Education consultant and former Good Schools Guide writer, Suzie Oweiss answers your most commonly asked questions.
With private schools no longer exempt from VAT (from Jan 1, 2025), what can I expect to see on my fees?
Until now, school fees have been exempt from VAT. In future, however, VAT at 20% will be charged from Reception upwards – day and boarding pupils alike – complete with associated charges, as well as on all extracurricular activities.
If you have paid school fees in advance for the next academic year (2025-26), VAT will be applied to those too. Schools can reclaim some of the money through capital projects or other services, and some will partially absorb the cost, but most will have to increase their fees – we assume by about 12% to 18%.
What options are there for school fee planning?
Schools are working hard to provide help, whether in the form of payment plans or by offering financial support and bursaries. Our advice is to ask for a conversation with the bursar sooner rather than later. Do not shy away – your school does not want to lose you.
It will want to do everything in its power to support you, so be transparent about your financial situation. There are also financial companies working closely with schools. We would recommend contacting them. For one such visit, greenacrefs.co.uk/school-feesfunding.
An option for boarders is to consider schools in Europe. We spoke to a parent who had decided to send her child to The International School of Bremen. “It’s just an hour’s flight from London. Germany does not impose VAT on education, and the school provides top quality English-taught courses, including the IGCSE and the IB diploma,” she said. “I am saving potentially £25,000+ over four years.”
Schools in Spain, Switzerland and the Netherlands are experiencing the same rise in interest.
Is it better to move pupils at 11+ or 13+ stages?
Historically, girls moved to senior schools at 11+ and started their secondary level in Year 7, while boys moved at 13+, having taken what used to be called simply Common Entrance exams to start senior school in Year 9.
That has shifted in the past few years, with many more students taking the 11+ and moving then. This avoids the stress of 13+ Common Entrance and allows them to settle in at an earlier age.
However, some students are not ready at that stage and need a little longer. In my view, it’s crucial to look at your individual child’s needs. Entrance exams place an incredible amount of pressure on children at such an early age, and you really need to consider your child’s character and learning style in finding the best way to enhance their academic ability, creativity and curiosity for learning.
How many entrance exams should my child take at 11+?
We get this question more than we can count every year. We are blessed with a large number of very good schools in Surrey, but please, don’t get your child to sit for all of them. Three exams would be a good number to aim for – not 6 to 10.
A group of girls’ London schools created a London 11+ Consortium a few years ago, where the entrance exam system was streamlined.
Girls now sit one set of exams for schools of their choice within that group of around 14 different schools. We would love to see a similar consortium for Surrey to reduce the number of exams and lower stress for students in the county. In fact, a number of developments and exciting mergers have happened in the past year or two.
The Effingham Schools Trust, for example, is a partnership between St Teresa’s, Cranmore and Manor House. The merger means that, between them, the three schools care for boys and girls of all ages – from nursery to the completion of their schooling.
What is happening with T Levels and A levels?
T levels are technical-based qualifications in England, developed in collaboration with employers and businesses, designed to meet the needs of industry and prepare students for work, or for further training or study.
Based on the same standards as apprenticeships, they are two-year courses for 16-18 year olds who have finished their GCSEs.
The idea was that they would be merged with the new style A levels introduced by the previous government.
The new Labour government recently announced the abolition of A-level changes, but T-levels are unlikely to come to fruition. We recommend BTECs as an alternative. These career-focused qualifications have been successfully applied by several independent schools in Surrey, including Ewell Castle, Canbury, The Royal School and Reigate Grammar, as well as a number of boarding schools beyond the county.
For all education choices and queries, contact Suzie via suzie@psed.co.uk or info@psed.co.uk; call 07976 602810 or click here for more information. To read Suzie's guide to the best private schools in Surrey, click here!
