Bright children without private tutoring will no longer ‘stand a chance’ in intensifying battle to get into selective grammar schools, claims head of one firm
Private tutoring firms say that VAT on independent school fees has led to a surge in demand for help with 11 plus entry tests for state grammar schools.
The head of one tutoring firm claimed the increased competition would mean that even bright children without this extra paid-for help would no longer “stand a chance” in the race to get into grammar schools.
The i Paper has also spoken to parents and seen test entry figures that suggest the already intense battle to win selective state school places is heating up in some areas of the country because of the new tax.
Aneesa Shariff, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, who has two children at a private preparatory school, said that “most” of the current Year 5 pupils there were “currently preparing for the 11 plus exam” for their nearest state grammar, a 40-minute drive away.
“This is a significant change from previous years when almost all of the children at the school were gearing their exam preparation for the local independent secondary schools,” she said.
‘Academically ambitious’ parents turn to grammars
The Good Schools Guide – the bible used by parents trying to choose a private school, or a sought-after state sector alternative – has also noticed the shift.
Grace Moody-Stuart, a director at the guide, said there had been a rise in parents asking about grammar schools since the 20 per cent VAT charge on private school fees was announced.
“These academically high performing schools, some of which already see thousands sitting their entrance tests, will see applicant numbers grow as academically ambitious parents look for an alternative to private school,” she said.
“As a result of increasing numbers looking at the grammar school option, successful applicants will need to live closer to the school than in the past and the academic bar for winning a place is likely to be set even higher.”
The Grammar School Heads Association (GSHA) said its member schools had noticed “no significant increase in applications for grammar school places this year”.
But another source in the grammar sector has said that increased demand is possible. And with VAT on school fees only being introduced in January, a time lag is likely. Demand for sitting 11 plus tests may increase in the next academic year from parents who now know exactly how much extra a private education will cost.
Private tutors employed to get pupils through 11 plus
The evidence from tutoring firms is that they are already preparing their children for the high-stakes entrance exams.
National online tutoring firm MyTutor usually concentrates on GCSE and A-level help but has seen a 20 per cent rise in 11 plus sign-ups this year, increasing from 350 students in 2023 to 411 in 2024 and a forecasted 520 pupils in 2025.
Managing director James Grant attributed the “uptick in demand” to private school VAT changes and said the largest rise was in London, with Yorkshire and the South West also seeing rises.
“With high competition for the 11 plus, many parents are focused on getting their children into state-funded selective schools by investing in tutoring support,” he added.
And there is evidence of rising state school demand at the top end of the tutoring market. Luke Knightly-Jones, founder of Royal Tutors, a “boutique” firm based in Knightsbridge London charging wealthy parents £100 an hour, has also noticed it.
‘Six-year-old being prepped for grammar school test’
He said that all 10 of his British clients are going for grammar school exams this year rather than private school entrance exams, with “every single one” of the families mentioning VAT as a primary reason.
He said that previously, around eight families would generally go for private schools while two would aim for selective state schools.
Knightly-Jones added that clients are starting tutoring for the 11 plus “a lot earlier”, with his youngest client just six years old.
“VAT is going to cut out naturally bright children that aren’t having a level of tuition that these kids are, so they don’t stand a chance,” he claimed.
Grammar schools in numbers
There are 163 state-funded grammar schools across England, teaching around 188,000 pupils, according to the House of Commons Library research published in 2023.
This accounts for 5.3 per cent of state-funded secondary school pupils.
The distribution of grammar schools around the country is uneven. Just 35 of 317 local authorities in England are home to grammar schools – and 60 per cent of the schools are within just 11 authorities.There are 32 grammar schools in Kent, 19 in Greater London, 15 in Lincolnshire, and 14 in Buckinghamshire. For context, 57 of the 163 (35 per cent) grammar schools are in the South East.
While 24.6 per cent of students at secondary schools are entitled to free school meals, this applies to just 6 per cent at grammar schools. Grammar schools students are less likely to have additional educational needs.
There are no state grammar schools in Wales or Scotland.
In Northern Ireland there are 67 state grammar schools, making up about a third of the secondary schools there.
Claim school admissions are being ‘gamed’
Moody-Stuart said that parents who decided they could no longer afford private school fees would have greater financial fire power in the race for the most popular state schools.
“Family money once destined for school fees can be diverted into private tuition and buying a house close to the target school,” she said.
“In moving house or paying for expensive tuition, parents may be able to boost their child’s chances of winning a place, but grammar admissions are always a bit of a lottery. If your child doesn’t come up with the goods on assessment day, then even sharing your postcode with the school won’t get you through the school gates.”
Anti-selection campaigners say any extra competition will only add to the inequity of grammar schools.
“The fact that grammar school admissions can be gamed by those who can afford private tuition highlights the inbuilt unfairness in the 11 plus system,” said Dr Nuala Burgess, chair of the Comprehensive Future pressure group.
“When a family’s wealth can buy advantage in our state education system, something has gone terribly wrong.”
Ms Shariff said she knew of an increase in parents securing private tutoring for the 11 plus this year in addition to practice in class “as the competition for entry into the local state grammar school has been higher than ever before”.
She said: “This change is a direct result of the education tax imposed by the Labour government, which has meant many more parents have been priced out of independent secondary schools and are now gearing for entry into the state grammar school…
“In our area, these state grammars are few and far between, so the competition has always been high and is now higher than ever.”
‘Huge surge’ in tutoring demand
London-based tutoring firm Titanium Tutors said there had been a “huge surge in demand for 11 plus tuition” since September 2023, with the most frequent requests in the last couple of years in Bexley, Richmond and North Finchley.
Joe Hytner, founding director, said: “Various economic shocks including Covid, cost of living and Labour’s decision to add VAT to private school fees have driven more and more of our customers to move – or plan to move – their children to grammar schools to save on school fees.”
He also reported an “increased volume of requests to start 11 plus coaching earlier” in response to Labour’s VAT policy.
Enjoy Education – a tutoring firm with clients across England – said grammar schools in Surrey had become “particularly” competitive, as well as the West Country and Essex.
A senior figure in the grammar school sector, who wished to remain anonymous, said it was too early to see the direct impact of VAT on the competition for places at grammar schools but there could be “pockets” where private schools were situated nearby where it increased.
There has been an increase in children sitting the 11 plus in Plymouth, where 558 girls took the exam in 2024-25 compared to 432 girls in 2023-24, according to data from Plymouth City Council. The council does not hold the data for boys as the grammar school in the city that caters for them deals with testing directly.
In the London Borough of Bexley, 6,423 sat the test this academic year, up from 6,301 children a year earlier. But Bexley Council said it had “no concerns” that the 11 plus was getting more competitive due to VAT.
A Grammar School Heads Association spokesperson said: “It is naturally in the commercial interest of tutoring companies to suggest that demand is increasing but that does not reflect schools’ actual experience.”
A Government spokesperson said: “It is this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and ensure every child has the best life chances.
“Ending tax breaks for private schools will raise £1.8 billion a year by 2029/30, so we can invest in our vital public services, including supporting the 94 per cent of children in state schools to achieve and thrive.
“We have been clear that the impact from pupils switching from private schools into state school will be minimal, representing less than 0.1 per cent of all pupils.”