The Reform leader was speaking on a trip to Norfolk this week when he described the imposition of VAT on fees - cited by the school as one of the reasons it was shutting down at the end of this term - as "wrong in every way".

Jay Liu, chairman of Thetford Grammar School (TGS), announced its closure in a letter sent to parents on Monday.

He said the 20pc tax on fees, introduced by the government in 2025, had contributed to an "unsustainable pressure" on the school.

Then South West Norfolk MP Liz Truss visited the school in 2017 (Image: Archant)

He also cited the removal of business rates relief, increased employer pension contributions and rising minimum wage costs.

Mr Farage singled out the VAT imposition, which has put pressure on many private schools.

"It's an act of educational vandalism,"........

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