Best Schools - “Abolishing private schools would not help my state pupils”

David Benson, head teacher of Kensington Aldridge Academy explains that like many state school head teachers, ‘I find the Labour proposal to abolish private schools troubling. There is much wrong with education, but this policy is not the answer.’

Labour is right that private schools should do more to support the state sector. But let’s build on what is happening already. We’ve had sixth formers complete A levels at our neighbouring private schools, Godolphin and Latymer Upper, in subjects we don’t offer and at no cost. Charterhouse in Surrey is training physics teachers and placing them in state schools, including ours, where they may stay for years. This is real partnership, not window dressing for their websites. My school is next to Grenfell Tower, so has received more support than most, but these links exist elsewhere.

I can see why people feel private schools create a two-tier system. But the reality is more complex and divisions in our society are not going to be fixed by abolishing them.

abolishing private schools is misguided, and merely having this debate is spreading panic in the independent sector and diverting colleagues there from supporting their students.

Prime minister accuses Jeremy Corbyn of 'unbelievable hypocrisy' over Labour's plans to integrate private schools into state system

Boris Johnson has criticised Labour's plans to abolish private schools as being expensive and a "pointless attack" on the education system.

If Labour were to form a government following a general election, it would seek to "integrate" fee-paying schools into the state sector.

The party would strip private schools of their charitable status and "all other public subsidies and tax privileges", including business rate exemption.

The PM said: "I think it is unbelievable hypocrisy of the Labour Party now to trot out this measure from the 1970s. It's extraordinary that they've excavated this from the crypt of what I thought to be long-buried socialist ideology.

"Let's be clear: this would cost £7 billion of taxpayers' money to educate at public expense all the pupils, all the children who would no longer be educated privately as Jeremy Corbyn was and indeed the offspring of several Labour cabinet ministers."

He added that it was a "pointless attack on the education system".