Christian families and schools have launched a High Court legal challenge against the UK government over a new policy that adds VAT to private and independent school fees, including Christain institutions.
Supported by the Christian Legal Centre (CLC), 13 claimants – including parents, pupils, and four Christian schools – argue that the policy change is unlawful, discriminatory, and incompatible with their human rights.
The government’s amendment to the VAT Act 1994, which came into effect on 1st January, 2025, removes the VAT exemption on private school fees, forcing schools to increase costs for parents, threatening access to faith-based education for many families.
Stephen White and his son, Josiah, from Bradford, are among the claimants. White explained the sacrifices his family has made to afford Christian education for their four children.
He told Premier Christian News: “We bought a very rundown house in the cheapest city in the UK in order to afford it,” he explains that they don’t holiday abroad, they buy second-hand goods and there simply “isn’t anything left for us to cut.”
White added that faith-based education is vital to provide a “positive faith impact” for the next generation and argued the policy denies parents the right to raise their children in line with their beliefs.
Private Christian schools are already feeling the effects of the policy, with some reporting pupil withdrawals and others warning of potential closures. Headteachers at four schools – Emmanuel School in Derby, The Branch Christian School, The King’s School in Hampshire, and Wyclif Independent Christian School in South Wales – are part of the legal action.
“The vast majority of our pupils are not from affluent backgrounds,” said Carol Santer, Headteacher at The King’s School in Hampshire. She explains that 15 percent of her students are on the Special Needs Register, and without the small class sizes and resources they provide these children wouldn’t find adequate support in the local state sector.
Ben Snowdon, Headteacher at Emmanuel School in Derby, said the policy will have “devastating consequences” for low-cost independent schools.
The claimants are urging the government to reconsider the policy, warning it could lead to the closure of faith-based schools and limit educational choice for Christian families.
