How's the Private School VAT increase impacting you?

[mumsthewordi]

To private fee paying ...are kids/s still in private ? Are you comfortably still able to afford and happy paying it ?

To state, how do you feel? Have you been impacted by more kids in class or would you expect that to play out this year? Or perhaps you weren't supportive ?
Do you think state schools will improve ?

Full disclosure
A struggling fee paying parent of one kid only other is at state and my oh is an amazing secondary school teacher - we are a divided household indeed at time, but we've made choices best for us.

@morechocolateneededtoday You lost me at 'spiteful'. I haven't seen many, if any 'spiteful' remarks. Unless you regard people who basically say it doesn't affect them, so it doesn't bother them as being spiteful?

Work as a TA in state primary (South-East). Have children at state secondary and state college (6th form).
No new pupils coming from private schools.
Numerous local state secondaries and primaries are applying to LA to reduce their PAN due to falling numbers.

She doesn’t in the slightest!

No, not to hell with the pupils @twistyizzy (you're projecting there I think)

If parents have made the choice to move their DC then they will find a warm welcome and be well supported by the excellent transition programme schools in our areas run. (Award winning transition programmes BTW)

I agree with this.

I'm fairly neutral on this subject - this is the first VAT thread I've joined! But I do think there's lots of complaining about children being adversely effected when moving to state - schools are used to dealing with large groups of new starters, I'm sure they'll survive as will the children.

Of course there are exceptions - SEN being a huge one - but I don't think the supposed droves leaving private for state are all going to have their education upended because they had to move school once.

Of course there are exceptions - SEN being a huge one - but I don't think the supposed droves leaving private for state are all going to have their education upended because they had to move school once.

SEN kids who moved to private as they couldn’t cope with mainstream school or the school couldn’t cope with them - aren’t going to go back to the thing that didn’t work the first time. If they don’t have ECHPs - and councils are using delaying tactics because they don’t have the resources to fund - they will have to wait it out at home or homeschool.

I really don't see how it will benefit but I am waiting to see vast improvements, they are well needed

Have you read other threads about private schools and VAT on fees on MN? If you have, you would know exactly what I am talking about - countless posters declaring all private school children are 'poshos' who don't know what it is like to live in the real world. Endless stereotypes and using names to refer to the children. Followed up with delight that they will no longer go to their nice schools if they have to close as a result of this policy.

I have no judgement for those who don't care either way because VAT on fees do not affect them.

No, it isn’t ‘unprecedented’.

In 1992, 68 independent schools closed, and in 1994 it was 79 independent schools that closed

The 2008 economic downturn led to at least 38 schools closing and about a dozen more merging.

SEN kids who moved to private as they couldn’t cope with mainstream school or the school couldn’t cope with them - aren’t going to go back to the thing that didn’t work the first time.

Give me the names of some private mainstream schools that will take children who mainstream could not cope with. Hardly ever happens. I'll be waiting...

If you are talking about independent SEN schools then that is a different kettle of fish altogether. Those types of school usually stipulate that the LA has to fund them.

I have seen the prejudice and bigotry directed at children on the spectrum from
MS private schools. The children can be super bright and with no challenging behaviours. The minute they hear the word autism, they want them out.

I'm a parent of 3 autistic girls of all different ages.

@morechocolateneededtoday

The reason people get annoyed at the foot stomping is because it's pretty ironic that people who have always been able to afford to give their child opportunities that most others cannot, are now complaining because they themselves are impacted by the VAT but 'students at Eton will not'. It's the height of hypocrisy.

@fordian - it is hardly ideal for kids to move schools several times in a short space of time! How unsettling for those DCs of those HCPs. Other civilised countries do not this - they have guaranteed catchments for kids who move into the area/otherwise displaced. The system here is shambolic.

These HCPs are prepared to do whatever it takes to get their kids into the state school of choice. They've upped them from Indian schools to a UK school, then another a term later, aged 12-23. They're resilient, they'll cope.

Also the government is not investing in teachers - they want NQTs rather than reading hard work and loyalty - not to mention experience

My oh is considering locum teaching again as it pays better but he's torn as he fell for union promises and thought get back into a Perm role at a pay cut.

He is snapped up every time he goes locum as a science teacher

@Lyannaa agree!

Family member with SEN had a far better experience in state mainstream schooling versus private mainstream schooling...even though a parent of theirs was a senior teacher at the private mainstream school!

Parent noted better experience at state mainstream.

Oh gosh, what do they ‘say’?

Do tell.

It is generally a myth peddled by private school parents when they realise their DC aren't as much of a shoo-in as they thought they were. State school DC 'taking' their places. The truth is that more clever state school DC are applying to top universities and top courses and getting places without the need for any extra considerations.

Wonder if an economic appraisal's been done or cared about by Labour
(In the small prep my daughter goes to , by bi means the hot house private boarding schools we are surrounded by), most the parents are earning good by not excelent incomes
The jobs vary but most are in nhs - I do think there's an irony there but can't quite put my finger on it ...

But what I mean, arent the majority of private school parents just scraping by or are they Erin types. I don't even know why I'm doing it, other than I loved the community value and nurturing environment for my August baby- she's reception.

My parents wanted to give me a private education so maybe i am trying to deliver upon that.

There are good privates and bad and excellent states and don't get me started in the unfairness of grammars ! It's all just such a divisive subject and I really feel those pro the fees are viewing it as a very classist argument - when we're all just in the broad middle, but deciding to spend our money on a private school rather than a holiday say.

I don't mind paying the VAT , I just wish it went back to State education in a real and tangible way,

I think cutting stamp duty would have raised more - so it was purely ideological of labour.

Any sweeping judgements towards a cohort of CHILDREN who have had no part in the decisions their parents made towards their education, name-calling towards them and revelling in glee that their lives are to be disrupted is pure spite. There is no question about it.

@morechocolateneededtoday

I'm talking about this thread, the one we're on. Attempting to cross-reference with 'whataboutery' regarding other threads doesn't cut it.

I'm not seeing 'spite' on this one.

In that case, maybe you need to go back and re-read my original post as I stated 'spiteful comments on MN'. I never stated they were on this thread because I was referring to MN threads in general

Any sweeping judgements towards a cohort of CHILDREN who have had no part in the decisions their parents made towards their education, name-calling towards them and revelling in glee that their lives are to be disrupted is pure spite. There is no question about it.

It's never the child's fault of course. However, it seems to be lost on a lot of people on this thread that any child whose parents were able to make this decision for them in the first place is going to be cushioned from life's adversities. Far more than the majority in state schools. Their well-heeled parents will still have far more means to give them a leg up.

And on that basis, I do not think that we need to pity them.

arent the majority of private school parents just scraping by

No. They are among the wealthiest in society, miles away from scraping by.

18.6% students in the independent sector with SEND in 2023. Most in mainstream schools.

I don’t recognise this Gradgrind stereotype. Some academic independent schools are totally ruthless as to who they take but that applies to all comers not specifically SEN students.

We had to withdraw our children. They are very sad about it. DC2 is coping with the move much better than DC1 (both primary age). DC1 is not liking his new school - he's had a term there so far, he's struggling to make friends in particular.

I'm very sad about the whole thing. It feels incredibly unfair on the children. I suspect that the school we moved from will close in the next couple of years.

Slander! Everyone knows they all drive old bangers and never ever ever take a holiday