as someone above has highlighted, Keir Starmer is the type of champagne socialist who can easily afford to live in a nice, middle class area with million plus houses and send his kids to the nice, middle class school where all the other very rich people with million pound houses send their kids to school so they don't actually have to mix with the riff-faff but still claim they are left-wing/socialists. It's such a cliche.^

Or they gain selection in other ways. I remember reading that Harriet Harman sent one of her children to the London Oratory School and her other child to St. Olave's Grammar School in Kent - the schools are 20 miles apart. At the same time she was quoted as saying; "We are not in favour of selection." Similar with Emily Thornberry who sent her child miles away to a partially selective school.

Hopefully as I don’t think this is good for education. I’m not sure they will as there’s really very little to hang the difference in policies on.

Perhaps you can enlighten us as to your expertise in education funding?

I posted the table from the National funding formula. The government also states that per pupil funding is on average £7640 per year. You are claiming that your grammar school, which are generally funded at a lower rate than other schools due to lack of deprivation, is being funded at double the national average. That's my expertise....

For example we have had funding for, amongst other things - asbestos removal across the site, new windows, new LED lighting and interactive boards to replace the projectors, all of these were capital grants direct from the DoE, which amount to millions which have to be applied for

Astonishing that your school has managed to get so many millions in capital funding this year when RAAC schools have been told they won't get theirs.

However, as you said, that funding is applied for from the DfE. It is not given to you by the LA as per pupil funding.

If you calculated the ENTIRE running cost of a state school, divided it by the pupils, you would get closer to the lower end (ie £20K) of private school fees.

Don't be daft.

So? How does that change the fact that not every conversation has to revolve around those with less, with all the predictable bleating about privilege that invariably comes with it?

I won’t take up a private school place I originally planned to now.
I’m focusing on tutoring for 11+, and getting my points on the electoral roll for the church school admissions as a standby. I’ll top that up with tutoring, trips etc;
so, not leaving a private school , but not starting, and changing my behavior.

Now that it’s considered ok to tax some education, I think in a few years it’s inevitable that VAT will go on uni fees too, so I’m saving for that now.

Switzerland is home to plenty of private schools that are well attended by Swiss children.

What have you heard from Labour that gives you the impression they are going to turn our system into the Swiss model? I have heard absolutely nothing of the sort and have only seen indifference and spite.

Private parents don’t have some magical formula to transform schools! It’s honestly astonishing that anyone seriously believes this.

We will manage to absorb any increase thankfully. But it might mean there’s a couple of high schools we have to take off the list as they have significantly higher fees than others. It’s a while before we really need to think about that.

As others have already pointed out, for us there were two options. Increase/sustain the gentrification of certain areas with “better” catchment state schools, or pay school fees. Or, use local state school and supplement massively in terms of tutoring and extra curricular activities.

To be honest, I’m not sure Starmer will either get in with a majority or even get the bill through. Look at the people voting for it. And even if it does go through, it will take time. And schools will be wanting to find the balance between absorbing some of the cost and not losing an unsustainable number of pupils.

And FWIW, before I get jumped on. The fact that independent schools get charitable status has never sat well with me; this isn’t the life I ever thought we would be able to give to our child, it’s not the life I grew up in. Our school is embedded in the local community and does loads, but genuinely I don’t think it should be a charity.

If you abolish all private schools how will the state find the £44 billion+ required to educate the pupils from private schools? Let alone find schools to put them in.

Yes it was always this way though right? Do as I say, not as I do.

Oh, I understand your point perfectly, but that doesn’t mean I agree with it. Thankfully I’m not required to.

Eton & Harrow may have endowment funds but the vast majority of the 2,600 private schools in the UK do not.

Our charitable trust school is reorganising invoicing to minimise the impact of potential VAT. Separating out food, transport, extra curriculars etc because there are no magic endowments.

Exactly. And then complain that they can’t afford a house in the catchment for the “good” local state school because they have all then all skyrocketed due to the increased demand for that school.

I agree with you, very few on here can even fathom the knock on effect or macroeconomics surrounding this. Those who think it’s a good idea have zero experience of private school.

I do not have want my kids mixing with some of them but lets not make out it is some charitable thing.

Your lack of compassion is nothing to be proud of.

It's not bitterness and resentment at private school parents, it's more a reality check in them not seeing just how privileged they and their children are.
If a private school exists and someone can afford and chooses to send their child(ren) there then so be it - just don't suggest you are doing society any sort of favour because you are doing it to benefit you/your family, and don't suggest you aren't paying for privilege because you are indeed paying for privilege. People saying 'we work hard to send our kids private' are only telling half the story because it isn't as simple as just working hard, as many have testified!
Private education is a luxury, in most cases, and thus should be taxed that way (and yes, other luxuries should also be taxed).

At what point did I tell you that you were required to agree with me?
As it is, accepting that you are narrow minded is more than a lot of folk would do.

But I thought all the parents leaving were being pushed to the breadline by the rise in fees? So they will hardly be in a position to massively inflate house prices.

And there are plenty of very bright children in the state sector. Private education is a test of wealth not intelligence

Well those who don't know shouldn't reply. And I don't send mine to private but actually I do care. I think its wrong to add the 20 per cent. These parents that send their kids private still pay tax and are contributing to the system but NOT using the free school system and they are freeing up spaces in free schools as well. Some can just afford the fees so why is the labour government trying to force the these parents out of the private schools?? They would do better to go after the big corps who make billions in profits. We are self employed and although I can't afford private school I am in a position where I can pay for private tutors , the way the government has made our lives currently they are making this hard for us to even carry on with. How dare they, they don't provide excellent schools and yet the few extra quid I have because I work all the hours for myself they want that too.. so imagine if this is the situation under the tories imagine what Labour will do to us.