Best Schools - Labour would ‘scrap discount business rates for private schools and charge VAT on fees’, according t

A leaked shadow treasury document seen by The Telegraph has revealed that Labour is discussing scrapping discounted business rates for independent schools and plans to impose VAT on fees.

Under a section entitled “estimating the yield from imposing VAT on private schools fees”, the document concludes that the policy will bring in an additional £1.64bn in tax revenue annually.

The document goes on to raise the prospect of ending the business rate exemption for private schools, noting that if this “became policy it would clearly have a positive fiscal impact”.

Applying VAT to school fees was mentioned fleetingly in Labour’s 2017 manifesto, but the document suggests that Labour is considering adopting an even more draconian approach towards the sector.

Prepared by John McDonnell’s team, it forms part of Labour’s ‘Preparing for Government’ strategy, which includes a raft of proposals being finalised in anticipation of a snap election.

It follows a series of major policy announcements by Labour in recent days, with Mr Corbyn’s inner circle increasingly confident that they could be in power by Christmas.

With private school fees now costing £15,000 on average, imposing VAT could cost parents up to £3,000 annually. However, for boarders, the figure is likely to be more than double, at £6,600.

Alongside removing exemptions on VAT and business rates for independent schools, the memo suggests that Labour is also leaving open the option of abolishing private schools altogether.

Durham School opens sister school in Qatar

Following three years of preparations and planning, Durham has become the first independent school in the north east to open a sister school overseas.

The beginning of the month saw the official opening of Durham School for Girls Doha (DSGD), with places for more than 500 pupils – from Foundation Stage One to Year 7 – in the Qatari capital.

The girls’ first day in their new school found them completing a Harry Potter-style ‘sorting hat’ session to determine which of the five school houses – Camel, Arabian Horse, Gazelle, Falcon, or Oryx – they would join.

DSGD will teach a UK curriculum, while its pastoral care promises to “help the girls and young women develop moral strength and emotional resilience, to act with responsibility, humility and kindness, and to be ready to make a positive contribution to society”.