The landscape of education in Edinburgh is shifting as new policies and changing perceptions influence parental decisions. One of the most prominent recent changes is the imposition of VAT on private school fees by the UK Government, which is due to come in to force on 1st January 2025.
Given Edinburgh has the highest concentration of children in private education in the UK, estimated at 1 in 5, the implications of this will be widely felt as many parents face a significant increase in the already substantial cost of private education and consider whether a private education for their child is financially viable or state school is a better alternative.
When one takes in to consideration the cost of a private school education over say a10 year period (junior and senior school) ranging anywhere between £120,000 – £240,000 per child, and even higher for some of the more elite schools, it is not difficult to see the attraction of a good state education and the potential cost savings, especially for families with more than one child
While there a number of excellent private schools in Edinburgh fortunately the city also boasts a range of excellent state schools, many of which consistently achieve strong academic results and offer robust extracurricular programs. Schools like Boroughmuir High School and James Gillespie’s High School are often ranked among the top in Scotland, providing a compelling alternative to private education.
Interestingly The Scotsman newspaper recently reported that since June of this year there have been 121 applications for places at state schools in Edinburgh from families with children currently in private education.
While it is still too early to say what the fallout of this new legislation will be we expect demand for properties in the better catchment areas, which is already high, to become more acute in the coming months and years.
