Overview

• The 20% VAT on private school fees took effect on January 1 and has been followed by a 1.9% drop in enrolment.
• Department for Education data shows around 11,000 fewer private school pupils, down to 582,477, and a 0.7% fall in total school enrolment to 9.03 million.
• The Education Department links the decline to demographic trends, noting the private sector population is now similar to 2021/22 levels as a primary bulge moves into secondaries.
• Julie Robinson of the Independent Schools Council says about 8,000 more students have left private schools than the government’s initial estimate of 3,000.
• The VAT policy is projected to raise £1.8 billion a year by 2029/30 to bolster state education funding.