
With many children with Additional Learning Needs having to attend Independent Schools for their specialised needs, North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has today asked the Cabinet Secretary for Education what action she is taking to ensure that the Value Added Tax added to private school fees by the UK Government will not force them to have to be educated elsewhere.
Speaking in this afternoon’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament. Mr Isherwood, who Chairs the Cross-Party Autism Group, stressed that this is a real concern for parents of pupils with Additional Learning Needs.
He said:
“As you know, the Labour UK Government added Value Added Tax to private school fees on 1st January, with no known opposition from the Labour Welsh Government.
“Even if the ability for Local Authorities to reclaim this VAT for pupils who have a Local Authority-funded ‘Education, Health and Care Plan’ in England also applies to ‘Individual Development Plans’ in Wales, and perhaps the Cabinet Secretary can confirm this—I see you're nodding your head - , many parents of pupils with Additional Learning Needs, ALN, but without this, will be forced to move their children to State Schools or to home school them.
“These pupils, many of whom are Autistic or have other neurodiverse conditions, have been placed in Independent Schools precisely because they need the specialised curriculums, smaller classes, diverse range of educational approaches, and tailored environments that many Independent Schools provide. It's particularly concerning given the already stretched capacity of the state sector to support ALN students, and the disruption that can be expected to harm the progress of these children.
“I've personally witnessed how important this is. So, what, if any, action are you therefore taking to protect those children?”
Responding, the Cabinet Secretary said:
“I recognise the point that you're making about learners whose families have opted to take their children to private school for reasons that you have described. That's something that we are mindful of and we are monitoring, and I think it is important that if families are worried that they have a discussion with their Local Authority about whether they could qualify for an IDP.
“We're not overly worried at the moment about capacity within the state sector in general terms. We have more than enough places to accommodate children moving from the private sector to the state sector. Obviously, the ALN system is under significant pressure in Wales, and we have recognised that with additional funding and the other work that we're taking forward to implement our ALN reforms.”
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Isherwood said:
“In contrast to the Cabinet Secretary’s protestations, when I met the ALN Reform Wales campaign, they shared stories of families who are continuing to fight their way through the system, and told me that they had received countless stories of children missed or left behind, that they were inundated with requests for help, and that children and parents were being blamed, punished and traumatised.”.