Hi All,

More than 3,100 people have now contributed to the Education Not Discrimination group’s legal action against the Government’s VAT plans, reaching over £108,000 in donations.  Thank you all who have contributed!  This fight continues, and every contribution matters 

Please consider giving if you haven’t already as this is our best chance to stop this policy.  Even £10 can go a long way if every one of us pitches in.

Please click on this link for more information and to donate:
https://educationnottaxation.org/legal/

The Education Not Taxation campaign also responded to the Treasury’s technical consultation on school fee VAT and removing the charitable rates relief for independent schools.  You can read our response here.

We pointed out that taxing school fees will force children out of schools into taxpayer-funded education, and is already forcing some schools to cut costs and others to close.  All of these effects mean the tax raises far less than they expect. If more than around 10% of children are displaced, then this could mean the government get nothing or even lose money.  This means Labour would have to #findabetterway to raise £1.5bn.  So why not skip the harm to children, families, schools and jobs, and just #findabetterway now?

Finally, we have a call to action for the parents with SEND children in particular.  As you will know by now, Labour will exempt children with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) that name an independent school and fund their education.  Simply put, the message we as ENT hear is: “If your child doesn’t have an EHCP, they don’t really have special education needs.”

Special Needs Jungle, a charity for SEND children in England, gave the following advice on Twitter:  “If those in ind[ependent] schools can’t afford the VAT, we would strongly recommend applying for an EHCNA asap.”  

ECHNA stands for Education Health and Care Needs Assessment, and it’s the first stage of an EHCP.  We wholeheartedly agree and urge all SEND parents to apply for an EHCP as soon as you can.  If Labour will only exempt SEND children who have EHCPs (paid for by local authorities), then these are the rules we must follow.

Applying for an EHCP can be a daunting process, but it doesn’t have to be.  Contact the Special Education Needs team at your child's school, and also take a look at the wealth of resources provided by Special Needs Jungle and other charities.  Your local authority will also outline their “SEND local offer”, and you can find this through your search engine.

Thank you all for your tireless support.  This fight goes on and we look forward to sharing more updates with you soon!

Tony Perry
Education Not Taxation