The Froebelian School: Leeds private school unveils radical measures to reassure parents amid VAT fee hike

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The headteacher of one of Leeds’ top private schools has unveiled radical measures to reassure parents, after the Chancellor confirmed plans to levy VAT on fees.

Anna Coulson, of The Froebelian School in Horsforth, said that annual fees will rise from £10,000 to £12,000 from next year as a result of the announcements in Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget.

Anna Coulson, the headteacher at The Froebelian School in Horsforth, has unveiled radical measures to reassure parents after the Chancellor confirmed plans to levy VAT on fees.Anna Coulson, the headteacher at The Froebelian School in Horsforth, has unveiled radical measures to reassure parents after the Chancellor confirmed plans to levy VAT on fees.
Anna Coulson, the headteacher at The Froebelian School in Horsforth, has unveiled radical measures to reassure parents after the Chancellor confirmed plans to levy VAT on fees. | Simon Hulme

But in an unprecedented move, she said the school would cover the VAT for the first two terms, costing it around £80,000. That’s on top of extravagant plans for Christmas, which will see one family win free school fees for an entire year.

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The measures have been designed to reassure parents about the future of their children’s education, despite new pressures on small independent settings.

“The Froebelian isn’t like the Etons of this world,” said Mrs Coulson, who has been the head for the last 18 months.

“Our selling point is that this is a small, family environment where we know our children inside out. Keeping that identity will be a real struggle with this political challenge.”

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In last month’s budget, Labour doubled down on its pledge to apply the 20 per cent VAT rate to private schools from January, which it estimated will raise £460 million next year, and £1.7 billion by 2030. The Chancellor said the funds would be used to benefit state education.

Teaching staff at The Froebelian School said that applying the 20 per cent VAT rate poses a risk.Teaching staff at The Froebelian School said that applying the 20 per cent VAT rate poses a risk.
Teaching staff at The Froebelian School said that applying the 20 per cent VAT rate poses a risk. | Simon Hulme

The government simultaneously predicted that private school fees would rise by around 10 per cent, insisting that institutions did not have to reflect the VAT increase in the amount parents are charged.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has forecast that higher fees will result in between three and seven per cent of pupils moving from the private to the state sector. For a school like The Froebelian, which has 120 pupils aged between two and 11, this could equate to losing up to eight pupils each year.

Mrs Coulson said: “This poses a huge risk to small schools. We’ve looked at the situations our families are in, and in most cases both parents are working. The school fees are the second biggest outgoing for them, other than their mortgage.

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“Parents have been coming to us with fears about this for a long time. Every morning at the school gates, this is the topic. It has absolutely ripped through our community. That’s why we really wanted to be at the forefront of managing the increase.”

The school recently announced to parents that it would cover the added VAT costs for the first two terms after their introduction.

“It’s a huge cost for us, but we know that parents will need to plan, so we made this bold decision,” said Mrs Coulson. “For a small school, it is a risk. But I felt it would be an even bigger risk to impose the charges immediately - I’m certain we’d lose more families.”

The Froebelian School, which was established back in 1913 on Clarence Road, is influenced by the teachings of German educationalist Friedrich Froebel, who emphasised the importance of play. It is one of the leading independent preparatory schools for youngsters in the north of England.The Froebelian School, which was established back in 1913 on Clarence Road, is influenced by the teachings of German educationalist Friedrich Froebel, who emphasised the importance of play. It is one of the leading independent preparatory schools for youngsters in the north of England.
The Froebelian School, which was established back in 1913 on Clarence Road, is influenced by the teachings of German educationalist Friedrich Froebel, who emphasised the importance of play. It is one of the leading independent preparatory schools for youngsters in the north of England. | Simon Hulme

The Froebelian School has been working with members of the House of Lords to highlight the challenges faced by small independents. Mrs Coulson has also been in communication with The Independent Schools Council (ISC), which represents more than 1,400 private institutions in the UK and abroad.

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It has been reported that the ISC will launch legal action against the government’s decision, arguing that families have a right to choose independent education but may no longer be able to do so.

As well as affecting private settings, concerns have been mounted that the state sector could be adversely impacted by an influx of students into already crowded schools. Mrs Coulson, who worked predominantly in state schools before taking over at The Froebelian, shared those concerns.

She said: “I know that the number of inquiries about vacancies in state schools has escalated beyond belief. That poses real risks to class sizes and the quality of education, and there is already huge stress on the state sector.”

The Froebelian School, which was established back in 1913 on Clarence Road, is influenced by the teachings of German educationalist Friedrich Froebel, who emphasised the importance of play. It is one of the leading independent preparatory schools for youngsters in the north of England.

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Mrs Coulson said that teachers’ holistic approach to pupils means that education is tailored to suit individual learners.

As part of efforts to rally optimism, the school plans to make a statement by transforming the building into a giant advent calendar for December, with prizes on offer to parents in regular draws.As part of efforts to rally optimism, the school plans to make a statement by transforming the building into a giant advent calendar for December, with prizes on offer to parents in regular draws.
As part of efforts to rally optimism, the school plans to make a statement by transforming the building into a giant advent calendar for December, with prizes on offer to parents in regular draws. | Simon Hulme

She added: “We’ve heard life-changing stories from parents where they’ve moved a child that cannot cope in the state sector because they suffered so badly with anxiety. Everything here is personalised and we discuss every pupil.

“I’ve worked in big schools, and there is nothing like a small school. As a mummy myself, it’s so important to know that your children are going to be looked after. That’s our selling point, and it’s really sad to think that we’re potentially at risk.”

As part of efforts to rally optimism, the school plans to make a statement by transforming the building into a giant advent calendar for December, with prizes on offer to parents in regular draws.

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They include a dinner party for 10 arranged by the school’s chef Matthew Brown, £500 worth of personal training sessions offered by head of sport Elizabeth McGurk, and babysitting time with higher level teaching assistant Jill Bowling.

The top prize, which has attracted significant interest, is the waiving of school fees for an entire year. Mrs Coulson said: “We wanted it to be a big statement - a political statement - for the survival of the school.

“There will be lots of lights and the windows will all be painted; we wanted to create a spectacle. It’s to say that we won’t give up, because our families and staff deserve this. Most importantly, the children deserve it too.”

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