Christian schools, parents, and pupils will gather at the Royal Courts of Justice this week to hear a challenge to the government’s decision to impose 20% VAT on private school fees
The appeal will be heard on 20th and 21st January, according to the Christian Legal Centre.
It is being brought by families and headteachers from independent Christian schools across the UK.
The schools include Emmanuel School in Derby, The Branch Christian School in Yorkshire, The King’s School in Hampshire, and Wyclif Independent Christian School in South Wales.
The VAT charge was introduced through the Finance Act 2025 and came into force on 1st January 2025.
The Christian Legal Centre said the policy has already contributed to school closures and pupil displacement across the independent sector.
It said more than 100 independent schools have closed, and around 17,000 pupils have left independent schools since the measure was imposed.
Permission to appeal was granted in October 2025 by Lord Justice Lewis.
The Christian Legal Centre said he recognised the case raises issues of compelling public importance.
It also said the High Court acknowledged the policy would disproportionately affect families in the lower half of the income distribution. It said the court noted that around 3,000 pupils could be displaced.
Christian school leaders say many of their schools operate in deprived areas. They say they educate children with special educational needs and complex pastoral backgrounds. They argue that even small fee rises can destabilise low-cost schools.
Parents say the pressure is already intense.
Yvonne Owusu-Ansah, a mother of three at The King’s School, said, “VAT will make it impossible for me to keep my children in their school.”
She said her children would lose “the teachers, friends, and environment where they are thriving academically and spiritually.”
Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said the case goes beyond tax policy and is about "the fundamental freedom of parents to educate their children in accordance with their faith and deeply held beliefs".