During a video segment on BBC Politics London, in which the VAT policy and its potential impact on families and schools was explored, CEO of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) Julie Robinson warned of “huge anxiety” around Labour's plans, made worse by the January start date. Ms Robinson explained how the tax changes would affect schools on already tight margins, as well as those offering particular specialisms such as faith or special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision. She added: “It’s questionable whether the policy will raise anything at all over time, because the children who are displaced into the state sector reduce the tax take for the independent school, and it then creates a cost. At the moment, independent schools across the country save the taxpayer £4.5 billion by educating 600,000 children not at a cost to the state.” On the challenges of the policy's “very small timeframe” for implementation, head of The Cavendish School Taryn Lombard said "I think any head of an independent school is concerned about how they're going to hold their community." Daniel King, a parent at the school, told the programme he would even consider moving house to save more money for fees. The segment begins at 08:35.
Candice Brathwaite, a best-selling black author, has warned Sir Keir Starmer that he risks “widening the gap” through his plans to impose VAT on school fees, which is set to come into force in January 2025. Ms Brathwaite, who wrote I Am Not Your Baby Mother and sends her daughter to an independent school, told The Telegraph many ethnic minority parents have “three jobs apiece to make that education happen – just to make their generational landscape a bit more socially mobile”. Speaking on the BBC’s Headliners podcast, she said the tax would likely mean moving her daughter to a state school, adding that many others could follow suit. Raisel Freedman, assistant director at the Partnership for Jewish Schools (Pajes), told the paper the policy could “decimate” many Jewish schools. Reference is made to figures from the ISC, which show four in 10 independent school pupils are from a minority ethnic background. By Poppy Wood.
Chief operating officer of The Edinburgh Academy Samantha Byers has warned that “unanswered questions” are preventing independent schools from working out how the UK government’s VAT change will impact fees. During an exclusive interview with The Scotsman, Ms Byers said: "There are a lot of unanswered questions, which makes it very difficult to scenario plan, down to drilling down as to where we’re going." By Calum Ross.
Writing in The Telegraph, co-founder of Standpoint magazine Michael Mosbacher argues that Labour's proposed VAT on independent school fees will harm smaller institutions, many of whom provide affordable and individualised education. While wealthy schools may manage the financial impact due to their larger budgets, he says, many small independent schools lack the resources to absorb the increased costs, putting their futures at risk. "Labour’s policy does not even work by its own measure," Mr Mosbacher concludes.
Several schools in membership of the ISC's constituent associations are mentioned across the weekend's coverage.
The Conservatives “didn’t do enough” to fix the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision crisis, one of the party’s shadow education ministers has said. Speaking at a NASUWT union fringe event at the Conservative Party Conference, Gagan Mohindra said "I think this is something we should hang our heads in shame and apologise for, and I'll happily do that on stage today." Referencing his own constituency, Mr Mohindra said that the “fix is not overnight” in Hertfordshire and will involve building new schools. By Samantha Booth, Schools Week.
Primary schools may not have enough space, facilities or staff to deliver the government's promise of 100,000 new nursery spaces in England, early years childhood experts have warned. Concerns have also been raised that the proposed funding may not be enough to cover the cost of preparing schools to accept very young children. By Anna Fazackerley. The Observer.
Britain’s head of counter-terrorism policing has warned that children under 10 are being reported to authorities over concerns they are being radicalised online. Matt Jukes, an assistant commissioner in the Met Police, said almost one in five people arrested for terrorism-related offences in the past year were children aged under 18, including some as young as 12 or 13 who were being investigated by police over their potential involvement in terrorism. By Charles Hymas, The Telegraph.
Tuition fees could increase in line with inflation as part of ministers' plans to bolster university finances, according to a Whitehall source. The reported plans would mean that tuition fees, which have been frozen since 2017, could rise by 13.5 per cent over the next five years to £10,500. By Jacob Freedland, The Telegraph.
