Nearly a tenth of rich parents of children at private schools have pulled out of the sector since a controversial policy imposing VAT on school fees, according to new research.
Saltus, a wealth management firm, has conducted a survey that found nine per cent of parents with a child in private education had taken them out of the independent sector altogether since Labour’s policy was introduced in January 2025, according to reporting in the Times.
If you have been affected by the closure of private schools and would like to speak to this paper, please email: jamie.singleton@newsquest.co.uk.
The research forms part of Saltus’ Wealth Index report, which surveyed 1,167 high-net-worth parents – those with investable assets of £250,000 and at least one child enrolled at private school.
A total of 65 per cent of those surveyed said they had made significant changes in direct connection with the imposition of the tax.
Almost a quarter (23 per cent) had removed their child from the school. The research stated that some had moved to a less expensive school or to education systems outside the UK altogether. Six per cent of those surveyed enrolled their children at state school.
Meanwhile, 22 per cent said they were planning to remove their child from their fee-paying school in the future, whether by switching to a cheaper private schools, or opting for the state education system
A number of schools in the south west have blamed the policy for having to sell off parts of their premises or for closing altogether, with South West Wiltshire MP Dr Andrew Murrison repeatedly blaming the government for the “vindictive” policy.
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Dr Murrison’s comments came on the heels of spate of announcements including the shutting of Bishopstrow College in Warminster in July last year, and Rendcomb College in south Gloucestershire in January this year.
Both schools cited financial viability in the wake of an imposition of VAT on school fees as a principal driver in the decision to shut their doors.
The comments sparked an outcry among this paper’s readers. One parent responded to the MP’s comment by describing the children and parents afterwards as a “community in mourning.”
Gemma Jeffrey said: “My children are at Rendcomb… we are a community in mourning.
“It is a lovely, pastoral, caring school with dedicated teachers and some of the most decent people I have had the privilege of knowing.
“Some teachers have been there for over 30 years and call it their 'home'.
“The upheaval that the school closure has caused for the children and staff believe me is utterly heartbreaking.”
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