Yes you can but do your research first and get a good, professionally qualified accountant to help you through the process; by that, I mean a Chartered or Certified Accountant, not a retied bank manager who sets himself up for taxation services!!!
The VAT rules are more "forgiving" than the Income Tax rules; the latter have become so stringent, it is very difficult to justify self-employment especially if you just work for one operator or school.
Cheers
Whirls