Westholme School in Blackburn claims the government's plan to introduce VAT on private school fees from 2025 disproportionately affects families in the North.
Pupils and teachers at an independent school in Blackburn have accused the government of discriminating against families in the North by introducing VAT on private school fees. Last year, the new Labour government confirmed plans to introduce the 20 per cent tax on fees at private schools from January 2025. The government claimed this would fund 6,500 extra teachers for state schools, but this figure has been challenged.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the increase would be spread over five years, which only represents an extra 0.3 teachers per school. Westholme School in Blackburn, founded in 1923, now caters for boys and girls aged from 4 to 18 years after becoming fully co-educational in 2018. Principal Paul Taylor, who took the helm at the independent school last year, told LancsLive that Westholme has 'absorbed' 10 per cent of the VAT burden in order to limit the impact on families. This will remain in place for the summer term, but Mr Taylor said the introduction of VAT on private school fees will hurt those 'on the cusp' the most. Mr Taylor said that, as well as the disparity between the average incomes of those who live in the north and south - around £33,000 and £39,000 respectively - private schools in the South East are attended by twice as many pupils (10 per cent) as those in the North West. He added that he doesn't expect pupil numbers to drop immediately, because 'when you get a recession you tend to see a bit of a delay', but smaller independent schools such as Westholme are most at risk by the introduction of VAT. 'Parents will have to make choices,' he said. 'You might see a reduction in the number of pupils attending from age four to 18, where parents choose to only send their children to secondary here, or save up just for sixth form.' Mr Taylor said that, while the government policy appears to aim to tackle elitism, 'the wealthiest private schools won't be affected'. 'If you look at what Eton did for example, they passed the full 20 per cent on to families, because their families can afford it but not all private schools are like Eton,' he added. Head boy Enrikas Juselis, who has been accepted into Oxford to study law, won a scholarship to Westholme after attending St Bede's in Blackburn. Enrikas said that while the imposition of VAT on private school fees won't directly impact his family's finances he is in no doubt that he has been given 'the best opportunities' at Westholme. 'I know it's a bit of a cliché to say it's like a family here but it really is,' the sixth former added.
VAT Private Schools Education Blackburn Government Policy Inequality North-South Divide
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