VAT changes blamed as private school to close

An independent school in Worcestershire has announced proposals to close due to a major shortfall in funding.

Malvern St James, which traces its roots back to the late 19th Century, is set to shut its doors at the end of this academic year.

The private school has about 170 pupils but had suffered from a sharp decline in pupil numbers in recent years, staff said.

Nicholas Grenfell-Marten, chairman of their management board, said the announcement was made with "great sadness".

Bosses at the school also cited rising employment costs and the introduction of VAT on school fees as other factors in their decision.

The government made the latter move on school fees in January last year, to pay for more state school teachers in England.

"Ending tax breaks for private schools will raise £1.8bn a year by 2029-30 to help fund public services," a Department for Education spokesperson said,

Malvern St James, which offers day and boarding facilities for pupils aged from three to 18, is consulting with staff over the proposed closure.

Grenfell-Martin said: "It is with great sadness that the management board of Malvern St James is proposing to close the school at the end of this academic year.

"Over a number of years, and despite sustained efforts by the school to secure its future, Malvern St James has experienced a significant and continuing decline in pupil numbers.

"This has been driven by a combination of national and local factors.

"Nationally, the introduction of VAT on school fees and increased employment costs have placed considerable pressure on the independent sector.

"Locally, the small class sizes and highly individualised education that are so valued by our parents and pupils mean that the school's current model has become increasingly difficult to sustain."

The school said "careful arrangements" would be put in place to make sure pupils who were sitting exams were unaffected this year.

St James School and Malvern Girls College were both founded in the 1890s, and they were merged together in 2006.

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.