Labour government faces legal challenge over addition of VAT to private school fees

The government is facing a legal challenge by a parent claiming a breach of human rights over the introduction of VAT on private school fees.

Alexis Quinn, whose daughter Addison has special educational needs, has decided to take the government to court because she will not be able to afford the additional cost of her child’s private school fees from next year.

From January, Labour plans to scrap the VAT exemption and business rates relief for private schools in a bid to fund 6,500 new teachers in state schools.

Addison was refused an education health care plan (EHCP) by her local council.

Without the support of an EHCP, Ms Quinn told Sky News she was “between a rock and a hard place”.

“Addison would tear up every morning. And I felt awful. I was dragging her to a school that she couldn’t access because of her autistic needs,” she said.

“We entered the independent sector from the state sector out of desperation.”

Ms Quinn opted out of a state school in favour of a private one an hour away so Addison could better access an education.

“It’s a huge financial commitment. I’m living at home with my parents. It’s not easy,” Ms Quinn said.

“The state of the state sector isn’t okay for any child. My son’s in the state sector.”

Around 111,000 special educational needs and disabled (SEND) pupils are in private schools, but fewer than 8,000 have an EHCP.

When asked about her previous school, Addison said: “I kept on getting distracted by everything, because everyone just like yelling and getting annoyed with each other.”

“I used to get really upset when everyone was talking so Maths and English and all the other subjects [were] really hard,” she added.

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“I don’t agree that children with special educational [needs] having to choose between no education or state education, where they’ve been failed and traumatised,” Ms Quinn said.

“Schools are under-resourced. They’re in deficit. The government must fund the state sector, but it’s wrong to do that at the expense of children, this policy is flawed.”

Daniel Hood is headteacher of St Joseph’s Preparatory School which will close its doors for good in December.

“St Joseph’s is a family school, and we strive to do the best for every single one of our pupils,” he said.

“We’re not an elite private school. We don’t make any profit and what we do is we provide an alternative for parents who aren’t able to get what they need in the state sector.”

Read more:
Eton warns VAT will hike annual fees
Government accused of ‘rushing’ VAT plan

Francis Green, Professor of Work and Education Economics at University College London, told Sky News there were “many more state school parents who are struggling to make ends meet for all sorts of reasons”.

“Anything which will bring more money and resources into the state school system, in my view, is to be supported,” he added.

The government says the money raised from the addition of VAT will help fund public services, including education priorities for the next academic year.