Laura Anne Jones MS has appealed to the Welsh and UK Governments to reverse budget decisions after hearing of the impact of their blindsided ideologically driven push against our independent Schools.

On a visit to Monmouth Haberdashers’ School, the MS for South Wales East met with the Executive Head Simon Dorman and the Head of Senior School Rachel Rees, and was told recent policies from Westminster and Cardiff Bay have added a million pounds to the school’s deficit, leading to redundancies and the dropping of some school subjects like A-Level German.

Ms Jones has criticised Monmouthshire County Council for claiming only 10 children in the county have switched to state schools due to fees being forced up by tax rises, as it’s disingenuous, due to the UK Governments extra taxes being added on mid-school term.

The UK Government placed VAT on independent school fees, and increased National Insurance, while the Welsh Government has raised business rates for charity-run private schools.

Ms Jones called these changes a “tax triple whammy” for schools like Haberdashers’, and called for both governments to reverse the decisions.

12% of children in Monmouthshire attend independent schools compared to 2% across the whole of Wales.

Laura Anne Jones MS, Senedd Member for South Wales East and Shadow Minister for Housing, Local Government and the Armed Forces, said:

“I had a fantastic visit to Haberdashers’ Monmouth School, where I met with the Executive Head Simon Dorman and the Head of Senior School Rachel Rees and had a tour of the very impressive school and facilities.

“Haberdashers Monmouth School is a fantastic school and is well renowned for being so, with its highest ever cohort of to Oxbridge this year, it also plays a big part in the local economy of Monmouth, being the towns largest employer.

“Monmouth Haberdashers also has strong links with West Mon Comprehensive School, giving many pupils there fully-funded educational opportunities that wouldn’t normally be afforded to them.

“Schools like the Haberdashers’ play a vital part in the wider schooling system and are excellent at helping ALN learners to thrive. Young people from Armed Forces families also make up 55 of the borders at the school.

“Labour’s “triple tax whammy” has hit Independent schools and families hard. These damaging decisions must be reversed.”