The school's statement lists a few factors, so I don't want to speculate about how much the new VAT levy and increase in Employers NI has to do with it, but those two recent changes alone are brutal - and especially foisting an extra 20% on school fees for parents who are also contributing their fair taxpayer's share towards the state school budget; and many of whom will be living hand to mouth because of the massive increases in food, energy and mortgage or rent payments etc that have hit everyone over the last few years with Covid and the hikes in inflation and resuting interest rates due to the Ukraine war etc.