Private schools have lost their moral purpose - says head of Wellington

[RelaxedAndCalm]

here

"Leadership from the independent sector has been sadly lacking and it has failed to provide an inspiring moral vision for us in the 21st century."

I wonder if this will lead the Charities Commission to rethink their stance re charitable status.

With reference to the header, the Charity Commission are only a NDPB, so they can only "rethink their stance" when the Government does.

Does anyone actually knows how much a state school place cost per child per year?

State school expenditure (excluding academies) is published but the amount varies between primary and secondary and also between regions. From memory the average in secondary is about £5,000, the average in primary is about £4,000. There are huge variations though.

I depends on the school; I think individual schools' funding is included in performance tables. Just had a look at ds's secondary and it's "total income per pupil" is £4,613.

Total income apparently included money they get from elsewhere, not just the government (don't ask me what elsewhere is though!).

"paddlinglikehell" I think you'll find there have been some equally shocking stereotyping about the state schools/state school parents from the other side.

Here is the link to check the spend per school:

www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/

As stated above, the amount varies but not unsurprisingly, the spend per pupil is higher in the schools in more deprived areas and schools which have a high % of pupils on free school dinners.

National median is £5353 pa for secondary schools.

Yes, I've always though it was about £5k, about half the cost of a private place in many areas so if you would each parent £5k voucher some would top up the other£5k towards a privatge place, some would use the state , some would top up with £25k for a boarding place.

"if the tax breaks and charitable status meant so little, the private schools wouldn't be fighting tooth and nail to hold on to them"

Can I say yet again, that this is not about the size and nature of the tax break? It's an existential question. Charities have to be would up in accordance with the law and Charity Commission regulation. If a charity chooses to, or has to, be closed down, than it's assets (land, buildings, major equipment') have to be sold off and the proceeds used in only specified ways. The school would cease to exist.

If it was legal to relinquish charitable status and carry on, I think many of them would have exercised that option.

And what would you use to actually maintain and staff the state schools?

There lived bitter and ignorant arsehole
Who had fucks streaming in through her thin wall.
To avoid a disaster she had slept with headmaster
Of expensive and arrogant school.
But she waited and waited in vain
To recieve any help for her pain
Or a card or cake - this must be a mistake
So her bitterness grew even faster.

She clearly never learned " i before e except after c".. ... Needs more personal sessions with her headmaster.

She was mildly dyslexic but very musical and delicate creature.

Pianomama loves her DCs
So she got on her knees
She gave the head head
The went to bed
and wasn't asked to pay any fees

Forgive me Pianomama

No offence taken. She is a fictional character.

As someone who also works in tax, I just wanted to point out that the following statement while accurate in itself, is actually fundamentally misleading

As a charity, the schools pay no tax on profits as their primary trading activity (school fees) is non-taxable. With a current rate of CT of 24%, this is a sizable tax break.

The vast, vast majority of independent schools are not-for-profit organisations. They operate on a break-even basis. So go ahead, remove the charitable exemption. There still won't be any profits to tax. It really is worth very little to independent schools.

By the way, the comment on how much it costs to educate state children only takes into account the direct costs, rather than the indirect costs and also insurance and some maintenance. If you were to take the 'fully-absorbed' cost of educating a child in the state sector, it's over £9k per child. Pretty bad deal, huh?

I thought that much.

Hopefully, where does that figure come from?

Yes, people really don't undestand this charitable stuff or tax. I wish women would spend as long on tax and financial training and issues as they do on their hair and nails and fancy weddings and clothes. We realyl need to shake them up (and then they might be able to generate income to pay school fees not stay home, earn nothing and spend whatever pocket money a man deigns to give them on new nail varnish whilst teaching their daughters to do the same).

Who are "we" and who are "they" ?

I suspect 'we' are what might loosely be described as Women of Achievement and 'they' are Women who are Dependent Upon Men. If I know Xenia.

Well, I am not going to shake anybody into understanding taxation. I prefer writing limericks.

Independents have charitable status
They say, please don't hate us
Xenia wants us to learn tax
We'd rather relax
And talk about sex in the anus

There once was a lady of leisure
She pained her nails for good measure
She didn?t pay taxes but had lots of leg waxes
And her husband thought she was a treasure.
But then one fine leisurely morning
She read an alarming warning :
You'll learn your taxations
And pay for your kids education
Or be shaken until you are groaning.