17-05-2025
Private school exodus of 13,000 dwarfs ministers' predictions
The number of pupils at private schools has fallen by more than 13,000 in 12 months, a record drop that head teachers blame largely on the introduction of VAT on fees in January.
An annual census by the Independent Schools Council (ISC) of its 1,380 members found the number of pupils dropped from 551,578 to 538,215 in the year to January.
It was the largest fall in private school pupil numbers since the ISC began collating the data in 2012. ISC members cover about 80 per cent of privately educated pupils.
The figures cast doubt on the government's prediction that only 3,000 children would leave the private sector during the 2024-25 academic year as a result of the tax, rising to 14,000 by summer next
