A small Christian primary school in the West Midlands is in "a critical state" and could close by the end of July as a direct result of the imposition of VAT on school fees.
The King Alfred School in Dudley said it has gone down from 34 children to 18 children since the measures came into effect. One of the school’s founders, Hayley Bowen, said the new policy on VAT has “devastated our income stream”.
She added: “The situation has now become extremely urgent for us as a school. We are in a critical state financially and decisions need to be made by Monday 21st July regarding the school's future – if it can't find £170,000 by then it will close. This would be devastating and tragic if it were to come to that.
“Please consider supporting this cause. All money raised will go towards the general running costs and to ensure we stay open and operating as a school."
The King Alfred School, a registered charity, was launched in 2021 and was the first to revive the Classical Christian Victorian form of education in the UK.
In June 2024, Keir Starmer said there was “no evidence” private schools would have to close because of the VAT policy and that they “will adapt”.
Political commentator Carl Benjamin posted a video this month on the school on his YouTube channel. He said: “[Starmer] is ignoring the brute reality of this decision. At least 12 independent private school have already closed because of this and if something isn’t done, the King Alfred School will be next.”
To support the school, you can contact them at https://www.thekingalfredschool.co.uk...
Donations can be made via https://gofund.me/38484eff
Our culture must not be defined by our technology
Essex university has announced it is cutting positions equivalent to about 150 full-time roles, potentially affecting over 500 staff, BBC …