Labour's tax raid on private schools will force pupils with special educational needs into homeschooling, it was claimed today.
Suzanne Hall, proprietor at Farrowdale House Preparatory School, said the new VAT on fees being introduced next month will be particularly punishing for children with conditions such as autism and ADHD.
The families of such pupils often choose independent schools with smaller classes because their child can't cope in mainstream settings.
But the increased costs could now see many having to opt for homeschooling - and most will not qualify for Labour's exemption, which applies only to children whose fees are being paid for by their local authority.
Mrs Hall's school in Oldham has class sizes of only 15, with 40 per cent of pupils having special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Teachers are specially trained to help such children under the supervision of a SENCO (special needs coordinator). 'We have children with a variety of needs, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, hearing impairment, and speech and language difficulties,' she said.
'Most of these children would not cope in a mainstream school. Some have been in the state system and were let down, but have come here and are thriving. The small classes really help as they get more one-to-one input from the teachers.'
And she warned: 'If children like these are pushed into the state system, I don't think they'd cope and then they would definitely end up being homeschooled.' Mrs Hall, whose son has autism, said being homeschooled is 'no good' for SEND pupils, adding: 'They need to be in an environment with other children and other adults to support them and to help them grow and learn. If they are kept at home, they are not going to have the same kind of social skills and interventions that schools can put in place.'
Mrs Hall said families at her school were 'definitely not wealthy', but just 'working hard'.
Farrowdale charges £6,800 a year - a tenth of what Eton charges - and Mrs Hall has pledged not to raise fees this year despite the VAT.
But five pupils, including some with SEND, have left this term over fears of what the future may hold - and all have gone into mainstream state primaries. Many schools are having to pass on the VAT to parents, with some losing pupils and having to close due to being no longer financially viable.
Mrs Hall added: 'We are not going to close. We will fight this for the children. I can't get my head around why Labour is putting VAT on schools like ours.'
She said parents who turn to the private system without local authority support are 'already being penalised for the failings of the state system', adding: 'It is grossly unfair to further penalise them by adding VAT to the fees.'
A government spokesman said: 'Pupils with the most acute needs will not be impacted by this policy.
'Work has already begun to rebuild families' confidence in, and reform, the broken SEND system we inherited.'