A mother of two reveals how the government's new policy of charging VAT on private school fees has given parents more leverage in negotiating lower costs. She shares her experience of securing a 25% scholarship for her daughter and how others are attempting to do the same, highlighting the changing dynamics in the private education sector.
This month, the government’s new policy of charging VAT on private school fees came into force amid fierce debate about how it will change education in the UK. Here, one mother of two reveals she has secured lower fees after private discussions with her child’s school – and says many others are attempting to do the same:: our 10-year-old daughter is in Year 6 at a prep school , and her brother is in Year 8 at another school down the road that goes all the way from pre-pre through to 18.
It’s made a real difference to our finances, and now we want to use the scholarship to negotiate further. We had initially considered moving our daughter to her brother’s school for Year 7 and 8, but can’t afford it now, especially as his school has put its fees up by 17.5 per cent, which makes it £6,000 more per child, net, per year. Of the three private senior schools in our area it’s become the most expensive. But we also know our son’s school wants our daughter.
Private schools have always offered certain discounts if you know where to look for them: special bursaries or scholarships for particular groups like military children or vicar’s kids; sibling discounts that get bigger the more children you have at a school; pots of money available only to the children of alumni. It’s not always a pleasant process to go through to get them – when we first applied for a bursary they wanted so much information, payslips, bank statements, the works.
For us, it’s about the smaller class sizes, breadth of subjects and facilities from a young age. Our daughter, who went to state school until she was eight, was really affected by the pandemic – she is young for her year and she dropped behind and lost confidence and her self-esteem. When she moved to private school she excelled at sport – hence the scholarship – which then boosted her confidence on the academic side as well.
PRIVATE SCHOOL FEES VAT SCHOLARSHIPS BURSARIES NEGOTIATION
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Private School Fees Set to Rise as Government VAT Policy Takes EffectThe government's new VAT policy on private schools comes into force today, leading to potential fee increases for parents. Labour scrapped VAT exemptions and business rates relief for private schools, prompting some institutions to raise fees or restructure, potentially displacing thousands of students. The government anticipates raising £1.5bn in 2025, increasing to £1.8bn by 2029, to fund the recruitment of 6,500 teachers. However, the policy faces criticism from the opposition, who argue it will negatively impact state schools and families.
Read more »
Labour's VAT Tax on Private Schools Sparks Teacher Job Losses and Fee HikesLabour's new VAT tax on private school fees is leading to job losses, pay cuts, and increased fees at some of the UK's most prestigious private schools. The policy, which requires private schools to pay a 20% VAT on fees, is being met with strong opposition from teachers' unions and some parents.
Read more »
Labour's private school VAT hike has exposed a mythIt is families in the top 5 per cent of earners that mostly send their children to private school
Read more »
Private Schools Pass on VAT Hike to ParentsPrivate schools are increasing fees by an average of 14% to pass on the cost of Labour's 20% VAT on private school fees.
Read more »
Private School Fees Tax Will 'Pressure' State Education System, Tories WarnThe Conservatives have warned that a new tax on private school fees will 'add pressure' to the state education system in 2025. Labour has ended the long-standing VAT exemption for private schools, which will raise £1.7 billion a year by 2029/30. The government claims the money will be invested in state schools.
Read more »
Private School Fees Set to Rise Again in SeptemberParents sending their children to private schools are bracing for another fee increase this September, the third in just over a year. Experts predict a 3% rise for most schools due to inflation and staffing costs, with some anticipating increases of up to 9%. The government, however, expects minimal impact from a predicted shift to state schools due to VAT on fees.
Read more »