Parents' concerns over VAT increase to school fees

Parents at an independent school in Nottingham are worried about plans to increase the cost of private school fees next year.

Value added tax (VAT) at the standard rate of 20% will be added to private school fees from 1 January 2025, under plans announced by the new Labour government.

Rob Strafford, head teacher at the fee-paying Iona School in Sneinton, fears the school's future is "at risk" if current plans go ahead.

Labour says it is removing the current exemption from VAT to fund 6,500 new teachers in England.

Nurse Anna Undah, 44, is a single mother of three children who have all attended the school.

One of her children is currently a pupil, and Miss Undah said she would have to "change her way of life" to afford the new fees.

"The parents at this school aren't wealthy, we're ordinary working parents who can just about pay for the current fees," she added.

"Not all children cope in mainstream schools. My 14-year-old son has cerebral palsy, and it was extremely difficult to find a state school right for him. One of my daughters is autistic, and she felt comfortable here.

"I have already made cuts in my life to pay for this education - but how many more cuts can I make?"

Adrian Dow, 62, from Woodthorpe in Nottinghamshire, has been a teacher for just under 30 years and sends two of his children to the school.

He thinks it is unfair to target all private schools in the same way when they are "so different from one another".

"There must be a better way for the government to do this," he added. "More students will miss out on this education - especially those who don't come from rich families.

"My child is midway through this school. Me and my wife have looked elsewhere, but there aren't any places at the state schools we are interested in. What do we do then?

"If this school were to close, where would those children go? It's impacting parents who have sacrificed so much for their children's education."

Mr Strafford said parents at the 62-pupil school were reconsidering their children's places, and there had been a 25% decrease in applications compared to last year - a drop of about 16.

The primary school adopts the Steiner method of teaching, and it costs £8,161.80 to attend per academic year.

This type of education focuses on "childhood" and imaginative play instead of testing, which is influenced by the work of philosopher Rudolf Steiner.

Mr Strafford said: "If we receive no more applicants, the school faces a £120,000 shortfall for the upcoming academic year.

"Half of the students here have places that are financially subsidised, and we'll be forced to offer less of these places. Those students have been forgotten."

A spokesperson for His Majesty's Treasury said: "Ending tax breaks on private schools will help to raise the revenue needed to fund our education priorities for next year, such as recruiting 6,500 new teachers."

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