Surrey County Council has admitted it does not have enough state school places to accommodate children transferring from private schools, following the government's introduction of a 20 per cent VAT levy on independent education.
Forecasts obtained through a Freedom of Information request show that for the September 2025 intake, there are expected to be no vacancies available for Year 9, 10, or 11 students, and only limited spaces in younger year groups.
While the government claims there is sufficient room in the national state school system, it has not accounted for the uneven distribution of private school enrolment. In Surrey, nearly one in five pupils attend independent institutions.
Local authorities are legally obliged to provide a school place for every child in their area, but if nearby state schools have no available spots, children may be assigned to distant schools.
#surrey-county-council #state-school-capacity #private-school-transition #vat-levy-on-education #education-policy
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