As new research shows the UK’s independent schools have lost almost one in ten pupils since the imposition of VAT on fees, purchasing specialist Lynx Purchasing warns many schools are still wasting money through inefficiency and duplication.
Lynx Purchasing managing director Rachel Dobson said: “At every school which has asked us to look at their purchasing since VAT was imposed on fees at the start of 2025, we’ve been able to identify relatively easy wins in savings, in some cases amounting to hundreds of thousands of pounds across s group of schools.
“Food and drink is an obvious area where a change in supplier can generate significant cost savings with no impact on quality. Beyond that, costs such as utilities, waste management, disposables and chemicals are areas where schools can often reduce outgoings.
“With stationery and copying in particular, schools are often overpaying due to old contracts that have never been renegotiated, or duplication of spend between departments.”
Lynx Purchasing’s warning come as analysis by wealth management company Saltus found that 9 per cent of parents with a child in private education has taken them out of the independent sector since January 2025. In all, 23% of parents have made a change by either switching their child to a cheaper independent school or moving them into state education.
In addition, 59 per cent of parents would now consider investing money on behalf of their child rather than spend it on school fees.
Dobson added: “What these figures show is that, with independent schools already decimated in terms of pupil numbers since last year, many parents are now either questioning paying school fees or actively looking for schools that deliver better value.
“That works in favour those schools that are willing to take a critical look at all their purchasing, in partnership with a specialist, to reduce costs. We estimate that the UK’s 1,600 independent schools spend £2bn-plus annually on goods and services, with untapped potential for significant savings.”
In its new White Paper, “Back To School With Lynx Purchasing”, Lynx identifies the purchasing challenges facing the schools’ sector, as well as the way improvements to purchasing discipline can deliver significant savings.
At the same time, Lynx has assembled a task force of leading suppliers across key purchasing areas for schools. These include food and drink, utilities and lighting, waste management, stationery, printing and photocopying, disposables and chemicals.
The White Paper “Back To School With Lynx Purchasing” is available free to download at www.lynxpurchasing.co.uk.
The Saltus Wealth Index is available at www.saltus.co.uk
