The business of private schools

Published: July 18, 2024, 5 a.m.

Private schools in the UK are mostly registered as charities \u2013 but they are also businesses \u2013 businesses in the sense that they sell a service to paying customers.

They\u2019ve recently been in the news because the new government has said it will remove their exemption from VAT.

In this episode we take a look at the business of private education: how it works, how much money is made and what will happen when exemption from VAT is removed from school fees.

Evan Davis is joined by:\nGeoffrey Stanford, Head of Royal Grammar School Newcastle \nJesse Elzinga Head of Sevenoaks School\nCheryl Giovannoni, CEO, Girls' Day School Trust (GDST) \nDuncan Murphy, Director of Education, MTM Consulting

PRODUCTION TEAM:\nProducers: Drew Hyndman and Alex Lewis\nEditor: Matt Willis\nSound: Rod Farquhar\nProduction co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge and Janet Staples