Labour should abandon plans to remove charitable status from private schools and instead limit the fees they can charge and require more work to support poorer pupils and state schools, a think tank has urged. The report from warned of 鈥渟ignificant legal and financial risks鈥� associated with the party鈥檚 plans to lift tax exemptions for private schools, and said the reforms 鈥渟hould not be pursued by either the current or a future government鈥�. But it also warned some bursaries and scholarships were aimed at families earning up to 拢150,000 a year, and partnerships with state schools are not always beneficial. It comes after an earlier report from the think tank warned Labour鈥檚 policy will likely raise 拢600 million less than the party hopes it will. Fee assistance offered to the well-off EDSK鈥檚 report found bursaries and scholarships distributed each year by private schools 鈥渁re sometimes being used to support well-off families鈥�. It cited Sevenoaks School, whose website states that 鈥渃ombined income up to 拢150k may still be considered in certain circumstances鈥� for fee assistance. St Paul鈥檚 School states that 鈥渇amilies with a gross household income of up 拢126,000 pa or less and net assets up to 拢1.4m may be eligible for a bursary鈥�. Partnerships falling short The report also warned that voluntary 鈥減artnerships鈥� between private and state schools present a 鈥渕ixed picture鈥�. 鈥淎t their best鈥�, the partnerships add value to state schools. But some 鈥減resent a less encouraging picture鈥�. Data from the Independent Schools Council shows the most common type of partnership is 鈥減laying sporting fixtures with or against state schools鈥�. The report said it was 鈥渉ard to describe as an entirely selfless and charitable activity鈥�. The second most common partnership activity was having members of staff serve as governors. 鈥楳颈蝉肠辞苍肠别辫迟颈辞苍蝉鈥� The report also said the 鈥渃ommon stereotype of an independent school as a large single-sex senior boarding school is entirely unrepresentative鈥�, with independent schools more likely to be co-educational primaries with fewer than 300 pupils. And only half of independent schools even hold charitable status, the report said, which raised 鈥渜uestions about the general level of understanding of the independent school sector within political circles鈥�. Legal barriers Private schools with charitable status are regulated by the Charity Commission, meaning ministers cannot remove charitable status under current legislation, the report said. Labour has not made clear how it will enact its policy. The think tank also pointed out the classification of 鈥渁dvancement of education鈥� as a charitable activity 鈥渄ates back several hundred years and remains rooted in legislation鈥�. 鈥淚t is not obvious how a government could set about arguing that the provision of education to children and young people in an independent school is not 鈥榗haritable鈥� and does not provide any 鈥榩ublic benefit鈥�.鈥� What should change? EDSK warned against Labour鈥檚 plan, but said to address critics鈥� concerns about charitable private schools and 鈥渋mprove their image鈥�, government must 鈥渞aise the bar for all these schools in terms of how much support they offer disadvantaged students and local state schools鈥�. The report proposes鈥� Amending charity to include a legal definition of 鈥榩ublic benefit鈥� A legal condition that states fees charged by private schools cannot be 鈥榰nduly restrictive鈥� Requiring charitable private schools to report annually on financial support for pupils Expect charitable private schools to publish details of the 鈥榗ost, frequency and scale of their partnership activities鈥� Independent Schools Council chief executive Julie Robinson said they 鈥渨ould encourage politicians from all parties to engage and work with us to build on the good public benefit work that already exists within the sector to improve education for more young people鈥�. Labour was approached for comment.