Beyond the Private School Myth

Summary

Why outdated assumptions are failing families and what AFIS is fighting to change.

A System Under Strain

When VAT on independent school fees was introduced, the public conversation focused on numbers, forecasts and political talking points. What it didn’t focus on was children. Or the families quietly absorbing the shock. Or the ripple effects spreading through both the independent and state sectors.

For many families, especially those navigating SEND needs, anxiety, or fragile educational histories, independent schooling was never a luxury. It was a lifeline. A place where their child could cope, belong, and learn.

The policy change didn’t just raise fees. It destabilised pathways, squeezed state capacity, and forced families into decisions they never expected to face. This is the part of the story that rarely gets told, and the part AFIS has stepped forward to illuminate.

AFIS: The Organisation Challenging Assumptions and Championing Families

AFIS (Association for Families of Independent Schooling) was created because one crucial voice was missing from national debate: the families themselves.

Independent schools have associations. Teachers have unions. But parents, especially those relying on bursaries, SEND provision, or specialist environments, had no representation when sweeping policy changes were introduced.

AFIS challenges the myth that “private equals wealthy.”

They gather evidence, support families in crisis, and highlight the injustices created when school labels are used as moral categories rather than administrative ones. Their work reveals a schooling landscape far more diverse, and far more vulnerable, than most people realise.

To understand what is really happening inside the independent‑school ecosystem and how these pressures are affecting families across the UK, we spoke with Michelle Daniells, founder of AFIS.

As a single parent who has navigated the impact of VAT on her own children’s schooling, she has seen firsthand how policy decisions ripple through real lives. And through AFIS, she now supports families facing similar pressures: oversubscription, school closures, SEND disruption, and the growing divide created by outdated assumptions about who “private school families” are.

We spoke with Michelle about her personal experience, the knock‑on effects she is seeing nationwide, and why the conversation about independent schooling needs to change.

Q&A With Michelle Daniells

For readers who may not know AFIS, how would you describe the organisation’s role — and what is it doing to support families caught in the fallout of VAT on fees and wider misconceptions about independent schooling?

“The Association for Families of Independent Schooling — AFIS — was created because I felt there was a significant voice missing from debates about independent education: the families themselves.

Schools have representative organisations. Teachers and other professionals have unions and professional bodies. But when enormous policy changes affecting independent education were being debated, I kept asking: who is actually representing the parents and children affected by them?

AFIS is an independent, non-profit and apolitical organisation dedicated to championing parental choice and diversity in education provision, and advocating for a fairer, more balanced and evidence-led representation of independent schooling families in public and policy debate.

A major part of our work is evidence gathering. We listen to families, undertake research, collect data and challenge assumptions where we believe the evidence does not support them.

We have supported families affected by sudden school closures, helped connect displaced families with schools and other sources of assistance, campaigned and fundraised for families facing exceptional hardship, and raised concerns directly with government about the consequences and timing of recent policy changes.

We are also investing  significantly in the legal challenge concerning VAT on school fees, which is now heading to the Supreme Court. We see that work as being undertaken not simply for one particular type of school or family, but because the principles involved matter to the whole independent-school community.

Increasingly, our work is looking beyond VAT.

We are asking whether Britain has become too comfortable using the labels “state” and “independent” as shorthand for much more complicated things — wealth, privilege, disadvantage, opportunity and even children’s identities.

That matters particularly for SEND families, because their stories so often demonstrate why simplistic labels fail. A school that looks like a “privileged choice” to somebody viewing it from the outside may, to the family involved, be the place they finally found after years of trying to secure an environment in which their child could function and flourish.

Ultimately, AFIS exists to make sure those families are heard, properly understood and fairly represented in public and policy debate.

We don’t argue that independent schooling is right for every child. We argue for something much simpler: that families and children should not be judged by the label attached to their school.

