A third of independent school parents are struggling with costs, research shows

Almost one in three parents of independent school pupils are struggling with costs, new research shows.

Labour plans to charge private schools 20 per cent VAT and scrap the 80 per cent relief they receive on business rates by stripping them of charitable status.

Citing a study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies think-tank, the party claims the proposals could raise up to £1.5billion a year.

But private schools have warned that they may be forced to pass on the costs that could see thousands of youngsters move into state education.

The National Parent Survey, conducted by YouGov on behalf of the parenting charity Parentkind, found that school trips and uniforms are among the expenses parents are most concerned about.

One in six families with household incomes above £70,000 said that they are struggling to meet school costs.

And a net 31 per cent of parents of private school pupils agreed that they struggle to afford the costs associated with sending their children to classes.

Jason Elsom, Parentkind chief executive and a former teacher, said: 'This survey is wake up call to schools and politicians around the country.

'The cost of living crisis is hitting more and more families, who used to have comfortable incomes but are now concerned about the cost of sending their children to school.'

Julie Robinson, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council, added: 'This research from Parentkind makes unhappy reading but chimes with the findings of our own survey of independent school parents, showing they often make sacrifices in order to choose the school that is right for their child.

'We know that the cost of living crisis is hitting families hard and schools are doing what they can to ease the pressure on these families when it comes to school costs - which is why our schools have provided over a billion pounds in fee assistance in the last year alone.'