Charlotte Varney

Lead Software Engineer | Evertonian | Runner | Snowboarder | Cake Maker | All views are my own

[Charlotte Varney @CharlieCrane]

@WasOnceLoved Parents who choose private education are already paying taxes to fund the state system they don't use. The tax reliefs for charitable schools were part of wider charity law, not a unique subsidy for the wealthy. Private schools also reduce demand on the state education system.

[Charlotte Varney @CharlieCrane]

@WasOnceLoved Private schools don't actually pay the VAT, the parents do. The schools simply collect it and pass it on to HMRC. The policy change increased the cost to families rather than imposing a direct tax on the schools themselves.

[Charlotte Varney @CharlieCrane]

@ShakinthatChalk Access to facilities is an advantage, but it's not the whole story. Plenty of children from state schools train with local swimming clubs and achieve at a high level because of the hours they put in. It's important not to dismiss their effort by attributing success to privilege.

[Charlotte Varney @CharlieCrane]

@Keir_Starmer If every child deserves opportunity, then adding VAT to private school fees is a strange way to show it. For many children, especially those with SEND, the right school is essential, not a luxury.

[Charlotte Varney @CharlieCrane]

@tedwrichards @fieryangel1 @SBarrettBar That may be true for some schools, but not all. There are schools that were financially healthy before the recent policy changes and are now no longer in that position.

That suggests external policy pressure is at least part of the story, not simply poor financial management.

[Nick Almond @DrNickA]

https://t.co/Iu13m0ScYH

[Charlotte Varney @CharlieCrane]

@PaulfrYorkshire @abritishparent @vickygrayson_ It’s not mainly a boarding school. It serves day pupils in the area from pre prep to senior.

[Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst MP @DrNShastriHurst]

The writing is on the wall for cathedral schools - yet another consequence of the Government’s VAT raid on independent schools.

Labour’s levy threatens to silence choirs and unravel a centuries-old cultural legacy, as @XanderArmstrong has rightly observed.

[Charlotte Varney @CharlieCrane]

@bionicmanc @AFCBOldgit @EstherMcVey1 In practice, private schools already cross-subsidise through bursaries funded by full-fee families and alumni donations. The challenge isn’t willingness—it’s that most operating costs are staff and buildings, which can’t easily be cut by 20% without impacting education.

[Charlotte Varney @CharlieCrane]

@lewistough It’s not my thing anymore 😂

[Charlotte Varney @CharlieCrane]

Hi @Tesco — I’ve just found a blue plastic object baked into a pitta bread from one of your packs. I’ve kept the product and packaging. Could you advise what I should do next please?

[Charlotte Varney @CharlieCrane]

@Tesco Are there any other options please rather than physically going into the store? It was a home delivery.

[Charlotte Varney @CharlieCrane]

@JohnBaldLangLit That’s not really how dyslexia works. Being dyslexic doesn’t mean someone can’t be high-achieving. Many dyslexic students succeed academically but still have specific processing or reading difficulties that require support. High attainment and dyslexia aren’t mutually exclusive.

[Charlotte Varney @CharlieCrane]

@currys Hi, how do I get a replacement for a faulty small item which is less than 6 months old please? We were told by yourselves we could only get a repair however the manufacturer have failed to collect the item. Am I able to do this in store please?

[Charlotte Varney @CharlieCrane]

@orangehelicop @MissMiggins60 @bsngln38133 @toryboypierce For SEND children, private school isn’t a luxury — it’s how parents secure the support the state system can’t provide. When those schools close, children don’t lose “choice”; they lose stability, specialist support and a place that worked.

[Charlotte Varney @CharlieCrane]

@belliver11 @Keir_Starmer I’ve heard it’s brilliant with SEND children. It’s devastating for the whole community.

[Charlotte Varney @CharlieCrane]

@owainharris3 @MikeWhitton @amwilson_opera Autistic, ADHD, and dyslexic children don’t become entitled by being supported or by attending any particular school. That’s a stereotype, not reality.

[Charlotte Varney @CharlieCrane]

@johnesharp @vickygrayson_ What do you mean by receive 4x the funding please? Many parents are funding it themselves and paying VAT on top for SEND for their child which has Austism, ADHD and Dyslexia. If the environment is right for those children they will thrive and become the next taxpayers.

[Charlotte Varney @CharlieCrane]

@johnesharp @vickygrayson_ VAT is being added the SEND help in independent schools. Taxing children with disabilities is wrong and should not be defended. Ensuring a child has an education suited to their needs is not a privilege it’s a right.