26 raring2go.co.uk 27 Raring2go! EDUCATION Raring2go! EDUCATION You’d be hard pressed to match the education on offer here. Book your place rgsg.co.uk Open Morning - The Good Schools Guide “ ” Wednesday 12 March An independent day school for boys and girls aged 2 - 11yrs old. Barfield is a happy, caring, nurturing environment. Our focus is on the whole child, building confidence while achieving great things. Discover Barfield Book your personal tour now Barfield Prep School, Guildford Rd, Runfold, Farnham GU10 1PB, T: 01252 782271 www.barfieldpst.org THE IMPACT OF VAT ON PRIVATE SCHOOLS In January 2025, the UK government implemented a significant policy change by imposing a 20% Value Added Tax (VAT) on private school fees, a move aimed at generating additional revenue to enhance state education. This decision has sparked considerable debate regarding its financial implications for independent schools, parents, and the broader educational landscape. Mr Andy Boyle, headmaster of Barfield Prep gives us his views… As Independent Schools embark on a new chapter which now includes the addition of VAT on private school fees, the debate very much continues to rumble on as to the supposed benefits that this shift will actually bring over the short and long term. Creating additional revenue for state education, funding more teachers, addressing disparities between private and state schooling and creating a more equitable education system are the general ideas behind the tax and I, along with many I imagine, will be keen to see how this unfolds over the coming years and if the state system can cope with the potential volume of children trying to access a state school place. When asked what this means for prep schools like Barfield - while we are very realistic to the fact that some of our parents will undoubtedly be having conversations around what the future might look like from a schooling perspective - we believe that our attention and focus is best spent on making our school the best it can possibly be. It has never been more important to have a clear identity and to promote those USP’s which have been pertinent to the success of our schools over the years. For us, the provision of our incredibly popular all-year-round Nursery is providing parents with an early taste of Barfield Life and an introduction to our Broad, Balanced and Holistic approach to education - with academic rigour supported by lessons such as Current Affairs, Life Skills and Outdoor Learning / Sustainability - ensuring that our children leave us at 11 with much more than just an academic CV. Behind the scenes we, like many other independent schools, are working tirelessly to identify ways in which we can further support our parents and for Barfield and Prep Schools Trust schools this has included reducing the net fee by 5% in order to reduce the increase in gross fees for parents from 20% to 14%. Value for money and added value have always been important to our parents and we have certainly felt a shift in expectation in recent months as parents question the feasibility of the independent school journey. With the announcement of independent school closures both locally and nationally, now is certainly not the time for complacency but the time to sweat the small things as we tentatively wait to see what impact this change will have on our schools - while remaining very confident in who we are and what makes Barfield so special. Written by Mr Andy Boyle, Headmaster, Barfield Prep School
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