Our campaign called BEYOND SCHOOL LABELS: Rethinking Social Mobility and Social Cohesion through Schooling aims to shine a light on the injustices of “two-tier” policies that effectively discriminate against children just because they attend a private school.  The assumptions about wealth and privilege, are seeing independent school children being excluded from opportunities and services, just because they do not attend a state school.  For example, in a case study we took to The Telegraph, who published this recently, one of our members has a young son who with autism who was moved to an independent school that could better meet his needs.  When his mother subsequently contacted the local NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service for support for new mental health problems her son was experiencing she was informed he was not eligible for that service because he attends an independent school.  This is just one of many cases like this.  Independent school groups are charged higher prices (up to 65% more) by a number of theatres and museums; some parents are also convinced their children have missed out on job opportunities because preference is given to young people from state schools.  When applying to University, the contextual offers system sees independent school children sometimes having to achieve higher grades than children from state schools.  In more and more situations, the labels “state” and “independent” are being used as filtering mechanisms, with employers and institutions being measured on DEI factors and social mobility indicators.  This is, in my view, extremely unfair to independent school children.

Too many people assume that all independent schools are wealthy and “elitist”.  They assume all 2,500 schools are like Eton, Harrow, Westminster and Winchester; schools with significant endowments that make them financially resilient.

Most people have no idea about the huge diversity of schools and the families that choose them.”

Could you share some context around your personal experience with the changes to your daughter’s schooling and what that reveals about the wider pressures families are now facing?

The fiscal policy changes impacting on independent schools and families, making fees less affordable, took effect from January 2025.  My daughter was in the first year of her GCSE studies at that time and, like many parents, I was determined to find a way to keep her settled until the end of her GCSEs.  At the same time, my son was in his final year of A levels at the same school.  We were fortunate that  part of their fees were covered by means-tested bursaries. (I am a full-time single parent, working hard and making the sorts of sacrifices so many families do, to give their children the best education they can, in their particular circumstances).  However, when VAT was introduced it still meant I had to find an extra £3,000 for the remaining two terms of the year then an extra £2,000 for my daughter to stay put and complete her GCSEs.  Many families have had to find much more than that.

My son had stayed on for the 6th form at the independent senior school and we had planned for my daughter to do the same, but with VAT, that was not going to be possible. (They both went to state junior schools).  In previous years, children from their school who applied to a high-performing state 6th form college had all been given places there, because they lived within the catchment area at that time.  That college was my daughter’s first choice and we applied there and to 2 other colleges, despite all of them being quite far away from our home.

We were surprised when she was not offered a place at any of the colleges, despite her predicted GCSE grades being very high.  We discovered a number of children from the surrounding area had also missed out on places at our top choice of college.  It became apparent that the catchment area had effectively shrunk, due to the unprecedented demand.  My daughter and some of her friends were placed on the waiting list.  (Those that lived a little further away were not).  I also heard from friends whose children had applied to the same college from state schools in our area that they too had missed out and this was a surprise, as well as a disappointment.

In my role with AFIS, I investigated what was happening with the number of applications to state 6th forms in Surrey and Hampshire.  Freedom of information requests highlighted the scale of the problem, with every college and 6th form we contacted reporting unprecedented levels of oversubscription and higher than normal numbers of applicants, meaning more children were missing out and being placed on waiting lists.

I contacted all 3 colleges we were interested in and two told us there was very little chance of my daughter getting a place, due to the oversubscription levels.  Another told us that it was unlikely and, if any places did become available, that would not be until after GCSE results were out and they knew if anyone with an offer had not achieved the required grades, thus freeing up places.

To cut a long story short, with no place for my daughter from September 2026 for her A levels we looked at other options and finally decided that the best thing would be for her to attend a state school in France, where she was able to get a guaranteed place.  She is fortunate to have a French passport (her father is French).  So, she is due to move to France at the end of August.

This is just one example of the knock-on effects of the reducing affordability of independent schooling, as a result of the cumulative impact of the fiscal policy measures. 

