At Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Oliver raised the news of St Hilda’s Prep School for Girls in Bushey closing.

A letter was sent out last week to parents saying the school was assessing its future due to financial difficulties. 

This adds to the news announced a few months ago that Immanuel College Prep School, also in Bushey, would close in the summer. 

The closures are partially down to the imposition of VAT on independent schools’ fees, as well as the increase of employer national insurance contributions, and the removal of business rates relief. A final decision on the future of St Hilda’s will be made by the end of this term.

Sir Oliver has been in contact with the school and parents, encouraging anyone concerned to contact him via email at [email protected]

Oliver said: ‘St Hilda’s School for Girls looks set to join Immanuel Jewish Prep as the second school in Bushey forced to close because of the government’s VAT hike. These closures are a double hit to aspiration. First to the parents: many of whom are not wealthy, who have described to me the significant personal sacrifices they have made to send their children. And second: the additional burden on excellent local state schools, like the one I attended, that will struggle to find places for the children meaning it won’t save any money. Can I therefore urge the Prime Minister, even at this late stage, to look again at the impact of this policy?’

The Prime Minister replied: ‘I don’t doubt the aspirations of all parents in relation to their children. What we have been able to do is to make sure we release the funding to ensure that our state secondary schools have the teachers they need. There is no point of the party opposite pretending that they are interested in state education when they left them without the teachers they needed.’