Edinburgh Council answers claim schools 'fit to burst' over VAT private school exodus

The council said it did not expect many of its schools to hit capacity in the next decade

Edinburgh Council has rejected claims its schools are “fit to burst” amid concerns over an exodus of private school pupils into the state sector.

It comes after Scottish Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine raised fears over the impact of Labour’s plans to impose VAT on private schools.

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Sir Keir Starmer’s party says the move could raise an extra £1.7 billion for the Treasury, with £150 million coming to Scotland.

Christine Jardine raised concerns over Labour’s plan to impose VAT on private schoolsChristine Jardine raised concerns over Labour’s plan to impose VAT on private schools
Christine Jardine raised concerns over Labour’s plan to impose VAT on private schools

However, the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS) warned it could shrink the sector by 13 per cent or more, potentially pushing thousands of children into the state system.

Ms Jardine claimed state schools in her constituency of Edinburgh West would be put under pressure by the proposal.

At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, she said: “I’m sure he [Sir Keir] will want to reassure the many parents and teachers in Edinburgh West who have expressed concerns about the implication for our state education system in Scotland of the VAT increase in independent fees, which he proposes.

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“Edinburgh City Council, led by the Labour Party, have produced five-year projections which show we do not have capacity in the city to accommodate pupils who may leave the independent sector. Moreover, how will he ensure that the VAT raised in Scotland from those fees can be reinvested in already hard-pressed Scottish education?”

Sir Keir replied: “I do obviously understand the aspiration that parents who work hard and save hard have for their children that they send to private school. But every parent has that aspiration, whichever school they go to.

“And I am determined that we will have the right teachers in place in our state secondary schools to ensure that every child, wherever they come from, whatever their background, has the same opportunity, and I do not apologise for that.”

Speaking after PMQs, Ms Jardine said: “After 17 years of failure on education under the SNP, the last thing pupils and parents need is more disruption from this ill-conceived idea.

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“The council has been clear that our schools are already fit to burst. They cannot afford a surge in enrolment if parents move their pupils to the state sector.

“There must be a clear plan to boost funding for our schools and provide our pupils, parents and teachers with the schools, facilities and opportunities they deserve.”

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Edinburgh’s education convener, said the city had capacity for a further 12,700 pupils.

She said: “We’re ready to give all children and young people the best start in life. With the extensions we’re making to some of our school buildings and the new campuses we’re planning to build, we don’t expect many of our secondary schools to hit capacity in the next decade. Plus, we believe secondary school rolls across the city will slow because primary school rolls are falling.”

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In West Edinburgh, rolls are expected to continue to rise in some schools, most notably Craigmount and Queensferry. However, the council said both are due to be extended to accommodate growth.

In February, a report commissioned by SCIS suggested there are just over 9,300 nursery, primary and secondary pupils in Edinburgh attending private or independent schools: approximately 15 per cent of Edinburgh’s total pupil population.

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