Council U-turn on school fees help

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

Bromley Council in south London was believed to be considering the proposal as part of its annual review of school places.

But council leader Stephen Carr later dismissed the scheme.

He said: "I would like to make it perfectly clear that Bromley Council has no plans to introduce such a scheme, but quite rightly, as a result of a question put at a full council meeting at the end of June, officers felt duty bound to consider this, as is good practice.

"As I have already stated, there is no suggestion that this will be pursued."

Private school fees usually average around £12,000 per year.

London's Evening Standard reported that the borough asked lawyers to look at whether it could use state funding to offer subsidies of up to £4,700 per pupil.

Gillian Pearson, Bromley Council's director of children and young people services, said earlier: "We are at the early exploration stage in considering this issue as part of our overall annual review of school places and school organisation.

"As with any proposal of this type, we will give full consideration to all the key factors, which would include the educational case, the need in terms of place planning, the associated costs, the legal framework and other local authority practice."

Education funding handed to councils is usually passed on to headteachers to spend in schools. But a certain amount of cash is retained for authorities to spend on areas such as free school meals, providing places for children in private special needs schools or nurseries, or for "exceptional circumstances".