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

OP, similar at my son’s school.

60 in his year alone have withdrawn their children to move to state schools (approx half the year).

You do understand that having spare time and energy is a privilege many people don't have?

It is the inevitable outcome of making private education more unaffordable. Look on the bright side, you’re not subsidising private school anymore 👍

Oh, I see - this is some kind of arms race. To see who has the biggest hard luck story - ‘I’m a fighter’ etc.

The truth is more prosaic I think - PS holds a mirror up to people and their life choices. Not only PS but other displays of wealth - houses and cars and holidays.

Except education hurts the most - because none of us like to think we aren’t doing the best for our kids.

And deep down, you know that many state schools are letting our kids down.

Both are a form of Privilege really.
Don't get me wrong, what you did was great but a lot of kids don't have parents who can or would do that

Ah, bless.

You're trying to say that you paying for the privilege stemming from a private education is the exactly same as someone giving up their (limited) spare time for free to do something for the community.

No I'm saying be careful of using the word privilege because you are privileged too. You can't pick and choose the meaning or application.
You ARE privileged you just can't see it because to you privilege only means someone who earns more than you or makes different choices.

Well said.

I think it is interesting how so much debate on MN is now generated by paid political influencers.

Nah.

It’s just posters who have the temerity to have an opinion opposed to yours.

Nice try though.

Coming back to the actual question...Our school (prep in South London) has increased fees by 6% this year. That was before the announcement about VAT. Current communication (by the school) says that they will announce the revised fees by the end of September. In an email earlier in the year, they made it clear that they will have to pass on some of the VAT to the parents and also mentioned that they estimate VAT recovery would save them c. 5%. Let's see where we end up.

OK, lets put it another way: I used my 'privilege' (time and effort) to improve my community and increase other peoples opportunities.

You're using your 'privilege' (money) to buy opportunities for your own children.

And what assumptions do you make about how those funds were earned?

Are they also subject to your rather flexible
interpretation of privilege?

So? Both are still privilege. 1 isn't better than the other.
You view 1 type being morally superior to the other ie the form you perpetrate is morally superior to my form.
You are virtue signalling to the extreme, we do a lot for charity but I don't go around shouting about it.

I thought they were unpaid trolls 😂

Of course, soz.

@AboveBeyond3 😂

You come across as incredibly judgemental, righteous and supercilious. On a much higher moral plain than those of us who chose indy schools (for whatever reason those choices were made). Maybe check your own prejudices

Our local 6th form (Hills Road, one of the top state 6th forms in the country, sends vast numbers to Oxbridge every year) prioritises children from Cambridgeshire state secondary schools in its admission policies, and a few people who assumed they would jump ship from private after GCSEs got a nasty shock.

I also think that those currently in PS who assume their children will waltz straight in to a competitive grammar school place may have a bit of a reality check when they have to mix with well tutored children from a good state primary too. Private through schools will have no incentive to teach to 11+ as why would they teach for something that would encourage half their customers to leave at the age of 11?

Sorry - away from original question but hearing alot of comments 'state school letting our kids down', 'sinking state schools' etc. I live in a nice area of London where most state high schools are outstanding, offer lots of extra curricular activities and a lot of kids go on to do very well. I know parents in the area who won't even consider an outstanding state school no matter how good it is because they clearly don't want their kids mixing with less able kids or kids with varying approaches to education and social background. The reputation and social status amongst family and friends of sending their kids to a state school matters too. It's the social circle of the private and grammars they want to get into. I appreciate on here many like to think all state schools are crap and underfunded, and yes in some areas they are, so fully understand why PS is an option and if you can afford it sure, but in my area it certainly isn't true and parents in the same dilemma of VAT at PS around here still feel disgusted at the thought of sending them to the outstanding local doors away which many other parents are desperate to get into and move area for.

This has been said ad nauseum but worth repeating again:
I can understand if you live near great state schools then private looks ridiculous but you have to acknowledge that overall the state sector is in crisis and many people don't have the luxury of a good local state school. There are major inequalities in the state system and outside of London that's what fuels the drive for private.

Well, you know what they say about takes one to know one.

You, as a private school parent, are knowingly buying into a system that promotes and entrenches educational, social and economic inequality, whether you are willing to acknowledge that or not.

I'm not the one claiming to have the moral high ground.
I'm also not blind to the obvious advantages of private school as you are to your own, more discreet, privilege

would you mind sharing your sources for 11+ info? private preps teach (or used to teach) to pass indies entrance exams in Y6. They pivot now to prep for 11+
Of course there will be competition with well tutored state kids, it will just be much tougher for both sides with no winners of the policy

Our school's hasn't let us know yet. But we had an email which seems to be softening us up for passing most of the cost on.