Private school pupil numbers have dipped by 11,000 this year – but Labour still claims its new tax raid on fees has not caused the exodus.
Official government figures show numbers at independent schools have taken a disproportionately large hit since fee VAT came in.
The data, published today, calls into question Labour’s claim that only 3,000 pupils would leave this year as a result of the policy.
However, the Government immediately said it was a ‘myth’ that VAT alone caused the dip and blamed other pressures on the sector.
The figures, from the Department for Education, show pupil numbers in private schools in England fell to 582,477 in January 2025 compared with 593,486 the previous year.
