Parents of children at state and independent schools in Cheltenham, home to some of England’s most prestigious private schools, are wary of Labour’s pledge to add tax to fees to boost funding for teachers. Sipping a flat white in one of the Gloucestershire town’s ornamental parks after a morning run, Sir Keir Starmer’s controversial policy is the last thing on mother of two Polly Reed’s mind. But she knows that continuing to send her two primary school aged boys to The Richard Pate School, one of several independent schools locally, will force her to reconsider her family’s budget. “Our children wouldn’t have to leave, but it would definitely impact how we are financially and how we think about summer holidays,” says Reed, 31, a self-employed
