A PRIVATE school has vowed to support parents in light of the Labour government applying a 20 per cent VAT on fees. 

Ballard School in New Milton has set out how it will support its families as VAT is applied to school fees from January – including absorbing 100 per cent of the cost until September 2025. 

Ballard headmaster Andrew McCleave has written to the families of all 460 pupils, as well as those starting in September, to reassure them that the school will support them through this change. 

While the costs will be absorbed initially, from September 2025 there will be a phased increase in parental contributions to cover VAT over the coming years.  

The school is also hopeful it will be able to limit the overall impact on parents, anticipating it will be able to cover four per cent through claiming back the VAT the school itself pays on goods and services. 

Headmaster Andrew McCleave said: “The governors and the leadership team have been discussing and planning for this for a considerable time, with the aim of supporting families, allowing them to plan effectively, and so reducing the disruption to our children’s education. 

“Careful financial management and planning from the school’s board of governors and leadership team over a number of years means the school is in a strong financial position which has enabled us to support our community in this way. 

“As well as absorbing the full impact for two full school terms, we will continue to support parents by only increasing fees incrementally over time to ensure our pupils’ education is not disturbed and ease the burden on hardworking families.  

“We know many make tough choices to send their children to Ballard, and we are determined to help all our families through this.” 

Surplus will be reinvested back into the school and the “opportunities we provide for our pupils”.  

Ballard's spring and summer 2025 fees will remain the same as the autumn term’s fees. From September 2025 onwards, the governors have committed to a phased increase in fees to cover VAT over the coming years. 

The news was shared with parents via letter as soon as possible after the government announced it would be applying the VAT to school fees from January – midway through the school year and nine months earlier than had been anticipated, with the initial indication being that the tax would be levied from September 2025 - the start of the new school year.