Independent schools and VAT – and us

There has been an interesting development from the proposed 20% VAT imposition on independent schools. We are getting interest from parents who had originally chosen an independent school given the problems in state schools. They can see that if they have to take their child out of such a school due to cost, there is a possibly superior option in considering our College.

We are not only not a school, we also charge low fees in comparison to independent schools. Our part time nature can initially look a problem. However by parents looking at the College providing a vibrant small caring community they can also see the advantage of accessing other educational options. For instance a student attending in the morning can have one-to-one sessions with tutors in the afternoon. Or they can attend one of the drop-in groups that the home education community provide. Or use online resources – for instance in the library.

Another plus factor is that we can support a much wider range of learning activities than schools. Students can learn in areas that are not part of school curricula. Indeed during a visit from Ofsted school inspectors I had mentioned that we don’t have a curriculum. At the end of the visit the lead inspector said: ‘You say that you don’t have a curriculum. But your students can learn whatever they want so you have a broader curriculum than any school.’

We can only do this, of course, because we respond to individual needs and interests - and don’t have classrooms and other rigid school structures. Many more parents are seeing that this personalised approach has value in its own right.