Surrey County Council has admitted it does not have enough state school places to accommodate children transferring from private schools, after the government imposed a 20 per cent VAT on independent education.
Projections obtained through a Freedom of Information request show that for admissions in September 2025, it is expected that there will be no places available for students in Years 9, 10 or 11, and only limited places in the younger year groups. The shortfall comes despite estimates that around 2,400 children in Surrey will have to transfer from fee-paying schools as a result of VAT charges, which come into effect next month.
Surrey’s dilemma highlights the regional imbalance in how tax change affects the capacity of schools. While the government claims that there is sufficient space in the national public school system, it has not taken into account the unequal distribution of enrollment in private schools. In Surrey, nearly one in five pupils attend independent institutions – much higher than the national average of 6 per cent.
said the concerned father, who requested to remain anonymous Telegraph: “No board is equipped to mass enroll mid-year without capacity planning. Nearly 20 percent of Surrey’s students go to charter schools and the state system is full.
Local authorities are legally obliged to offer a school place to every child in their area, but if nearby state schools do not have places available, children may be assigned to schools further away, with councils potentially footing the bill for free transport or even taxis.
The government expects that the new value-added tax will force about 35,000 students – 6 percent of private school students – to enter the government sector nationwide. However, this one-size-fits-all account belies significant local differences. Surrey, which has more than 40,000 special education students, faces a disproportionate increase in demand for places in state schools.
Surrey council cabinet member Clare Curran acknowledged the challenge but stressed the council would monitor the situation and consider expanding some state schools if needed. She also noted that some schools had not filled all the spots they could theoretically offer.
On the other hand, a parliamentary petition calling on the government to cancel the VAT decision on private schools reached more than 100,000 signatures in one week, reflecting widespread concern about the unintended consequences of this policy.
A government spokesman defended the policy, saying: “Ending tax breaks for private schools will raise £1.8 billion a year by 2029-30 to help fund public services. Local authorities are responsible for securing sufficient school places, and we are confident the state sector can cope.” With any additional students.
However, families and teachers are concerned that a sudden influx of private school pupils into an already stretched system could intensify competition for places, push children to travel further for an education, and impose huge costs on councils.