ISC CEO: 'The combined impact of these financial shocks is unprecedented'
Amid reports that fee rises resulting from the VAT policy have exceeded the government's estimates, ISC chief executive Julie Robinson discusses the cost pressures schools are facing.
Ms Robinson said: "Schools strive to keep fees as low as possible, acutely aware of the cost pressures families themselves are facing. Means-tested bursaries have outpaced fee rises, having increased by 30 per cent over the past decade."
Referencing the "triple whammy" of VAT, the loss of business rates relief and the increase in employer national insurance contributions from April, she added: "The combined impact of these financial shocks is unprecedented, and they have significant implications for schools and their ability to operate."