Private Schools in the UK

The UK is renowned for the quality and variety of its private schools, which include such world-famous schools as Charterhouse, Eton, Harrow, Roedean, Rugby, Westminster and Winchester.

Many private schools, including many of the most famous names, are run as charitable foundations. Schools may be owned by an individual, an institution or a company and, although traditionally the preserve of the wealthy, they attract an increasing number of pupils from less privileged backgrounds.

Around 50 per cent of parents who choose a private education for their children were themselves educated in the state sector. There are some 2,300 private day and boarding schools in England and Wales, 150 in Scotland and around 15 in Northern Ireland, educating around 7 per cent of school age children. Schools take pupils from the ages of 2 to 19 and include boarding (from the age of 5) and day schools (some are both), single-sex and co-educational schools. Some schools cater for special education needs and there are also private schools for gifted children in art, music, theatre or dance.

Among the private schools in the UK, are many which follow special or unorthodox methods of teaching, for example Montessori nursery schools and Rudolf Steiner schools. All private schools must meet certain minimum criteria and be registered with the Department of Education and Science.

Fees of private eduction in the UK

Although fee-paying, most private schools aren’t run for private profit and all surplus income is reinvested in the running of schools. Private schools receive no grants from public funds and are owned and managed by special trusts. Most schools have a board of governors who look after the school and its finances. The headteacher is responsible to the governors, but usually has a free hand to choose staff and make day-to-day decisions.

Fees vary considerably depending on a variety of factors, including the age of pupils, the reputation and quality of the school, and its location (schools in the north of England are generally cheaper than those in the south). Day school fees vary from around £900 to £1,400 a term (three a year) for pre-preparatory schools, from £1,600 to £3,200 a term for junior preparatory schools and from £2,200 to £4,100 a term for senior day pupils.

Boarding fees range from £3,700 to £6,500. Private schools for boys are generally more expensive than those for girls. Fees aren’t all-inclusive and additional obligatory charges are made in addition to optional extra services. There are also commercial tutorial colleges or ‘crammers’, providing a one-term or one-year re-sit course for students who have failed one or more GCE A-levels. Fees are high and start at around £1,250 for a one-term, one A-level course, rising to as much as £10,000 for a one-year, three A-level course.

Private school fees tend to increase by an average of 5 to 10 per cent annually (unless you’re rich or someone else is paying, start saving before you have any children). Many companies and banks specialise in insurance and investment policies for parents planning to send their children to private schools. Many senior and some junior schools provide scholarships for bright or talented pupils, which vary in value from full fees to a small proportion. Scholarships are awarded as a result of competitive examinations.

Types of school

Private schools range from nursery (kindergarten) to large day and boarding schools, and from experimental schools to traditional institutions. A number of independent schools are also available for religious and ethnic minorities, for example schools for Muslims, where there’s a strict code regarding the segregation of boys and girls.

Most private schools are single-sex, almost equally split between boys’ and girls’ schools, but there are a number of mixed schools (co-educational) and a number of boys’ schools admit girls to their sixth forms (by which time sex education is part of the curriculum). The different types of private school are shown in the table below:

Most private junior schools (also called preparatory or prep schools) cater for boys from the age of 7 to 13 years, but some are for girls only and an increasing number are co-educational. Junior schools usually prepare pupils for the Common Entrance Examination (CEE) to senior private schools, which is a qualifying exam to test whether prospective pupils will be able to cope with the standard of academic work required. The CEE is set by the CEE board and is marked by the school which the pupil plans to attend. It’s sat at 13 by boys and 11 to 13 by girls.

Entrance to a private school in Britain

Entrance to many schools is by an exam (e.g. the CEE), a report or assessment, or an interview. Most private schools provide a similar curriculum to state schools and set the English GCSE and GCE A-level examinations. Some Scottish schools set the Scottish Certificate of Education (SCE) at standard (ordinary) and higher grades. Private school pupils can also take the International Baccalaureate (IB) examination, an internationally recognised university entrance qualification.

There are many advantages to private schools, not least their excellent academic record. According to one survey, pupils at private preparatory schools are nine times more likely to achieve 100 per cent passes in the national tests than those at state junior schools. Three out of four children gain five or more GCSE ordinary level passes, more than half gain two or more GCE A-levels and more than two-thirds gain one or more.

Although private school pupils make up less than 10 per cent of the total, they take 35 per cent of the top GCE A-levels and provide over 25 per cent of university students, i.e. a student from a private school is almost four times as likely to go on to university as a student from a state school. Some private secondary schools have a near 100 per cent university acceptance rate and half of all ‘Oxbridge’ (Oxford and Cambridge universities) entrants are educated at private schools.

Don’t assume, however, that all private schools are excellent or that they all offer a better education than state schools. In the last ten years, there has been a rapid expansion in private education, which some analysts believe has led to a reduction in standards in some schools. Some have expanded too fast and increased their class sizes considerably, particularly in areas of high demand, such as London and the south-east, and a number have been criticised by government ministers for their poor standards.

School uniforms in private schools

School uniforms are generally considered to be a mark of identity, pride and discipline in private schools (some ‘public’ schools, such as Eton, have a particularly eccentric mode of dress). Private schools provide a broad-based education (aimed at developing a pupil’s character) and offer a varied approach to sport, music, drama, art and a wide choice of academic subjects. Their aim is usually the development of the child as an individual and the encouragement of his unique talents, which is made possible by small classes (an average of around 15 in senior schools and even less in many junior schools) that allow teachers to provide pupils with individually tailored lessons and tuition.

Some private schools cater for special needs, including gifted children and slow learners or those who suffer from dyslexia, although the latter are usually better provided for in state schools. Private schools also cater for parents requiring a single-sex school (girls often progress faster without the distraction of the opposite sex), boarding facilities and those who wish their children to be educated in the customs of a particular religious belief.

Make applications to private schools as far in advance as possible (before conception for the best schools). Obviously, if you’re coming from abroad, you won’t usually be able to apply one or two years in advance, which is usually considered to be the best time to book a place. It isn’t usually simply a matter of selecting a school and telling the head when you will be bringing little Cecil or Gertrude along. Although many nursery and junior schools accept pupils on a first-come, first-served basis, the best and most exclusive schools have waiting lists or a demanding selection procedure.

Most popular schools, particularly day schools in the greater London area and other cities, have long waiting lists. Don’t rely on enrolling your child in a particular school and neglect other alternatives, particularly if the chosen school has a rigorous entrance examination. When applying, you’re usually requested to send previous school reports, exam results and records. Before enrolling your child in a private school, ensure that you understand the with­drawal conditions in the school cont­ract.

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