Private School Fees plus VAT

[ApplesOrangesBananas]

I am looking at schools for DC to start next year. I have read some articles that said parents were getting ahead of this rise by pre paying for numerous years in advance. Obviously we can’t do this yet because DC hasn’t started yet.

I’m curious has anybody who has children at private school been told what to expect yet? Will fees go up 20% or will they “half it” with parents and only go up 10% etc?

This increase is something we need to factor into account when exploring schools.

Also this is not a thread for you to bash private schools and write things such as “choose state school instead like the rest of us”... if those are your opinions then please find a different thread instead. I purely want to know if any parents have received communication regarding a fee increase yet? Thank you

What a load of rubbish. You have to apply to a school to be offered a scholarship.

This was intended to be a space safe for people to discuss the private school fee raise not to insult people whose financial circumstances will change. If you don’t have children at private school and are not considering it, you shouldn’t really be on this thread.

@ApplesOrangesBananas Exactly.

Of course you didn't apply, the private schools were just chasing you on the street, with papers and money in hand.

Don't be ridiculous, you still have to apply :) I'm speaking as a parent of a child who's been at national level since 9 and offered scholarships.

People like you robbed my child of their money earned by years of hard work and sacrifice.

@Ubertomusic - I get that in the regions private school can offer amazing opportunities for music. But in London, Saturday Royal Academy of Music and NYO residentials and tours are far better than the vast majority of private schools? County and national sports as well in many disciplines? And none of this is cheap either and parents also pay through their noses.

It's a long topic not directly related to VAT - sometimes it's a problem of time rather than money. Training takes hours every day, no state school can accommodate this and you end up doing school hours plus homework plus training from 5am to 10pm. It's very hard for a child (and parents too :) ). Many homeschool to manage the workload. There are also specific areas with no state provision - ballet is one example.

And yes, paying music and sport teachers/coaches for private lessons is expensive too.

@Ubertomusic - I am very anti the VAT on specialist music and ballet independent schools, of course. I don’t understand the rationale for including them or any specialist SEN schools either.

I think perhaps Labour are worried about some people arguing that an academic gift should also be VAT free and then eg Westminster School gets an exemption for some of the top pupils as well.

But being gifted or talented is elitist too 😁
All animals should be equal.

I think there are too many political and economic forces converge now to eliminate the middle class. It's not just in the UK though class segregation is probably worse here than in Germany, for example, but the underlying trends are very similar (just don't display in such an ugly manner as "rich bastards finally got it").

You lot's posts are really channeling your mean girls vibe. It's a bit of a pathetic look for middle aged women.

The rationale for including them on specialist Sen schools is that the la pay the fees so will he able to claim the vat back so there is no cost as such. I don’t actually agree with vat on education full stop but I can see the logic in that it’s been applied to all schools. Had for example children with an ehcp been exempt as was suggested might happen all this would have done is increase the demand for ehcps and block up the system even more than it already is.

My son is at a private school. The school is very communicative about the changes they are making to try and absorb some of the VAT rise.

Exactly.... let the rich have their petty moans. What a world we live in.

It really is sad that people so privileged moan so much, come live on my estate for a week then youd realise how privileged, entitled you lot are.

I haven't moaned?! I am fully aware how fortunate I am and have not once moaned on MN or in RL about the VAT.

Will it make things tighter? Yes.

Am I still incredibly fortunate? Absolutely.

I'm moaning absolutely and I don't apologise for it. I think it's disgusting that I have many friends that go without and work all the hours god sends to send their child to private school only to have VAT applied as a spiteful move that we all know won't actually benefit anyone.
I think the 'poor children on the estate' is weighing slightly thin too, I had one child as I couldn't comfortably afford more and I've always lived within my means and not had an entitled attitude. The friends I have that were on tax credits and now UC have far more disposable income than I do and openly admit it.

Ours raised fees 11% year on year BEFORE the VAT increase citing inflation, energy bills, teachers pension etc.

When Labour got in they wrote to say communications about the VAT to come at the end of summer.

It's a tax not fee increase so i assume they will slap on 20% to the bill and pass that on to HMRC. I can't imagine them lowering the fees to absorb some impact.

It's looking very expensive.

#richpersontears

#problemsoftherichandentitled

@Narwhal23456 yes. Dry them for me will you? Change your name to Bitter23456

@Narwhal23456 not winding me up, I'm having a lovely weekend because I'm on holiday. (I expect that will wind you up?) I'm laughing at your boring responses and feel sadness that you feel so bitter about something you can't have for your children.

I'm in Thailand in a 5 star luxury villa on koh phangan and earn 200k a year with no man involved, can you top that?

But I suppose that's the whole point. They are saying private schools shouldn't have charitable status. I'm not against private schools and probably would have seen my DCs to private school if I could have afforded it, but I don't think they are charities.

Definitely not charities, the amount the "ceos"pay themselves, but take off teachers who are paid state school rates is shocking really.