Many middle and low-income families, like mine have been forced to remove their children from their schools and find alternatives; some have opted for state schooling, some for home-schooling.  There has also been a knock-on effect for state schooling families, with increased competition for state places, especially in grammar schools and high-performing comprehensives.  More children are missing out on their preferred schools.  Whilst the Department for Education was keen to insist that there was plenty of room in state schools, the reality is that the capacity has not been available in all geographic areas and for all ages.  For example, despite the falling birth rate and demographic cliff edge  meaning fewer younger children, there is a squeeze in post-16 schools and colleges because there is a demographic bulge moving through that age group.  In the South East in particular, where there is a higher concentration of independent schools and pupils, there is naturally a higher number of pupils being displaced and having to find alternatives.  Added to this is the pressure on state places caused by the high number of independent school closures, with many children seeking state alternatives where suitable independent options are not available to them.”

So, the pressures for many families centre around whether or not they can continue to afford school fees and, if not, what are the other options and how suitable are they for their children and can they get places at those schools?

 AFIS receives at least one phone call or email every week from desperate parents really struggling and looking for support.  Sadly, we are small, new and under-resourced and can not offer them much practical assistance at this time.”

How has the outdated assumption that “private equals wealthy” shaped the injustices families are running up against?

“I think that assumption sits at the heart of many of the problems we are now seeing.

“Independent/private school” is a description of how a school is funded and governed. It is not a reliable description of the income, wealth, circumstances or motivations of every family whose child attends one.

Yet somewhere along the way, that administrative label became a social label. Independent-school families are routinely characterised as wealthy, privileged and “buying advantage”, and once you start with that assumption, it becomes much easier to dismiss the consequences of policies affecting them.

The reality is far more complicated.

There are undoubtedly wealthy families using independent schools, just as there are wealthy families using state schools. But there are also families making enormous sacrifices; grandparents helping with fees; parents working additional hours; children attending on substantial bursaries; and families who have chosen smaller or specialist independent schools because their child simply was not thriving elsewhere.

That last group is particularly important in the SEND community.

For most parents, independent schooling was never about status or privilege. It was about finding a school where their child could cope, belong, attend consistently, learn and be happy. Some have reached independent education after extremely difficult experiences elsewhere.

When we reduce all those families to a single stereotype, we stop asking important questions about the individual child.

That concerns me enormously. Children do not generally choose which school they attend. They should not acquire assumptions about their wealth, privilege, needs or deservingness simply because of a decision their parents made about their education.

This is why AFIS has increasingly challenged the use of binary school-sector labels as proxies for individual children and families. The labels “state” and “independent” tell us something about schools. They tell us remarkably little about the child sitting inside them.

Unfortunately, very little research has been done to provide the data and evidence needed to robustly challenge the crude wealth assumptions.  (AFIS is trying to raise the funds to do that national survey exploring the demographic profiles of independent schooling families and their reasons for choosing private education).

AFIS was able to carry out some research and analysis that highlighted some surprising data about the number of affluent families in state schools and in independent schools.”  

What knock-on effects of VAT on fees are you seeing across state capacity, SEND provision, and bursary-dependent families?

“One of our concerns from the outset was that the debate around VAT focused heavily on averages and not nearly enough on the families sitting at the margins of affordability.

Those are the families for whom relatively small changes can have very large consequences.

VAT did not arrive in isolation. Schools have faced a succession of significant additional cost pressures, including changes to employer pension contributions, National Insurance and, for many charitable schools, business rates relief. Inevitably, schools and families have had to absorb those pressures somehow.

We have now seen more than 100 independent schools close. Behind every closure statistic is a community of children, families and staff, and for SEND families the disruption can be particularly profound. Moving school is difficult for many children; for a child who depends upon routine, trusted relationships, a particular environment or specialist support, it can be devastating.

