Private schools go without embossed stationery and new pools to cope with VAT



Private schools go without embossed stationery and new pools to cope with VAT

https://inews.co.uk/news/private-schools-without-stationery-pools-vat-3301756

by marketrent

20 comments
  1. Excerpts from [article](https://inews.co.uk/news/private-schools-without-stationery-pools-vat-3301756) by Connie Dimsdale:

    *[…] One source at a major public school told i that schools were considering having to put swimming pool developments and refurbishments on hold, due to the VAT policy.*

    *They said some schools are asking themselves “do we really need a new swimming pool?” in order to save costs while maintaining a high level of education.*

    *They previously told i that most expensive public schools have generally had “charmed lives where people can spend money and it’s written off”, meaning they now have to “sharpen up” on spending.*

    *Education consultant Neil Roskilly, former chief executive of the Independent Schools Association (ISA), also said schools were questioning “long-term capital expenditure” on big projects such as new swimming pools.*

     

    *[…] Melanie Sanderson, managing editor at Good Schools Guide – seen as a consumer bible for parents able to pay for their children’s education – said there were other ways independent schools were saving money, aside from delaying big ticket projects.*

    *She told i that “frills” would be the first to be cut, such as costly catering contracts, personalised stationery and annual events.*

    *“A lot of independent schools have lovely things like ring binders with school logos embossed on them,” Ms Sanderson said. “That will go. A lot of independent schools throw lovely events throughout the year like Bonfire Night. I’ve seen that go in lots of schools already.”*

    *But she added: “Once you’ve cut the frills, there’s not a lot that can go. There’s not a lot of fat to trim in any of these places. […]*

  2. Oh no let me get my little violin

    Wait I don’t know how to play it because I never had a decent music leason because there was no money in my state school

  3. That seems reasonable to go without embossed stationery when other schools are cutting staff to live within their means.

  4. Comments on these things are always funny. Everyone wants to be rich, but fuck the rich people right?

  5. Again it’s another squeeze on the middle class that are trying to do the best for their kids. 

    These changed won’t make any difference to the people that are actually rich…

  6. The most egregious example I’ve seen is an indoor rowing pond that can accommodate a full 8. I’ve got no problems with people paying for an enhanced education, I’d consider it myself if I had the budget, but these schools are businesses with huge cash flows and should pay their taxes.

  7. No more embossed stationary? how ever will Edward and Penunia cope in these conditions?

  8. Isn’t it of benefit to everyone if you can take your kid out of the public school network, and provide education for them without the help of the state, thereby freeing up more resources for other kids who can’t do this?

    Without more investment into education from government, and by increasing private school fees, it seems obvious that more private school kids will be dumped into the state schools and I bet in a year or two’s time there will be headlines such as “Schools at breaking point” and of course the childrens educations suffers because the teachers can’t cope.

  9. The VAT is not paid by the schools, it’s paid by the fee payers.

    If the fee is £10,000 before with £0 VAT, now it will still be £10,000, but with £2000 VAT. I assume they mean they will drop their fees somewhat, for instance to £9000 with £1800 VAT to reduce the blow?

  10. Pathetic rage bate for the frothing goons. Schools have pretty much been paperless for communications for years, like the rest of the world.

  11. Posh twats, briefcase wankers – Inbetweeners had some pretty savage disdain for private schools 

  12. >One source at a major public school told **i** that schools were considering having to put swimming pool developments and refurbishments on hold, due to the VAT policy.

    Sorry, but utter utter nonsense.

    A new swimming pool is now *cheaper* to the private school than before the VAT changes.

    Before the change the supplies of education the schools were making were exempt from VAT, and that meant that the schools could not claim any VAT back, which included building a new swimming pool – although there were a lot of avoidance schemes that tried (and mostly failed) to do that.

    Now that their supplies of education are taxable they can claim VAT back, and so that £5m swimming pool is now only going to cost them £4m as they can claim back the £1m VAT.

    Lots of private schools were holding off on doing any developments or refurbishments until after the VAT change because they knew it would be beneficial to them.

  13. > new pool

    People might laugh, but these pools usually end up being used by the local community. So a loss of a community asset, no construction jobs, no extra staff.

  14. Remember that Catherine Tate sketch where the rich family would have run ins with the real world and just collapse under the pressure? So basically that.

  15. This was a nasty piece of ‘journalism’. She joined a Facebook group full of parents who are trying to launch a legal challenge to protect their children’s education, impersonating somebody who would write an article which would help their cause. Instead she took the most sarcastic comments (hey, it’s Facebook) and absurd views held by a tiny few and published it.

    This is a tax on the working family. The super rich who are paying £60k a year to send their children to school worry a lot less about £72k than somebody who pays £15k and has to pay 18k.

    This will be a massive strain on the already stretched state schools. It would be like withdrawing all private healthcare and saying ‘Well the doctors will just work in the NHS’.

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