The Labour Party's plans to impose VAT on independent school fees would force nearly half of fee-paying pupils into the state sector, a new report has found. According to parent surveys carried out by education consultancy Baines Cutler, as many as 224,000 pupils could leave the independent sector as a result of VAT - double the number previously estimated. Education secretary Gillian Keegan has accused Labour of "playing party politics at the expense of children's education" and described the policy as "the politics of envy". By Eleanor Harding, Daily Mail.

The Telegraph reports independent school parents enquiring about the possibility of moving their child into the state sector have been warned there are very few places available. At least eight authorities have warned there are few to no place available, with one stating there is "no guarantee" of an immediate space. Education Not Taxation, a grassroots campaign group that compiled the warnings, has said that parents are now concerned that their children may be left without a school to attend in September. The article quotes Julie Robinson, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council (ISC). By Hayley Dixon. 

The parents of more than 100,000 children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), who do not have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and are therefore not exempt from VAT, face being unfairly taxed under Labour's independent schools policy, The Telegraph reports. ISC CEO Julie Robinson is quoted, saying: "VAT on fees will disrupt education for thousands of [children with SEND], placing further strain on state SEND provision, which is already in crisis. Without a full impact assessment, Labour cannot say what the immediate effect of its policy would be on SEND services and local councils. There is a real risk that they would unintentionally pour fuel on a fire that is already very much ablaze."

Sarah Cunnane, ISC's head of media and communications, appeared opposite journalist Fiona Millar on BBC Radio 4, where she reiterated concerns about the impact of the policy on SEND. She said: "We know that the SEND provision in the state is already in crisis, and we're concerned that if a full impact assessment isn't done of this policy - and the acute, immediate problems it could cause - we could be talking about a real catastrophe in the SEND sector." (Listen from 25:57). Speaking to Paul Brand on LBC, ISC CEO Julie Robinson spoke of the "huge, huge worry that the effect on state schools is going to be a negative one", amid reports on the number of pupils who are set to be outpriced of independent schools and displaced into the state sector. (Listen from 02:08:12). In an interview with Nick Ferrari on LBC, Tony Oulton, principal of Hulme Grammar School, also commented on the policy. He warned that independent schools risk becoming the preserve of the elite, adding "this [policy] isn't going to generate the income that Labour are suggesting that it would". (Listen from 01:05:53). 

Rudolf Eliott Lockhart, chief executive of the Independent Schools Association (ISA), has warned that Labour's tax plans will force the closure of a number of small independent schools already on a financial "knife edge". Silas Edmonds, the principal at Ewell Castle School, has said some parents with children due to start at his school in September have already started to pull out because they are "too worried" about the uncertainty and added cost of VAT on fees. The article also quotes David Woodgate, chief executive of the Independent Schools' Bursars Association (ISBA). By Henry Bodkin and Pieter Snepvangers, The Telegraph.

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has dismissed concerns about the unintended consequences of Labour's policy, saying: "I’m sure that private schools can make efficiencies in the same way that state schools have been making efficiencies this last decade or so." ISC CEO Julie Robinson is quoted, saying: "We remain concerned that Labour’s tax policy will not raise the money it has promised our state colleagues. It risks leaving them underfunded and oversubscribed... While [independent schools] will look to make efficiencies, between two-thirds and three-quarters of any school’s budget goes on staff, who are the most valuable resource in any school." By Albert Tait and Daniel Martin, The Telegraph. 

Anthony Seldon, head of Epsom College, writes in The Times urging Labour to rethink its plan to add VAT to fees, arguing: "A better policy would be to encourage independent schools to work more closely with state schools, sharing what is best in and outside the classroom: in truth, they have much to learn from each other." 

Mike Sant, general secretary of ISBA from 1997 to 2005, writes to The Times warning of the "unintended consequences" of Labour's tax plans, concluding: "This is a poorly thought out policy that has more to do with dogma than an overall improvement for education." Jane Park-Weir, whose child attends a school that will be closing after this term, warns: "VAT on school fees will not break down barriers to opportunity; it will exacerbate the gap between rich and poor." In another letter, Gordon Lethbridge considers the impact of the policy on the hospitality industry, adding "nowhere have I seen an assessment of the potential impact on the local economy". 

An independent school parent from a military family writes to The Times expressing their concern over Labour's plans. Beth Salt writes: "Despite the fact that we receive financial assistance from the armed forces to cover a percentage of the cost, another steep increase in fees would be unworkable. Hence we face taking the children out of their schools, and the only stability they have known." The letter can be found half-way down the page. 

Children who are feeling lonely are set to be prescribed activities ranging from museum trips to fishing as part of a pilot scheme designed to tackle rising levels of social isolation among youngsters. By Tom Whipple, The Times.

Boys aged 11 to 13 from Ludgrove School have joined with pupils from girls' school Downe House as part of The Respect Project to discuss their thoughts and feelings on a range of issues, including online behaviour, gender and sexuality, and consent. It is hoped the partnership will help boys resist the views of Andrew Tate and other misogynist influencers. By Elizabeth Ivens, The Telegraph. 

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