We are also concerned about bursary-dependent and lower- and middle-income families. These are precisely the families least able to absorb substantial fee increases. A child may technically attend an “independent school” while their family is very far removed from the wealthy stereotype attached to that label.

And when children leave independent schools, they do not disappear from the education system. Many require places in state schools, and some will require SEND support, specialist provision or other publicly funded services.

Capacity is not simply a question of whether there is theoretically an empty desk somewhere. It is whether there is a suitable place, in the right location, at the right stage of education, capable of meeting that particular child’s needs.

This is why we believe the full consequences of these policies need to be monitored properly. We should be looking not simply at how much tax is collected, but at school closures, pupil movement, SEND provision, state-sector capacity, bursaries, family finances and, above all, outcomes for children.”

What would you say to parents who now find themselves navigating these decisions under increasing financial and social pressure?

“Firstly, I would say: please don’t allow somebody else’s stereotype to define your family or your reasons for making the choices you make for your child.

Parents know the complexity behind these decisions.

Very few families choose a school by looking at a label on the gate. They are thinking about the child they know intimately: their personality, friendships, anxiety, SEND, academic needs, confidence, interests and happiness. They are also looking at what is actually available to them locally and what they can realistically afford.

Sometimes the right answer will be a state school. Sometimes it will be an independent school. Sometimes a child will move between the two sectors during their education. There are excellent schools in both.

What I find unhelpful is the increasingly moralised idea that one of those choices tells us what sort of people the parents are, or what sort of child they are raising.

For families now facing extremely difficult financial decisions, I would encourage them to speak to their school early. Ask about bursaries, hardship assistance, payment arrangements and any other support available rather than assuming there is nothing that can be done.

And talk to other parents. One of the things AFIS has shown me is how powerful it can be simply to discover that you are not the only family facing these pressures.

There should be no shame attached to wanting to find the education in which your child is most likely to flourish — particularly when you are parenting a child whose needs may already require you to fight harder than most to secure the right support.”

Where We Go From Here: Rebuilding a Fairer Conversation

Michelle’s insights point to a simple truth:

We cannot build fair policy on stereotypes.

A child in an independent school is not automatically wealthy, advantaged, or undeserving of support.

A child in a state school is not automatically disadvantaged or more deserving of opportunity.

AFIS is pushing for a future where:

• Families are understood individually
• SEND needs outweigh sector assumptions
• Policy impact is measured holistically
• Independent‑school children are not excluded from public services

For the families we work with at SEND Tutoring, this matters deeply. Your child’s needs, their anxiety, their learning profile, their friendships, their confidence, should shape their educational journey, not the assumptions others make about the school they attend.

Michelle’s experience doesn’t just reveal cracks in the system, it reveals a pattern. A pattern of families pushed into instability, children losing the environments where they thrive, and SEND needs being overshadowed by sector stereotypes.

Across the country, AFIS is hearing the same themes:

• families forced to move children mid‑qualification
• SEND pupils losing specialist environments that supported their wellbeing
• state colleges overwhelmed by displaced applicants
• catchment areas shrinking overnight
• bursary‑dependent families priced out of continuity
• children missing out on opportunities because of the label on their school gate

At SEND Tutoring, we work with children whose learning, confidence and wellbeing depend on stability. When the system shifts suddenly, when a school closes, when fees rise, when places disappear, it is these children who feel the impact most acutely.

Michelle’s insights show us that the current landscape is not just challenging, it is harmful. Not in a dramatic, headline‑grabbing way, but in the quiet, cumulative ways that shape a child’s future: disrupted routines, lost friendships, increased anxiety, reduced access to specialist support, and educational pathways that become narrower rather than broader.

Her work reminds us that the system is failing these families.

That is why conversations like this matter.

Why organisations like AFIS matter.

And why SEND Tutoring continues to advocate for environments where children are understood as individuals, not stereotypes. 

If you are looking for more support, the AFIS website offers further guidance and resources for families navigating these challenges. 

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