ISC CEO: Independent schools 'definitely adapting' to VAT on fees
Julie Robinson, chief executive of the ISC, has warned that the number of pupils leaving independent schools will increase in the coming years, as official data suggests the Home Counties have been most affected by the introduction of VAT on fees.
According to official government data for the 2024-25 academic year, a rising number of pupils at state schools corresponding with a falling number in independent enrolment was found in fewer than one in seven local authorities. The findings come as analysis by the Financial Times suggests the fall in independent numbers has been concentrated among primary-age children, with a 3.4 per cent fall in the independent sector, compared with a 1.4 per cent fall in the state sector.
Speaking to the paper, Ms Robinson pointed to bigger falls of about five per cent in the first years of primary and secondary school.
"We know this from the previous economic crash, that parents do all they possibly can to get their children through to the next transition point, so that’s why it takes a few years to work through the system," she explained. Acknowledging that VAT was "not going to decimate the sector", Ms Robinson said independent schools had "a really good, positive, confident future". She added: "Certainly, it has caused some damage, and that’s patchy and in some local areas worse than others. And at the same time, the sector is definitely adapting to this new era."