Prestigious £59,000-per-year private school Marlborough College has cancelled its summer school after 50 years because of the impact of Labour’s tax raid budget.
The Wiltshire boarding school for pupils aged 13 to 18, which boasts the Princess of Wales and Princess Eugenie as alumni, has called off its annual programme of events due to rising costs.
Established in 1974, the summer school has seen Marlborough College open each July for a four-week event, offering more than 500 courses in everything from ballroom dancing to Napoleonic history for people of all ages.
The courses typically start from £215 for five half-day sessions and while they were previously exempt from VAT, Labour’s changes to private school tax measures mean the sessions would now be liable to pay the tax.
The summer school has been pulled for 2025, with the College reportedly citing a ‘series of factors’ including ‘additional taxation measures announced in the October Budget’, the Telegraph reports.
The College blamed increases to National Insurance for employers, a rising minimum wage and the incoming additional VAT measures.
Prestigious £59,000-per-year private school Marlborough College has cancelled its summer school after 50 years because of the impact of Labour’s tax raid budget
The Wiltshire boarding school for pupils aged 13 to 18 was attended by the Princess of Wales
Princess Eugenie of York also went to the school – which has run its summer school since 1974
It also said the ‘sudden’ loss of several ‘experienced members of staff’ had contributed to the programme being called off this year, 50 years after it was founded in 1974.
It comes after guidance from the Treasury, headed up by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, stated that ‘extra-curricular activities which are educational in nature will be subject to VAT when provided by a private school’ from January 1.
And in addition to VAT, private schools with a charitable status will have to pay business rates on their buildings from April.
Publishing its most recent accounts for 2023, Marlborough College said it had experienced another year of ‘very strong’ pupil numbers, exceeding 1,000.
But it added: ‘There is also the future threat on affordability with Labour’s pledge to put 20 per cent VAT on school fees’.
It said Marlborough College’s Council was “looking to try to mitigate this as much as possible”.
Fees for boarders already rose from £15,665 to £19,714 per term, or £59,142 per year, this academic year – including VAT.
A spokesperson for Marlborough College said: ‘We are sorry to announce that the Marlborough College Summer School will not take place in 2025. A series of factors have come together which mean that it would be impossible for the College to run this event efficiently and to our expected high standards.
‘The additional taxation measures announced in the October Budget, including increases to National Insurance and to the National Minimum Wage, as well as the imposition of VAT on the majority of courses, make our current pricing model untenable.
‘Unfortunately, this has coincided with the loss of several experienced members of the Summer School team creating a resourcing shortfall which would impact on the effective delivery of the event.
‘Summer School has enjoyed 50 wonderful years and we hope that, by taking this short break, we can redesign this special event to ensure it can return for many years to come.’
