Fee paying schools registered as charities simply to get the tax benefits will lose their profitable charitable status if they don’t make a contribution to the poor in their local community.

According to the Charity Commission this could be done with free or cut-price bursaries or by lending equipment or letting local children attend some lessons. Such actions will show that the school meets the public benefit test and deserves the rewards of tax benefits, said to be worth £100 million p/a.

Some schools are now threatening legal action.