Schools, the Charity Commission and the "Public Benefit Test"

The ISC will be in court next week having been given leave to seek judicial review on the way in which the Charity Commission are applying the 2006 Charities Act to Independent Schools. Central to this case is the definition of what consistutes "public benefit". The Charity Commission, under the previous Labour Government, interpreted "public benefit" primarily in terms of the provision of bursaries, particularly, for children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. The ISC believe that Independent Schools provide public benefit both by providing public access to school facilities, supporting Academies and by saving the Government millions of pounds a year by educating 7% of the population at no cost to the tax-payer.

Attorney General orders review of private school charity rules Daily Telegraph 30/09/2010
ISC Deputy Chief Executive, Matthew Burgess, explains why the ISC are seeking a judicial review of the definition of Public Benefit ISC Blog 08/10/2010