Leavers

[SafSon]

At my son’s school there are a lot of leavers, it does seem to be after the VAT was added, and I know many have gone on to state schools but I was wondering how everyone else has been finding this? Have your schools had many leavers too since VAT was added to the fees?

No, hardly any!

not sure if it depends on the area though …

Yes, lots. Some are leaving half way through the term. Mainly those with siblings so the realistic cost of private schools are becoming too much for some. We are getting joiners in years 5 and 6 but the infant age is really struggling to gain children and keep them.

17K left between Sept 24 + July 25.
25K left by Sept 25

Our school has 10% across all year groups.

Interesting! Thank you for your responses. I also find it’s mostly families with siblings which makes sense. But even my local area, some schools seem to have a lot of movement and others not much, wondered what it was like across the country. And I wonder if this could potentially make selective schools a little less ‘selective’.

I asked one of my teacher friends. She says about 2 per form have left since January. There used to be 16 in a form. The DCs call it 'the missing students'. We only had 500 in the school.

More of a worry is that staff are being shed hard. People who leave are not being replaced. They have slashed cleaners and dinner staff and grounds staff. Cut a number of the casual teaching staff who come in to teach specialist subjects like drums, music and theatre.

Agree with poster above about staff cuts. I would think it would make grammar selectives even harder to get into.

Noticeable difference where we are - we live in an area of outstanding local primaries and grammars so private school is something most parents are on the fence about - if you switched to your local state school it would likely still be very good and possibly better facilities! Reception entry is down 25% at son's school this year compared to last and another local prep gone from 2 form entry to 1 form, down 40%. I think that's indicative of the market here now but on the flip side house prices are very high and families have been pushed out so previously over subscribed state primaries now have spaces due to "low birth" years.

No difference….numbers are very similar in previous years.

Numbers are slightly up at DD's London prep. Only a couple of pupils have left due to fees - they have had a few other leavers but mostly moving overseas. But there are more joiners overall, as a local prep has closed down and took up places here. We are in London and have a very wide catchment. I don't think the reputation of local primaries has a big effect - families travel from a wide area and their nearest primary will all be different. But no one we know has considered moving to state, and they can afford the fees as the parents work in highly paid fields.

Have not seen any families leave due to VAT

Lack of new joiners rather than leavers appears to be the most obvious trend.

Local school has gone from 3 x 18 entry at reception down to a single form of 20 this year.

Private schools keep closing around here.

Which area is that @FuzzyWolf ?

Private school near me has lost 200 apparently.

Wow, already? This is one of my worries to be honest.