Have your school shared VAT update?

[nearlylovemyusername]

Just heard from ours, total increase will be 15%. This is on the top of annual increase of 4%.
Significant number of kids moving to grammar

How have they been able to find a "significant number" of available grammar places in August?

Yes. Had already been told the normal yearly increase. Think it was about 4%. 13% being added for VAT.

How can kids just "move to grammar?" Grammar entry is ascertained for Year 7 by sitting the specific 11+ test at the required time. Grammar schools aren't going to just have significant numbers of spaces free for private school kids who wouldn't necessarily meet the entry requirements anyway.

Grammar places - some kids sat exams earlier, got places and kept them as a back up whilst accepting private offers. They will lose one term fees now but will save a lot longer term. Some I know of will go after GCSEs. Many who start Y6 will do grammar specific tutoring. This is primary which had 100% cohort moving to secondary PS in all our years there.

Not to derail the thread - this is only about VAT related increases.

I shouldn't have mentioned grammar in my op, sorry about this, let's talk about numbers only.

Ideally also to share if primary or secondary and which region. My was about London primary

So the "significant number" moving to grammar only refers to students who are between Year 6 and Year 7 (who might have moved in any case, if their parents were forward planning this for a couple of years - based on grammar students typically being tutored during Year 5)?

So "slightly" misleading comment from you, that there is a large exodus in relation to fee increases?

Enough already - I see what you are trying to do.

Let it go fgs.

No update here other than to say 'update will arrive by end of August'. However, it's a 50kpa job, so probably less affected than cheaper schools. I fully expect them to pass on the lot.

It's interesting looking at the accounts of these schools on companies house. In our area the lowest amount in reserves is £4m.

Given that you'd think they would want to help their parents by reducing the annual baked in 5% increase.

We’ve had nothing further to the email to expect an update before the start of September. Autumn term invoice with expected 8% increase has come through though.

We have been advised that the school will ‘aim to absorb some of the increase without impacting student services’ but they will advise with more clarity in October.

Word on campus is that it will also be about 15% plus the annual increase.

New class rosters show a surge in overseas students with a decrease in Brits.

I expected this to be much less tbh. Some people here shared that Eton will won't pass any increase at all, I appreciate it's different beast, but still

Which part of London? We’re still waiting to find out. Had the fee increase letter but no updates on actual vat increase.
Were at infants in Dulwich.
Also - any reason why posters don’t just mention the school name?

We had a 6% fees increase communicated for this school year, but they have said they intend to share the VAT burden in the form of a significant reduction for parents, with a full update and a number to be shared by the end of the month.

Colleague received an email with 9% VAT related on the top of 5% annual increase. London secondary, top league

Kept grammar places as a backup?? What???

Ours is 13% increase

Got the autum invoice with the expected fees. Also comes with the break down of monthly instalments for the whole year with the same fees. Surely it could be subjected to change while fingers crossed it will be kept as it is.

@Ferrari50 that's interesting, did they say anything about VAT at all?

Our school has significant building works scheduled for this autumn and has indicated they'll be able to offset a significant amount of VAT this year. Fees for the Autumn term haven't risen. Not sure about 25/26 yet but they're building a new arts block next year so hopefully the same.

Secondary. Ds only has 6th form to go. Scholarships are being honoured.

That is likely because they can claim the VAT back via capital works being undertaken.

The school has insisted they will make the fees as affordable as they can, with next update in September.

They can just sit an entrance exam and be admitted if they pass and the school has space. My niece did this after moving areas in year 10

Absolute radio silence from ours, apart from an annual increase which this year is 7%. They never mention the Vat thing at all! But ds us going into year 11 now and he will be applying for to two local grammar schools for 6th form.

We're at a small local prep. Fees increase 9% from September but no news on VAT yet. Speculation about class sizes increasing. reception is normally 3 classes of 10-12. Rumours of cutting that down to 2 classes and repurposing the teachers so that the school can absorb some of the cost. We haven't heard anything official.

Ours are passing on the full amount :( we’ve had 8 hand notice in our of 19 , they are moving to state .

Basically in our area - if the state schools are full, the LA have to find them places and it’s meant that the class sizes for the full schools
have to absorb them as they have to provide a place so the class size of 32 has gone up etc .

Are you in the group on fb - education not taxation?