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Written question asked by Rachael Maskell (Labour) on Tuesday, 30 July 2024, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 2 September 2024. It was answered by Stephen Morgan (Labour) on Monday, 2 September 2024 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Class Sizes

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to increase class sizes to accommodate children moving from the independent sector to the state sector.

Answer

The number of pupils who may switch schools as a result of changes in the independent sector is expected to represent a very small proportion of overall pupil numbers in the state sector. Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) research has estimated that up to 40,000 pupils may switch schools. Even this figure would represent less than 0.5% of the total UK state school pupil population, which is more than 9 million. It is therefore highly unlikely that school class sizes increase as a result of ending the VAT exemption for private schools.

The IFS’s research is available here: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/tax-private-school-fees-and-state-school-spending and https://ifs.org.uk/news/removing-tax-exemptions-private-schools-likely-have-little-effect-numbers-private-sector.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
2375
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Admissions Class sizes Private education Schools
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk