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.

@Einwegflasche

It’s means tested. So fee reduction all the way through to 110% fees (to cover cost of uniform, travel, trips etc)

I think that private schools should actually be subsidised like in other countries to level the playing field so that more people have a choice. If their local state school isn’t right then they can try somewhere else.

Well I suppose what I am saying in that case is that this is probably not very useful advice to your average fee paying parent who is worried.

OP posted in AIBU, hence the variety of replies.
I can sympathise with OP, up to a point, but the bigger picture of her privilege is also relevant.
It's possible to have compassion and a realistic approach.

Yes or they are on bursaries. Unfortunately this policy will likely mean that over the coming years bursaries will be severely cut and it will be the children from lower income families that suffer then. Many school bursaries are only part funded by actual bursaries with the rest being a simple fee reduction absorbed by the school.

anyway all of this will take years to see the full impact - maybe the eventual outcome will be a better state provision in 10 years but during that 10 years state and privately educated children will suffer from less funding and more overcrowding of classes.

And causing those who can to move is good because?

I agree a level playing field is the ideal. I don't agree that anyone should receive a better education than anyone else just because of how much money they have.

...or we just invest more in state schools, to level the playing field?

Ofsted is about ‘distance travelled’ not academic performance. This means a school that has been underperforming for a long time, which is slightly turned around, or one with many students from poor socioeconomic backgrounds, will be seen as outstanding by its own merit. The view is the school is doing a good job, based on its resources and human capital. This means that many good schools, in areas where there is a concentration of students from wealthy backgrounds, are only good by their own merit. This is purposefully confusing so that the rebranding of underperforming academy’s (sold out from local authorities by the Labour party) can be seen as positive. Beware the ofsted outstanding academy is a London parents mantra! I note Starmer’s kids attended London Oratory, one of the best state schools in the country. Located in Kensington & Chelsea, the wealthiest Borough in England.

This thread has moved so fast today. Funnily enough - none are answering op’s questions. It’s people who are angry at higher earners. Same old, same old. People spending all day tearing down others. It always moves faster during the working week. It’s the people staying at home stuck in an echo chamber. Maybe we should start posting on UC threads.

SEN education opportunities should be equal across the board, irrelevant of income or privilege.

This. It's not rocket science is it?

So you’re pleased some dc with SEN will have to move to state?

No one will ever level the playing field; it’s an impossible dream.

If it gets at all levelled, it will only be to the bottom.

Yes it does but rather than diluting university standards, standards in schools should be significantly improved to support state school pupils reach the required standards at age 18. Anything else just dumbs down standards and that should never be acceptable.

The bar needs to be kept static and people need to be given the means to reach and exceed it.

It would be a lot simpler and cheaper to invest in the schooling system and infrastructure we already have then build multiple more schools to meet demand.

It's half term , I imagine many people aren't working this week

The private schools don’t have to pass on the VAT costs to their customers that’s on them if they choose to do that. They could instead slightly reduce on spending per pupil and slightly reduce their fees. Simply solution.

Not much sympathy with the private school parents. VAT being applied, as it should always have been applied, on a luxury service isn’t even in the same ball park as how fifteen years of Tory governments treated disabled people and numerous other vulnerable social groups. So a bit rich for the private school set to seek public sympathy now, when they were mostly all too happy to support the ruthless policies of successive Tory governments.

I mean, they’re a House of Lords

Although I see further up thread that someone has explained that they can’t block manifesto policy so maybe not

Wanting to abolish non-state provision of education is communist ideology.

We don't belong to the state. Our work and the value created by it doesn't belong to the state. Our children don't belong to the state.

Well said. Private schools also separate pupils into sets based on their abilities, enabling the top set to achieve their full potential and also providing extra support/help to the bottom set to do so also.

Maybe they could spend it with their children then. Read a book or interact with them.

What like you are doing yourself? 🙄

A lot of private schools are closing down because of the low pupil uptake and they can’t afford rising costs. Not sure where this ideology comes from that private schools have lots of cash in the bank. They don’t. Only more private schools will close if the fees go up and some of those children will be forced into the state system without choice.

I thought we were being asked to believe it isn't higher earners sending their children to private school, but nurses and taxi drivers who are making immense sacrifices and won't be able to afford the fee rise. I imagine everyone has long stopped feeling envious of these people and is instead busy putting together food parcels for them

(I send my children private and can only assume everyone won their nice cars and big houses in a lottery or something having read this thread...)