Survey by Independent Schools Council finds private school pupil numbers are down 1.7% compared with 2023

Private schools say the impending addition of VAT to school fees is behind a drop in their pupil numbers this year, ahead of factors such as the cost of living or the falling national birthrate.

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) said a survey of 1,185 member schools in the UK found their rolls fell by 1.7% when the school year started last month, compared with 2023.