The protests have been loud, long and increasingly personal – yet unsuccessful in diverting the government from its plans to impose 20% VAT on private school fees from January ’25. Around 7% of all school-age children and 18% of those over sixteen currently attend private schools. A bitter and prolonged battle against the proposals, waged by parents, schools and campaign groups, has included claims that the proposed policy will overwhelm class sizes in state schools when private-school parents move their kids to the state sector after Christmas. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson became the target of a barrage of abuse on the Education Not Taxation: Parents Against School Fee VAT (ENT) private Facebook group, on which she was described as the “queen of mean”, an “absolute bitch” and worse; other posts accused her of aping the tactics of Nazi Germany. Although the group organisers called for moderation and removed the more extreme comments, the row highlights the widening gulf between those for and against the plans. Ministers say the money raised by adding VAT will be spent in the state sector on 5,500 new teachers, better mental health support for children, and breakfast clubs for all primary schools. Those opposed to the policy have warned that the plans are rushed, that state schools won’t manage the influx of pupils, and children with special needs and disabilities will be adversely affected, along with those from military families and minority religious faiths. The ASCL claims some private schools are already reducing staff in response to anticipated pupil losses, as well as freezing teacher salaries and pensions. Treasury minister James Murray defended the plans after the government successfully defeated a Tory motion against the proposal, saying that most private schools will be able to keep fee increases affordable for parents by absorbing a “significant proportion” of the new charges themselves. The ISC disagreed, claiming some members have reported a 4.6% fall in Year 7 pupils since September, and attributing the drop to parents pulling their children out of private schools after the VAT on fees plan was announced.