Yesterday (5 September), the Education Not Taxation campaign took our petition with over 200,000 signatures to Downing Street on behalf of over 600,000 children in independent schools.  You can watch it for yourself here.

We brought with us the concern of parents fearing the need to take their children out of their schools.  Since this launched in October 2023, we heard from parents of children with special education needs who needed the support their independent school could provide.  We heard parents with children in military families who needed stability as their parents served their country.  We heard from parents with particular religious and cultural needs, as well as parents who needed wrap-around care to meet their work commitments.  We also heard from parents who simply wanted a greater academic challenge than they could otherwise receive.

This is a policy that won’t just hurt children in independent schools.  It will also hurt children in the state schools Labour say they want to improve.  Parents won’t benefit from higher class sizes, and SEND children won’t benefit from even more stretched resources.  

We then proceeded to the House of Lords, where we witnessed a debate on school fee VAT and the contribution of independent schools.  We met with headteachers and others outside Parliament and Loveena Tandon, our spokesperson, asked them to share their thoughts which you can hear here.

The Lords debate was organised by Lord Lexden, and Lords from across the political spectrum – including Labour – shared their concerns with a policy that many described as rushed and not thought through.  Lords throughout the House noted the letters they received from supporters like you; your voices were heard, and we thank you for sending them.  More information on the debate can be found here, and you can watch it for yourself here.

Baroness Smith of Basildon, Head of the House of Lords and a member of the Labour Party, responded at the conclusion of the debate.  She disregarded the concerns raised by her peers around the January 2025 start, the penalty for SEND students who didn’t win the postcode lottery of an EHCP or children who may have to change schools in the middle of their A-level or GCSE studies.  There was a glimmer of hope for children of military families and those in performing arts schools; the others were out of luck.  

It was disappointing, but the fight goes on.  We as Education Not Taxation will continue to make the case for families across the country.  We will continue to share stories with MPs and make the case that this policy will harm children, and urge the Government to find a better way.

Finally, more news is coming very, very soon.  We will need your help now more than ever to ensure that our voices are heard and shape this policy – so watch this space!

Thank you all for your support!

Tony Perry
Education Not Taxation