Safeguard Futures for Children at ESMS

As you will know, from January, the UK Government is imposing VAT on independent school fees, which up until now has been considered exempt under EU law. Whilst we have tried to keep the VAT charge as low as we can, we are unable to absorb the full amount, and we will have to charge 16.2% VAT to families from January 2025. We recognise that this is a significant change that will inevitably increase the financial burden on many of our families. We remain steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding the futures of all our students by ensuring that they can complete their educational journey without disruption.
 
We have heard from many families since we shared our VAT announcement last week, who are desperately worried about how they will manage and the detrimental impact that this will have on their family, if their child has to leave the school at such a critical point in the school year, especially for those part way through exam years. Many families have shared concerns that they have no viable alternative, as the local state schools are full with waiting lists and even if they can get a place, their child might not be able to keep the same subjects or transfer coursework. Families have said that they are doing all they can to make ends meet, cutting back all but essential spend to try to ensure that they can keep their child at school to avoid a negative impact on their academic grades, further education choices and crucially their wellbeing too.
 
To address this, we are launching this Fund to safeguard children's futures, providing vital support to families facing financial challenges. We want every student to have a future here, so that they can benefit from the fantastic support and range of opportunities we offer, as well as bringing a richness and diversity to our school community. The purpose of this Fund is to enable children to remain at school and complete their exam years to ensure that they can have the best possible chance for their future careers, without the disruption and upset of having to move school at such a pivotal point. The Awards will be means-tested to ensure that support is given to those that need it most.

If you are in a position to support, every contribution, no matter the amount, will make a long-lasting difference by safeguarding children's futures. Thank you.