Impact of VAT - schools going co-ed?

[ICouldBeVioletSky]

I’ve just learned that two single sex schools in our area (boys’ prep which goes to y8, and the prep part of a girls’ school that goes up to y11) have announced they will be going co-ed. Impact of VAT bound to be a factor but they are also referring to the falling birth rate. So I guess it’s a double-whammy, and over time the pattern (reduced birth rate leading to co-ed) will carry through to senior school.

Have heard another girls’ prep, quite near the boys one mentioned above, is struggling. Purely anecdotal, but the boys school will no doubt now lure pupils who would have gone there.

And a boys’ faith through school started down the co-ed route a couple of years ago, well pre-VAT.

Is this being repeated elsewhere in the country? We’re Home Counties.

Yes this is the same in our town. Our school went co-ed but because of the falling numbers way before VAT was introduced. The numbers fell after the pandemic I guess and falling birth rates

Yes Godolphin in Salisbury went coed recently, in order to attract more pupils.

The girls’ and boys’ schools in Monmouth are merging and this was planned pre VAT. They are under the same foundation so obviously less cost to run as a joint school (all through from pre prep to 6th form)

A co-ed prep school near us recently announced it was to close in the spring due to VAT & NI costs.
Apparently the parents have been fund raising and it may now soldier on until the summer break but unless it is bought out, it will then close.

Yes in our town one has gone co-ed, one has increased the offering up to year 11 (previously went up to year 9 only). There is also a rumour that two others are going to merge, not sure if it's true or not. What I was wondering though is that if they all just go co-ed it's not really going to solve the problem of overall lack of demand in the long run.

I suspect at the moment a number of schools are unviable in their current state - the market is definitely contracting. By going co-ed, some of them will survive in the medium and hopefully longer term, while others will still fail. Still, better than them doing nothing and all failing.

Certainly where we are, two of the undersubscribed boys prep schools have gone co-ed in recent years in order to boost numbers. It's actually working out for them as there previously weren't any co-ed prep options, and lots of parents with both boys and girls want the convenience of having them both at the same school.

The prep school my children attended has seen numbers drop vastly. Post pandemic there was a record number on the roll whereas now they have the smallest reception class ever. It's only a small school, numbers dropping by a relatively small number potentially has a huge effect.

We live very close to a well known city which attracts a great deal of tourism. There are currently three independent secondary schools in the city, all of which are already co- ed. Based upon this years' intake, it is highly unlikely all three will survive.

Wow - mind blown that falling birth rates are already having this affect, I know state secondaries and primaries also having this issue. I'm in my 20s but see so many of my friends (well educated etc) frankly, struggle to move to next stages like buying a house.

If I hear of any I will let you know.

Yes, prep part of all girls I went to has gone co-ed. The senior is the only all girls school that isn't grammar in the area, which attracts a lot of SEN girls who can't deal with often louder boys. It will be interesting to see whether they become co-ed as they'll then have to fight it out with the other co-ed indies in the area.

Private schools that get very average and similar results will merge IMO, probably taking over whichever site has less upkeep charges and selling the other to developers.