We aim to be upfront and transparent about our fees. This is why they cover many of the costs that other schools charge extra for, like breakfast, lunch and dinner, co-curricular activities, supervised prep and the flexibility to take advantage of a longer school day. There are some charges for optional extras and examination fees, which are detailed below.
Students at Leighton Park also benefit from exceptional individual support underpinned by a teacher student ratio of 1:7. Tutors are responsible for 11 tutees, significantly fewer than a norm of 20-25, and see their tutees for allocated time every day. Find out more below or read about what makes Leighton Park one of England’s top performing schools.
Find out more about what is included in the fees.
All deposits include a £100 subscription for lifetime membership of the ‘Old Leightonians’, which will be kept by the school when the student leaves. The balance of deposits will be fully refunded and shown as a credit on the final leaver’s bill. Have a look at our Standard Terms and Conditions for more information about our fees and deposits.
We are a registered charity and all school income goes towards providing outstanding educational opportunities.
Students who do not have a UK or EEA passport and who need a study visa will be charged an extra £400 each term to cover visa costs and compliance. This charge will be added to their school bill. In this context, the EEA includes all its member countries, plus Croatia and Switzerland.
The Labour government in the UK has confirmed its intention to introduce VAT at 20% on education and boarding services from January 2025. This change will affect all fee-charging independent schools, including Leighton Park.
VAT is a consumer tax payable to the Government/Treasury on certain goods and services. The level of VAT applicable to school fees is set by the Government, not by schools. It is important to note that the entire VAT amount goes directly to the Government. Of the total invoiced amount to parents from January 2025, the School will only retain the school fee, net of the VAT amount.
The School will need to pay 20% VAT to the Government from January 2025. However, we do not expect parents to bear the full cost of the addition of VAT on school fees.
The fees parents pay (inclusive of VAT) will rise by 10% compared with current fees, with the School absorbing the additional cost of the VAT increase. This plan is based on our understanding of the proposed legislation and assuming this is introduced by the new government as currently stated. The School is monitoring this and reserves the right to amend fee levels if required.
As with any independent school, our ability to absorb these costs will be dependent upon achieving operational efficiencies and sustaining strong pupil numbers across the School. We want to reassure families that the quality of our provision and the care given to each of our students remains our key priority.
In order that parents pay an additional 10% instead of the full 20% on their total fees from January 2025, the School will reduce its termly fees before VAT is applied by approximately 8%. With the statutory addition of VAT at 20%, the effect for parents will be an overall increase of 10% for Spring and Summer term fees when compared to the published Autumn term 2024 fee. Please note that charges for books, stationery and school transport will remain exempt.
For example:
The current Junior (Year 7 & 8) Day fee is £8,180
The Junior Day Fee invoice for Spring Term 2025 would appear as:
Reduced Junior Day Fee: £7,499
Plus VAT at 20%: £1,500
Total invoice: £8,999
The new total termly fee (ie including VAT) is an increase of £819 compared with the published fee for Autumn term 2024. A full fee schedule will be published once clarity is available from the government on the detailed application of their legislation.
The School has been preparing for this change for some time and has increased the student roll over time to put us in a strong position, including adding some boarding capacity. We have also created some additional income streams, including our new Summer School Programme starting in Summer 2025.
Our strong student roll combined with carefully reviewing our cost structures has allowed us to remain competitive while being mindful of affordability. Additionally, we will be able to recover some VAT the school pays on certain non-payroll costs. While the recovery percentage is modest, it helps mitigate the impact on the fees.
We recognise that many parents be seeking reassurance about the level of fees from September 2025. We can confirm that there will be no further VAT–related fee increases after January 2025. Fees for September will be set by the Board as part of our annual cycle, and communicated to families after the end of the Spring term. We are very mindful of affordability challenges for families at this time, and this will inform our decision making.
No. The implementation of VAT will not affect the excellent quality of academic, co-curricular and pastoral provision that parents rightly expect at Leighton Park.
VAT will apply to both day and boarding fees. This is because the boarding element is seen as ancillary to the main supply of education. If this changes when the formal legislation is enacted after the budget in October 2024, we will let you know.
All families will be required to pay VAT as the tax is due in the country where the provision of education service takes place. Families living overseas may wish to seek advice from their tax advisor.
Leighton Park has offered a one year ‘fees in advance’ (FIA) option for many years on a discretionary basis. Any payments made to the School under the FIA scheme that were made before 29 July 2024 for the academic year 2024-25 should not be subject to VAT. This is in accordance with the announcement made by the Government on 29 July together with the draft legislation guidance. However, the sector does expect close scrutiny by HMRC of fees in advance schemes during the coming months.
VAT will be applied only to the amount paid by parents. For example, if a student has a 10% scholarship, VAT will only be applied to the remaining 90% fee the paid by the parents.
We will be assessing the need for any hardship support on a case–by–case, means–tested basis. If you have any concerns, please do contact the School. Our Finance Manager, Jenny Rowe, will be available to discuss your circumstances confidentially.
We will continue to monitor this evolving situation and may need to provide further updates after the government’s Budget statement on 30 October, which should clarify the legislation and policy implementation. This FAQ section will be updated as further information becomes available.
There may be some other extras throughout the term for things like trips and sports needing specialist instructors. We will let you know about these in advance. Any other miscellaneous expenses incurred will be added to your bill.
One term’s written notice is required should parents wish to cancel school transport, music lessons, EAL or ILC tuition.
All charges are stated excluding VAT or other taxes that may apply.
Our contractual terms are that fees are payable termly in advance. The School will issue you with an invoice in the holidays prior to the start of term. Fees for the upcoming term must be paid before the first day of the term commences.
In order to give parents more flexibility, the School works with a third party organisation, School Fee Plan, for families who wish to pay fees by monthly direct debit. The sign up deadline for the 2024-5 academic year has passed. Please contact School Fee Plan if you still wish to access the scheme.
School Fee Plan has over 20 years’ experience in providing this service to parents and we are confident that you will receive exceptional service from their dedicated team. Credit is subject to status, affordability, terms and conditions apply, over 18s only. You can find out more about School Fee Plan from their website or take a look at their flyer.
Leighton Park School is an appointed representative of Premium Credit Limited which is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. *School Fee Plan is a trading style of Premium Credit Limited (company number 02015200).
At the discretion of the Governors, families may be able to pay School fees annually in advance and receive a small fee discount. Fees paid annually must be received before the 31st July prior to the start of the new academic year. The decision regarding this opportunity is made by the Governors at the Business Committee Meeting in the Spring Term and communicated to parents at the start of the Summer term.
There will be some costs such as School Transport, ILC lessons, EAL lessons, Peripatetic Music lessons and trip costs that are additional to the School fees.
Transport and ILC lessons are billed termly in advance. Other costs are billed termly in arrears.
All extras should be paid for in full prior to the first day of the term following the bill.
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