We’re one of the lucky families. My 10-year-old daughter Claudia’s private school hasn’t been forced to close, thanks to the recent upheaval over VAT and fees. However, the knock-on effect of a nearby independent site closing has transformed her education almost overnight.
Since VAT was introduced on private school fees in January 2025, around 30,000 pupils have left the independent sector and close to 100 schools have closed. Much of the debate focuses on Treasury revenues and whether the policy of redeploying that funding into state education is working. But what is talked about far less is what happens to the schools still battling through.
In both independent and state sectors, remaining schools are rapidly absorbing these displaced pupils, against a backdrop of stretched budgets and staffing pressures.
As state-school educated parents, my husband and I thought carefully about what environment would suit Claudia best before choosing a nearby private primary. It wasn’t simply the academic focus and small class sizes that appealed. We loved its scale with only 160 children across eight year groups and its unpretentious feel. Teachers knew every child by name. The parent body was close-knit. Every child seemed to have a place to shine. They all got picked for sports matches, sang proudly in the school shows and somehow still found room on the monkey bars at break time.
