ISC Daily News Summary

ISC Daily News Summary 27 September 2024

Rushing VAT on fees 'will only exacerbate the issues around the policy', warns ISC CEO

Independent sector

Parents of children aged three and four in mixed-age classes at independent schools face paying VAT on fees from January, The Telegraph reports. The warning comes despite Labour's earlier promise that all nursery provision, even if part of an independent school, would be exempt from the tax. Speaking to the paper, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) Julie Robinson said: “There are currently over 200 questions with the Treasury about the details around the Government’s education tax; much remains unclear for schools. A rushed January implementation will only exacerbate the issues around the policy, particularly for children with SEND [special educational needs and disabilities], military families and those choosing schools aligned with their faith.” Sam Sims, head at The Meadows Montessori School, which combines pupils aged between three and six, said: "We don’t have the available space or the staff to suddenly split our class, and it goes against our ethos." Head of Park School Laura Hare spoke of her "fear and anxiety" over the policy's January implementation, adding that she is concerned that "small schools who are really community driven... will get blown out". By Pieter Snepvangers. 

The government's VAT policy could result in a “loss of talented teachers” for both state and independent schools and so should be delayed until September 2025, the leaders of the ISC, NASUWT and ASCL have warned. In its response to the Treasury's consultation on the policy, the ISC wrote: "There has never been an opportunity to have a meaningful discussion on the principle of the policy, the detail or the timing of implementation." ASCL warned that potential pupil movement from independent to state schools as a result of the policy could “reduce VAT revenue”, while both NASUWT and the ISC called for the undertaking of an impact assessment to consider the effect on the SEND system, specifically on local authorities. By Cerys Turner, Tes.

Headteacher of Hulme Hall Grammar School Dean Grierson has told BBC News he fears parents will be priced out of the school when the government's VAT policy comes into effect. Mr Grierson said pupils with additional educational needs would struggle in larger state school classrooms, as they would "just become a number". Echoing Mr Grierson's concerns in comments to the BBC, Julie Robinson warned that the VAT policy would "disrupt education for thousands of pupils", adding she was "particularly concerned for what it might mean for students receiving SEND support". Ms Robinson said: "A rushed January implementation will exacerbate these issues and we are calling on the government to at least delay implementation to allow VAT to come in in line with the academic year and school admissions cycle."  Reference is made to figures from the ISC. By Kevin Fitzpatrick and Ewan Gawne.

Councils in England plan to allocate £2.1 billion this academic year to independent schools for supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), marking a 15 per cent increase from last year. The Financial Times notes that the number of children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) in independent schools has risen to almost 34,000, a 2.5-fold increase since 2015-16, as independent special schools have grown significantly faster than those that are funded by the state. By Amy Borrett.

Letter: Prime minister 'disrupting' the education of pupils at independent schools with VAT policy

Letters

In a letter to The Times, Irith Sassoon from London asks why Sir Keir Starmer is "ready to disrupt" the education of children attending independent schools. They warn: "Besides the political rhetoric that VAT on fees will raise up to £1.5 billion to pay for 6,500 teachers, much public money will have to be spent accommodating in the state system pupils who were at independent schools." The letter can be found three-quarters of the way down the page.

UK parents join pact to withhold smartphones from under-14s

Mobile phones

Parents at 20 per cent of schools across the UK have signed an online pledge to withhold smartphones from their children until they are at least 14, a campaign group has claimed. A “parent pact” arranged by Smartphone Free Childhood has been signed by at least one parent at 6,537 schools, with the signatories representing just under 35,000 children. By Dan Milmo, The Guardian.

School and university starters at risk as immunity falls below WHO levels

Health

England no longer has the levels of population immunity recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent outbreaks of disease, the UK’s Health Security Agency has said. As students start new terms at school and university across the country, experts have expressed concern over a “perfect storm” of potential infections within the student population due to Britain’s falling vaccination uptake levels. By Emilie Lavinia, The Independent.

'Independent schools deserve credit for developing English cricketers'

Sport

Writing in The Times, cricket and rugby writer Steve James argues that the decline of state school cricket is a systemic issue, not solely the fault of independent schools, which contribute significantly to the sport through investment in facilities and coaching. Mr James writes:  "I do think that private schools receive some undeserved criticism in this always impassioned debate." Concluding his extensive opinion piece, which explores the wider issues of access to and participation in cricket, Mr James says: "Of course, we would all like there to be more cricket played in state schools... And there are now many promising signs of an increased focus upon cricket in state schools."

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