Private Schools - Paying For The Privilege

It used to be the case that only the upper crust and the very wealthy sent their children to private schools. Nowadays more than half the children entering the private sector have parents who are first time buyers.

Private Schools (generally known as Independent Schools because of their freedom to operate outside of government regulations) are favoured by many parents not just because of their social standing and 'old-boy' network but because, on the whole, their academic standards tend to be better than state schools and extra-curricular activities more plentiful and varied.

The Independent School Journey

independent schooling

Those educated wholly in the private sector will typically attend nursery between the ages of 0 and 4; pre-prep from 4 to 8 and prep school from age 8 to 11 or 13; followed by senior school through to age 18. (The process is explained in much greater detail in From Embryo to 18 - How To Survive the Education Highway)

Most independent senior schools use the Common Entrance exam to asses whether the proposed girl (usually at age 11) or boy/co-ed ( at age 13) will be able to meet the academic requirements of the institution. It is not just for the school to be selective though – choosing the right private school for your child is of paramount importance, and should be a subjective judgement.

On this website we cover the different stages of education, and admissions procedures in much greater depth and offer advice on how to find the perfect school - see further reading (below).

Finding your ideal school

The Good Schools Guide and the Good Schools Guide (GSG) online offer a consummate and in-depth analysis of 900 of the best private schools in the UK, with (on this website only) as much information as we can gather on every UK private school including, for many, detailed analysis of examination performances at A level and GCSE and the value they add.

The Good Schools Guide is written for parents by parents with educational expertise. We pay particular attention to such matters as what kind of child each school suits, and what its pupils and parents are like. The Guide answers the questions that the prospectuses don't broach and highlights the strengths and weaknesses that facts can't address - read the reviews, sense the atmosphere...

'Unique among the many guides available, it set out to give frank answers to the questions every parent asks. It told the truth.' The Daily Telegraph

Our sister publication The Good Schools Guide - Special Educational Needs (edited by Sandra Hutchinson) is the ideal publication for parents who know, or suspect their child, whether gifted and talented or struggling to read, might have a learning difference. or difficulty. It covers a range of special and mainstream schools in both the independent and state sectors.

'The Guide is excellent we were impressed by the quality of the information you make available to parents.' St James Senior Girls School London

Each review is critical, informative and highly readable - no school can pay to be in The Guide.

Help and Advice

The Good Schools Guide Advice Service - the ideal solution for busy parents or those who want to ensure they make the right choice for their child.

The Good Schools Guide - Can you afford not to read it?

Authoritative, sought-after, truthful...

Try before you buy

The Good Schools Guide 2012

Click on the links below to read the FULL Good Schools Guide review or buy now from our on-line store.

Farleigh School, Andover an independent school for boys and girls aged 3-13, that takes boarders.

The influence of the head is pervasive, rooting the school in values of right thinking and right conduct..

Lady Eleanor Holles School, Hampton an independent school for girls aged 7-18.

Deservedly one of the top girls' schools in the country; it is exactly right for confident, bright young things who thrive on hard work. Highly sought after for its academic delivery, celebrating female success..

Discover all the inside information including:

What the head is really like.
How to get in - and where pupils go on to when they leave.
What's really on offer; both in and out of the classroom.
The facilities, frippery and finery to be found - or not!
The atmosphere - who will the school REALLY suit?
The funding you'll need and the financial health of the school.
Our opinion - what parents think, what we've uncovered...

Online only -

Subscribers to The Good Schools guide can examine:

School performance data* for KS2, GCSE and A-level
Value-added data* .Does the school make a difference to all pupils or just some?
University information*. Details of which universities pupils go on to and what they study.
And, for English state schools, make sure you make the right move by examining catchment area data and seeing which schools pupils come from and which schools they move on to.

*We indicate on a school's page here data is available. We do not have data for schools outside of England.

Public Schools - The Same As Private Schools?

In the UK, Public Schools is a somewhat archaic term for the oldest and greatest of the boys' private secondary schools: Eton, Winchester, Harrow without doubt, then Radley, Marlborough, Rugby, Shrewsbury, Charterhouse etc in distinctly arguable order.

An essentially snobbish and sexist term that Lord Peter Wimsey wrestles amusingly with in Murder must Advertise. Public School is gradually being abandoned in favour of 'Independent School'. The original public schools were so named because they were open to members of the public (who could afford the fees) rather than private schools, whose membership was closed.

Enough said.