Bridget Phillipson hits out at claims private schools could withdraw bursaries

The Education Secretary said she did not accept claims private schools will be force into the move once VAT is charged on fees.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson leaves Downing Street, London, following a Cabinet meeting. Picture date: Tuesday September 3, 2024. (PA Wire)

Wealthy private schools must continue community outreach schemes like bursaries and sharing facilities once VAT is charged on fees, Bridget Phillipson has said.

Some private schools are planning to cut back on bursaries for poor children, and may raise the cost of using facilities such as swimming pools in response to the Government’s VAT increase, according to the Sunday Times newspaper.

But the Education Secretary hit back at the concerns raised by headteachers.

Some of them have got very large incomes and actually a relatively small percentage of that income going towards bursaries

Bridget Phillipson

“I don’t accept that,” she told Times Radio.

The Education Secretary said: “Some of them have got very large incomes and actually a relatively small percentage of that income going towards bursaries.”

She added: “That list in the Sunday Times had some very wealthy schools with significant assets and big levels of income who aren’t putting a huge amount of that money towards bursaries and support in terms of partnership working with the state sector.

“Changes around VAT should not and must not impact on the work that they are doing around bursaries. There is an expectation of course that that would continue.”

From January, the Government plans to remove the VAT exemption and business rates relief for private schools to enable funding for 6,500 new teachers in state schools.

MPs have previously raised concerns that the extra cost could lead parents to withdraw their children from the private sector, and place more pressure on state schools.