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

@Narwhal23456 no children yet you are on Mumsnet......bit weird

Of course you are buddy. Of COURSE you are

Our school has not said much yet.

we’ll just have to tighten our belts (I am aware that we are very fortunate to have the ability to do so in the first place). The downside is that our tightening our belts does not just affect us - but also others. We have just given notice to stop music lessons at school - and several others we know have done so too. I hope the peripatetic music teachers can find other pupils to fill their spaces else they will also be feeling the effects. It was a luxury for our DC to have music lessons so not obviously this was one area to cut back, but this is their livelihood being affected, which I am really sad about.

@Narwhal23456 you GOT me. Man you are good. My kid isn't really at private school either just like I'm not sitting in a bar in Seville. Enjoy the pub!! You sound slightly squiffy already.

All will be ok when the dust settles.

If you don’t have children why are you on mumsnet? Or specifically a thread about paying school fees for YOUR CHILDREN.

What a waste of everybody’s time.

I think they just trolling and trying to wind you up, they said they do have children. Just playing games.

I think once we all adjust it will all be OK. It is what it is. Why get so wound up over it? Things change. Just gotta take a deep breath and get on with it. If we can afford to send our children to independent schools, will just have to suck up the extra expense.

You see, I don’t get this. You hear “if they can afford the fees they can afford the VAT”. Well, that’s just not true for a lot of people. You must know that?

Im glad you’re going to be OK. We will be too, and I am grateful for that. But there are kids in my son’s year who don’t know if they are going to be able to continue, in an exam year. That’s not OK.

@JustPleachy this is 100%
I need this printed out and handed out.

This. The service economy and its jobs depend on the middle class and its spending. Shrinking numbers of MC in the population or less disposable income inevitably lead to jobs and income losses in the service sector.
The rich will keep spending of course, but their numbers won't increase 10 times overnight to be able to absorb all service supply that MC can no
longer afford.

@Ubertomusic agreed xx

It absolutely is a ridiculous comment. FYI my kids went to a private school and even I can see that VAT should be payable.

It’s quite sad that you are on holiday and participating in arguments on here.

@Sneezeanddessist not really, I'm enjoying it. This is something I feel strongly about and when I'm not on holiday I'm working my arse off so don't get chance to reply then.

@CheltenhamLady do you think it should be payable for uni fees too?

I think you might find a flamenco tablao a bit more entertaining 💃🏼 Surely better things to do in Sevilla?

No, I don't, as that sector is open to all and subject to loan repayment. The student loan is, in effect, a tax on graduate education.

@Sneezeanddessist plenty thank you, but it's my holiday and I can do what I like can't I?

Any tax on any education is total madness. You get stupid population that is easy to govern but useless in terms of economic growth.
It's a recipe for disaster unless your economy is based on exploiting physical bodies that don't need brains but it's hard to imagine at the moment, we're not in The Matrix yet.

Anyhoo this was intended to be a safe space for people to discuss their school fees rising without getting a barrage of abuse.

If it isn’t relevant to your family then find another thread to debate?

Vat has nothing to do with charitable status, and no change to charitable status is proposed. You might want to do a bit of research, as you don’t seem to really understand what is on the table policy-wise.

To your point, though, not all private schools are charities. Of those that do have charitable status there is a great deal of variability in their activities, so claiming none are truly charities is a pretty sweeping statement. You might have different ideas about what activities are sufficiently beneficial to society, and that’s fine - you are under no obligation to support those charities. Personally, I think most charitable private schools do at least as much good for society as a donkey sanctuary.

Yes of course. Each to their own.

I think you'll find the barrage of abuse goes both ways. Debate in its essence involves opposing arguments.