Private schools in the UK

There are about 2,500 private schools in the UK educating 600,000 children. Any government-registered school which operates without state funding is classed as an 'independent' or private school. These are umbrella terms that take in a huge range of ethoses, educational styles and academic levels, from religious schools to special schools to traditional boarding schools. The vast majority of private schools in the UK provide a mainstream alternative to state primary and secondary education and charge school fees to the parents or guardians of children who attend them.

Private school or independent school

Private schools and independent schools are essentially different words for the same thing. These terms are used interchangeably and apply to any school that charges tuition fees instead of receiving funding from the state although technically, independent schools are all overseen by a board of governors or trustees, whilst other private schools may be run by their owner with no governing body. They are called 'independent schools' because of their independence from government education framework and curricula. Private schools are funded by the school fees paid by the families of their pupils. Many private schools are charitable foundations that provide scholarships to support excellence and means-tested bursaries to fund places for children whose families would otherwise be unable to afford a place.

Like every registered school in the country, despite their independence private schools still have to conform to official standards of education, health and safety, are regularly inspected (by the Independent Schools Inspectorate if not by Ofsted) and – at secondary level – prepare pupils for the same public assessments and examinations as state schools. Unlike with state schools, the private schools operate in broadly the same way across the whole of the United Kingdom although some fee-paying schools in Scotland offer the Scottish qualification of Highers as an alternative to A levels. As with the state sector, you can find schools in the private sector which are primary, secondary and all-through, meaning children of any age can be privately educated.  . 

Why are UK private schools sometimes called public schools?

In the UK, ‘public school’ is a misleading and archaic term. It is not a school freely open to the public - in the UK this is called a 'state school' - but rather the term is principally applied to long-established boarding secondary schools which charge school fees. ‘Public school’ originally referred to a small group of boys’ schools which, in 1868, were given independence from the Crown, church or government in favour of management by a board of governors (taken from the public). The original seven were Charterhouse, Eton College, Winchester College, Harrow School, Rugby School, Shrewsbury School, and Westminster. They are historically regarded as the most exclusive (and expensive) of boys' private schools but, these days, there are several hundred schools which may be called ‘public schools’, including many girls’ and co-educational schools, nearly all with a proportion of day pupils.  

What is a prep school?

A prep school is a private primary school. Short for 'preparatory school', the name is derived from its traditional purpose of preparing pupils from the age of 7 or 8 for entry into private secondary schools. Pre-prep (pre-preparatory) schools are most commonly found attached to prep schools and usually admit pupils from 4 years old in Reception class (although some pre-preps also have a nursery taking younger children) and feed into prep schools in year 3. Prep schools and pre-prep schools are all private (or independent) schools and charge school fees. Because nothing in the English school system is straightforward, most girls’ preparatory schools (sometimes called 'junior schools') finish at the end of year 6 when pupils are 11 years old (nearly all girls’ senior schools start at year 7) as do – increasingly – some co-educational preps that feed independent day or grammar schools starting in year 7. And while achieving good CE grades in year 8 has traditionally been enough for a child to progress on to their senior private school of choice, many senior schools now demand a pre-test in years 6 or 7, offering places up to two years ahead of entry which are then secured by a candidate's CE result. There are many children at private senior schools who did not pass through private junior/prep schools. Our article on mixing state and private education provide more insight into this option.

How much does private school cost in the UK?

The average annual day school fee in the UK is around £16,000. A private primary or prep school can cost anywhere from £10,000 to £25,000 a year. Boarding at a prep school can be as much as £35,000 a year. At senior school, fees for a day pupil can range between £12,000 to £35,000; for boarders the cost comes close to £50,000 a year and some schools charge even more for international pupils. Fees are often most expensive in London and its surrounding counties. We explore these issues in our article Private school fees: what you get for your money.

Are private schools selective?

Some more than others. For a handful of junior schools (mainly in or close to London) the only way to be sure of gaining a place is to put your child’s name down early, although thankfully most schools no longer insist on parents getting their children's name down at birth. The majority in the primary phase take things are a bit more relaxed, with many more rural prep and senior schools happy to take on pupils who can pay the fees.

Selection for early years places tends to involve a gentle assessment to see whether your child is school ready; speech, play and social interaction are the orders of the day. Many private schools are happy to accept children with mild special needs, but numbers with the welcome mat out dwindle rapidly as degrees of additional support required increase. If your child has special needs, our extensive SEN section can help point you in the right direction. And bear in mind that during your tour of the school or chat with the head you are quite likely being assessed to judge whether you are likely to ‘fit in’ with the parent body. At age 7 or 8 your child will be assessed in maths and English, possibly along with some sort of reasoning test to measure potential. Many schools will invite the child to a taster day to see how they interact with their potential classmates. As with most things, London preps dance to their own beat and openly select the brightest and best, with tutor firms unable to swipe the credit cards fast enough.

When it comes to secondary school it’s crucial to get your ducks in a row sooner rather than later as in some cases the 13+ application deadline is up to three years prior to entry and latecomers are rarely accommodated, though for most 11+ entries you can register during the early autumn term of year 6. Selection should be a two-way process: choosing the right private school for your child is crucial to their future success so don’t be seduced by a top name – it may not be right for your child. More and more schools with year 9 entry are using a pre-test (either of their own design or the ISEB Common Pre-test) in year 6 or 7 to select this far in advance. The 11+ tends to be a more straightforward process, typically with exams in maths, English, science and verbal/non-verbal reasoning in the January of the year of entry. Not all private secondary schools are academically selective although they may still want to assess your child in an interview to make sure they're a good match for the school.

Do all private schools offer boarding?

No. About a third of UK private schools offer some kind of boarding. There's a real spectrum available, with some exclusively full or weekly boarding and others offering bed and breakfast for no more than a couple of nights a week, and every shade in between. No school offers boarding to children under the age of 7 and it is increasingly unusual for children to board at all before 11, although some boarding prep schools make it very appealing. Boarding in 6th form is the most popular option; those last two years of school, where it allows pupils to focus on their studies as well as having their social life built in to the long school day.

Why is the British school system so confusing?

The school system in the UK baffles those who have grown up here, let alone people who have moved here as adults. If you find it confusing, you are not the first and you certainly won't be the last. Investing in private education is a huge commitment of both finance and trust and should depend on both first-rate information and your own parental instincts. Fortunately, The Good Schools Guide is on hand to help give you the inside track with its straight-talking school reviews that lift the lid on the true face of schools and tell you everything you won’t read in the prospectus.

Photo credit: Stamford School