- More mid-size independent schools closing amid VAT on fees, data shows
- VAT on fees: 'What exactly is the purpose of all this suffering?'
- 'Unsafe' role of school staff in medical care, warn headteachers
- The 'transformative' impact of clever classroom design
More mid-size independent schools closing amid VAT on fees, data shows
Top storyLabour’s VAT on fees policy has triggered a collapse of larger independent schools, according to new analysis by Tom Richmond, an education policy analyst and former Department for Education adviser. Reviewing school closures over the past two decades, he found that the schools now being forced to shut are significantly larger than those that historically failed, suggesting mounting financial pressure across a wider section of the sector. The data shows that the average capacity of a mainstream independent school closure rose to 211 pupils in 2021, up from 157 in 2020 and 137 in 2019. In 2025, the average capacity of a closing mainstream independent school reached what is understood to be a record 222 pupils. That figure is 36 per cent higher than in 2024 and around 52 per cent above the long-term historical average of 146 pupils. The Times also notes that independent school closures rose from 58 in 2024 to 71 in 2025. By Georgia Lambert.
VAT on fees: 'What exactly is the purpose of all this suffering?'
Independent sectorThe Telegraph explores figures from the ISC's latest Census, which explore the demographics of students attending independent boarding schools. Children from mainland China made up the largest share of non-British boarding school pupils in 2025. According to the data, the biggest increase in pupils from 2014-25 was from India; the number more than tripled, from 636 pupils to 2,011. In contrast, the proportion of boarding school students who are British fell from 93 per cent in 2014 to 88.7 per cent in 2025. By Albert Tait and Meike Eijsberg. In an article for the paper, which directly follows the news item, Sir Peter Lampl, founder of the Sutton Trust, argues that while many of the UK's boarding schools are "world-class institutions" with "staggeringly high-performing" former pupils, young Britons "have now been effectively priced out". He calls for the VAT on fees policy to be abandoned and efforts taken to widen access to independent boarding schools, concluding: "We should be finding new and imaginative ways to exploit the world-leading advantages they have to offer British children."
Responding to Sir Peter's comments in a letter to The Telegraph, Mark Steed from Dorset agrees that the government’s VAT on fees policy treats independent schools differently from other charities and has "made the option of boarding unaffordable for most British families". Mr Steed concludes: "The only silver lining is that it is likely to extend Britain’s long-term ‘soft power’ influence in the world to another generation. Sadly, the government fails to acknowledge the value of this important role, which public schools have played for decades."
Echoing the concerns in a letter to The Sunday Telegraph, Mark Mortimer from Perth says the government's "reckless" VAT on fees policy "has failed comprehensively", noting the financial impact on Scottish schools. He continues: "Every independent school closure puts additional pressure on an already overstretched state sector, and represents a devastating blow to the lives of pupils and parents. The emotional toll is enormous." Noting the significant impact on the wider community, Mr Mortimer asks the question: "What exactly is the purpose of all this suffering?"
In a separate letter to The Sunday Telegraph, Hertfordshire-based Catherine Hiorns argues that VAT on fees "disproportionately harms smaller, more affordable schools that support social mobility, while wealthier families remain unaffected". Describing her fears that "school closures are undermining the UK’s global reputation in education, and risk deterring international investment", she asks: "If VAT applies to independent education, why not to private health care or university fees?"
The letters appear above halfway.
'Unsafe' role of school staff in medical care, warn headteachers
HealthAn "erosion" of NHS support in schools has contributed to the unsafe substitution of educational staff in providing medical support to children rather than clinicians, the NAHT has warned. In response to a government consultation, the union is calling for updated guidance to explicitly state that a school's duty is to make reasonable educational arrangements and not to replace NHS-commissioned healthcare. It adds that the named individual in a medical conditions policy would require knowledge and expertise, meaning that training would be crucial. By John Roberts, Tes.
The 'transformative' impact of clever classroom design
Teaching and learningWriting in Tes, Dr Adam England, principal of Rugby School Nigeria, explains why classroom design is so important to learning, and how a few simple changes can make a big difference. On some of the fixes schools can introduce, Dr England, who took a sabbatical at a classroom-design company, says: "Perhaps most easily, and importantly, get some plants in your classroom – even if they’re plastic. Biophilic designs have a direct impact on cognition; in other words, the more children are exposed to nature, the more intelligent they become." Rugby School Nigeria, which opened in September 2025, is a sister school to Rugby School.