St Clare’s School in Porthcawl, Wales, has become the latest private school to announce plans to close amid the Government’s introduction of VAT on fees.

The school ‘economic volatility’ and ‘factors beyond our control’ for the move, which has shocked staff and parents.

The decision comes just months after the controversial imposition of VAT payments on private school fees as well as rises to employers’ National Insurance contributions, which have left many independent schools struggling.

St Clare’s, a non-selective day school, which has been running for more than 85 years, and charges £2,000-£6,000 a term for children aged from nursery to sixth form.

It currently has around 150 pupils and is run by the education company, Cognita UK, which operates a number of schools across the UK.

In a letter to parents, the school management blamed economic pressures and the falling local birth rate, which had made projected pupil numbers for the next academic year ‘unsustainable’.

Responding to the news the Welsh Independent Schools Council warned that as many as 19 other private schools in Wales also face closure.

The school will close at the end of the autumn term.