Exeter Cathedral School, which has operated for over 850 years, has announced that it will be closing its doors due to “unavoidable financial pressures”.
A statement issued by the school did not directly lay the blame for its closure at Labour’s controversial decision to introduce VAT on private school fees, but did say it was facing the same financial squeeze that “many small independent schools are currently facing”.
Some private Christian schools have closed down as a direct result of the policy, with some estimates suggesting that at least 50 private schools have closed down due to the VAT imposition.
The Independent Schools Council has said that 105 private schools have ceased operations since the policy was introduced. The founder and headteacher of one school that closed down said he hoped to reopen under “a less hostile government” in the future.
Exeter Cathedral School is one of a number of “choir schools”. While independent of Exeter Cathedral itself, the school’s students sing in the cathedral.
Before the last election the Headmasters of the Choir Schools Association warned that Labour’s VAT plans would have a “catastrophic” impact on such schools, which are typically smaller and charge lower fees.
Critics have noted that Labour’s attack on private schools has effectively priced out working and lower middle-class families, and led to the closure of many of the smaller private schools that served them, while prestigious institutions like Eton, Winchester and Rugby carry on as before.
Exeter Cathedral School said that its nursery and pre-prep school would continue under the new management of Inspired Learning Group, while the cathedral choristers will be transferred to another private school, Exeter School, The Telegraph reports.
Exeter Cathedral said in a statement, “The Cathedral is immensely grateful for everything Exeter Cathedral School has contributed to the choristers and to Cathedral life throughout its long history. It is with real sadness that this relationship will come to an end in July.
“Exeter School has a reputation for excellence, care of pupils, extra-curricular activities, fine facilities, community engagement and a long history in this city. We are confident that the choristers will thrive there, and both Exeter School and the Cathedral have been working hard to ensure as smooth a transition as possible.”
