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An important contribution from Mark Mortimer:

AFIS's Rethinking Social Mobility Through Schooling Project and Fiscal Policy will take this debate beyond school closures and regional economic impact to examine some of the assumptions on which the #vatonschoolfeespolicy itself was built.

The findings are revealing. For example, we highlight that there are approximately four times more children from Britain’s wealthiest families educated in state schools than in independent schools. 

Put simply, children from Britain's wealthiest families are not concentrated within the independent sector. Most are educated in state schools. 

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙩𝙮𝙥𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙤-𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙘 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚."

If school type is a weak proxy for family circumstance, wealth and opportunity, it raises important questions about whether policies targeting school sectors are really targeting need as accurately as intended.

We also examine the wider consequences for educational capacity, social mobility, local economies, public finances and family choice.

Some of the conclusions will challenge assumptions held on all sides of this debate.

All our wonderful AFIS Partner Schools (the active, helpful ones anyway) members, ambassadors, patrons and other supporters are invited to the launch event for our Whitepaper and our flagship campaign:

𝘽𝙀𝙏𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙋𝙍𝙀𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙀𝘿 - 2026 𝙩𝙤 2029: a strategic, co-ordinated series of initiatives aimed to ensure that before the next general election, supporters of independent schooling are:

• 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱
• 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱
• 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱
• 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱.....

…….with data, evidence and robust analysis to support parental choice, challenge misconceptions and improve the quality of public debate and policymaking.