The heading translates to: "Private Schools in Turmoil: More Students Than Expected Switching to the Public School System

The introduction of VAT on school fees has led to a significantly higher transfer of private school students to public schools than originally anticipated by the Labour Party. New figures show that over 3,000 students from private schools applied for transfers to state schools between June and September. Additionally, another 2,500 students have announced plans to switch schools in January, as found by the Independent Schools Council (ISC). This aligns with a survey of 900 member schools. The imposition of a 20 percent VAT on private school fees, announced by the Treasury on July 29, is considered the main reason for this exodus. The Treasury initially assumed that no more than 3,000 children would be affected throughout the entire 2024-2025 school year. Recent assessments by the Labour Party were surprising, predicting that the policy could generate £9 billion by the end of the decade, up to £300 million per year more than previously estimated. New data calls these estimates into question. Responses from 124 local authorities in England, Scotland, and Wales showed over 3,011 transfer applications from private to state schools between June 1 and September 9. Given that there are a total of 207 education authorities in the UK, the actual number could be much higher. If all authorities had provided data, more than 5,000 private school students could have submitted in-year transfer applications. The areas on the outskirts of London and the Home Counties are particularly affected, where the demand for state school places is highest. In Harrow, for example, there were 167 applications, while in Surrey and West Sussex there were 161 and 131 requests, respectively. In Edinburgh, where about a quarter of all students attend private schools, there were 151 requests and applications in total.