Top Yorkshire private schools announce merger in wake of Labour's planned VAT fee hike
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (QEGS) and Wakefield Girls’ High School (WGHS), both in the West Yorkshire city, will become known as Wakefield Grammar School in Autumn 2026, governors have announced.
Teaching will be a “bespoke diamond model”, according to plans announced on Thursday. Girls and boys will be taught together in primary and sixth form, and have single-sex academic lessons between 11-16, with mixed form groups, activities and trips.
Fees for secondary school pupils are £16,899 annually.
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The schools have long been joined under the banner of Wakefield Grammar School Foundation, with some mixed teaching at sixth form.
A statement from the Governors sent to parents and alumni confirmed plans for the new school had some financial motivation, following from Keir Starmer’s commitment to introduce VAT on private school fees.
It read: “It is a positive and proactive response to the challenges facing all independent schools including increased costs and the impending 20 per cent VAT on school fees. The diamond model allows us to keep fees competitive and class sizes small.
Chair of Governors Martin Shevill added: “Our schools already overlap considerably, sharing subjects, teachers and facilities. What we have works, and much of that will be retained.
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Hide Ad“This is a carefully thought through decision which makes educational, pastoral and financial sense.
“We have put children’s education at the centre of all our deliberations, whilst being mindful that these are challenging times for parents and the sector.”
The planned merger follows one in 2008 of Leeds Grammar School and Leeds Girls’ High School to a similar diamond school model.
QEGS was founded by Royal Charter in 1591, and alumni include England rugby player Mike Tindall, while WGHS has educated girls in the city since 1878. Former pupils include the authors Helen Fielding and Joanne Harris.