Another private school in Suffolk announced closure by the end of the summer term

[twinsyang]

Not only students have to find another school, but also teachers, employees. Eg cook, gardeners, support staff all have to look for jobs. :p
i feel sorry for the families affected.

@Joolay whatever your opinion is on private schools it isn’t great that parents have to find another at short notice and a logistical nightmare for overseas parents. There is also the impact of job losses, not just teachers but support staff, admin, cooks, groundsmen. Local businesses and suppliers lose contracts. Communities and other schools may lose use of facilities. It really does have an impact on a lot of levels.

I moved my youngest to state a year ago and he loves it. I’m saving 18k a year and I’m getting something for the tax I pay.

It still makes me giggle that I’m saving and costing Starmer and Reeves money. On top of this I’ve also gone on line and claimed loads of extra money for my elderly dad. Starmers malicious attack on private schools made me turn from someone who paid their fair share, to what can I get out of Labour.

That’s great that you and your dad are using your state benefits and entitlements.

They’ll probably get voted out first and someone else will reverse it.

Although it’s very much a Starmer failing and he’ll be gone soon in all likelihood.

Not predictable at all.

Starmer is toast, Reeves could be too. It’s because of totally shite thinking as seen in this policy. They can lament at leisure out of their jobs.

Yes, god forbid people pay anything for themselves. Let’s make the state as big as possible and give everyone loads of money and other stuff.

i know this school, it’s not an elitist place, most private schools aren’t but they often have a lot of sen kids as smaller classes. Schools like this are where parents / grandparents who scrape together the fees for their child struggling in the state system.

Hmmm…. The poster I replied to was using a state education for her child ( like most parents) and had obtained some benefits for her father. Not sure that’s Big State in all honesty.

Labour unlikely to be voted out in the next 2-3 years, as election timing is in their hands, and can’t imagine Burnham or any of the other leadership hopefuls will change this policy.

The poster had left private education, where she was subsiding the state, for state education where she is now taking from the state.

The former should be encouraged at all times. The idea of ‘entitlement’ is precisely the problem.

Private education should be encouraged at all times? Or did you mean something else?

Any child is entitled to a state education place.

We’ll see on timing but the policy is likely to go with Labour tf.

What damage Starmer and Reeves caused. Thankfully even his own party want him gone.

There are more than a few countries which provide tax incentives for private school parents to ‘reward’ them for not being a drain on the state. If only we had the same mentality.

Private schools generally require teachers to be qualified unless they are teaching something very specialist. Academies don't have to employ teachers that are qualified. The 'outstanding' one that I worked in had quite a few that weren't.

Good. It’s shitty that we have an unfair 2 tier system. ALL kids deserve a decent education!

Exactly, this is the “Phantom VAT" Fallacy (Savings vs. Spending). Your response is rational, without paying the fees, you save it rather than spending it. The government assumes that parents who move their children to state schools will suddenly redirect their massive tuition budgets into high-VAT goods and services. In reality, these families are reacting to financial pressure. Instead of spending, their natural behavioral response is to save the money, pay down debt, or invest it to secure their financial position. Because savings and investments do not generate VAT, this projected tax revenue simply disappears.

I would say good competitive private schools would stay open no matter what. High achieving private school in my area is thriving and is mega competitive despite the already high fee and the VAT.

And I would suggest parent thinking about sending their DC to a third rate private school only because its private need to have a think about their priorities. Some private school are absolutely crap and I'm not surprised they are closing.

100 pupils and 68 staff and old buildings is never going to be sustainable

You know its not true, private schools often have teachers who have a high degree in the subject they teach but no formal teaching degree. It has been well documented.

Oh the irony… the greatest inequality is within the state system.

Yep. Hopefully next GE will move away from Labour’s nonsense.

Falling numbers especially at prep schools is down to the falling birth rate, cost of living and also the realisation that smaller preps often can’t offer the best education- they were closing before vat was added, that was just the final straw. Competitive schools, good schools are still oversubscribed especially at secondary level. The decrease in boarding preps was already very advanced to to most people disagreeing with boarding young dc

As I have said on other threads, I think it is a case of wait and see what actually makes it into the manifestos in a couple of years, regardless of what has previously been said about the policy by various parties.

I do as well and while historically it hasn’t been elitist since the new owners took over they have rejected SEN kids from joining and introduced an entrance exam. Their latest social media is full of boasts of international students getting places at Oxbridge. It is such a shame as the setting is gorgeous and perfect for kids who need a quiet calm environment but the owners chose to try and turn it into an academic hothouse. It is very sad for everyone affected.

The price to have a Labour government. Wasn’t this their promise to the hard left. Bloody idiots. Anyway, a lot of people have also left the country and private schools are the go to for international families.