INDEPENDENT education will be subject to VAT from January which will have a significantly detrimental impact on Herefordshire.

Based on the latest published turnover of the independent schools in the county, this means £3.4m leaving the Marches for the Treasury. The claim that it will raise £1.7bn assumes that school fees are inelastic; in reality it will exacerbate the pressures on local primary and secondary places.

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The annual cost to the taxpayer of educating a child is approximately £5,750 which means that Hereford Cathedral School saves the British public over £4m every year. The school also bring in over £1m a year into the local economy from international students but studying in the UK is now less attractive.

What are your thoughts?

You can send a letter to the editor to have your say by clicking here.

Letters should not exceed 250 words and local issues take precedence.

As a school we continue to commit to means-tested bursaries to widen access, to partnering with schools across the city such as our sixth form programme at St Thomas Cantilupe or our Herefordshire musical outreach.

Working collegially and collaboratively is the most effective way for everyone in our great county to benefit and we regret that the government’s approach will make everyone worse off.

DR MICHAEL GRAY

Headmaster, Hereford Cathedral School