Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has issued guidance to local authorities in England on the impact of changes to VAT on independent schools on school places.

HM Treasury published a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) on applying VAT to independent school fees, which includes the government’s estimations of the number of pupils expected to enter the state sector as a result of this policy. The TIIN is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees/applying-vat-to-private-school-fees#who-is-likely-to-be-affected.

Latest published figures confirm that there is additional capacity in the system. The department works with local authorities to help them fulfil their duty to secure school places.