There are approximately 2,400 independent schools in England, Scotland and Wales attended by 600,930 pupils. In England this equates to 7% of the total school population. According to the Independent Schools Information Service, 81% of 15 year olds at senior independent schools gain five or more GCSE grades A*-C and 90% of 18 year olds go onto higher education.

The independent sector is financed through fees charged to parents and income from investments. Day school fees can range from Ј3,600 to Ј10,500 and boarding school fees from Ј7,500 to Ј18,300 per year. Independent schools do not have to follow the National Curriculum and are exempt from various state education policies.

WHERE TO START

There are several sources of information available to help you choose a school and these can be grouped into five main categories:

SCHOOL PROSPECTUSES

These are available from the school and provide essential information about facilities, academic record, fees, scholarships, discipline, class sizes and the curriculum. In addition many independent schools now have their own websites with a wealth of useful information. If you need contact details for schools in your area several school directories exist.

VISITING THE SCHOOL

Visits are easily arranged and schools tend to holddays for parents to look around and meet staff. The dates of these are usually found in the school prospectus. You may also be able to make an individual appointment to talk with the headmaster/mistress or a senior member of staff.

PERFORMANCE TABLES

Performance tables provide a basis for academic comparison between all the schools in a Local Education Authority (LEA) and show the national average. The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) results tables include independent schools. Further information on school performance tables and comparisons between independent schools throughout the UK is available in our Performance Tables section.

INSPECTION REPORTS

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) is responsible for inspecting all member schools (over 50% of UK independent schools). The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspects ISC schools every six years and the reports they compile are available from the schools. In England, OFSTED inspects schools that are not accredited to the ISC. These inspections are mainly short visits for registration purposes and rarely result in written reports; if there is cause for concern OFSTED will make a full visit and reports for these inspections are available on the OFSTED site. More information about OFSTED is available from our School Inspections section.

REGISTERING

Once you have decided to apply for a place at a school you will need to register. Application and registration forms are available from the school and most schools charge a registration fee, which can range from approximately Ј15 -Ј50.

SCHOLARSHIPS, BURSARIES AND GRANTS

It is worth finding out about schools’ policies on scholarships and bursaries, as your child may qualify for a reduction in school fees. Your or your child’s circumstances may also mean that you qualify for a grant from the LEA or from one of a number of charitable trusts. For more information about these schemes read our Scholarships, Bursaries and Grants sections.

TAKE ADVICE

Advisory consultation services can help you choose an independent school and offer a range of services, some of which incur a fee. Certain recognised advisory consultation services are listed below:

The Good Schools Guide Advisory Service is a subscription-based consultation service run by the Good Schools Guide, offering advice to parents who wish to choose an independent school. The articles on the Good Schools Guide site are packed with excellent advice, starting with 'Checking Out a School', which provides an invaluable list of questions to ask and consider when looking (look under Articles).

Gabbitas are educational consultants who offer help and advise on all stages of education. They can provide a free personal selection of schools to match your child’s needs and for a fee will offer assistance with research, school visits, personal consultations and independent assessments of your child’s abilities and needs; bear in mind that Gabbitas takes commissions from schools.

Independent Schools UK has an extensive site that includes a step-by-step look at the selection process for parents choosing an independent school, with guidance about what to look for when you visit.

The Independent Schools Council Information Service (ISCis) is the information arm of the Independent Schools Council, to which over half of all independent schools belong. It offers advice on a wide range of subjects including choosing a school and provides a consultation service and search facility. It’s worth having a look at the ISCis advice on what to ask when you visit a school before you do so.

TYPES OF SCHOOL

Independent Schools UK covers the different types of independent school on its site and ISCIS also provides background information.

The ages at which schools take pupils can vary for boys and girls but in general there are pre-preparatory schools (age 2–7), junior/preparatory schools (age 7–13) and senior schools (age 11/13–18).

Many senior schools have a preparatory or junior school to which they are affiliated. Most senior schools have sixth forms (ages 16-18) in which your child can take A-levels. According to ISIS, by the sixth form, independent schools cater for 21% of the total school population providing 29% of all candidates achieving three or more ‘A’ grades at A-level.

ADMISSION POLICIES

Admission to an independent school is usually contingent on an interview and an entrance exam or test (see the next section for more information on these). School prospectuses should include a section on the admissions policy and the criteria that are applied. You will need to register your child with the school well in advance of the school year in which you hope to gain admission, and this does incur a registration fee.

ENTRANCE EXAMS

Senior independent schools will ask potential pupils to sit the Common Entrance examination in order to gain admittance. The Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB) provides general information about the Common Entrance exam, explaining what it consists of, when it takes place, syllabi, past papers and how to apply. Schools should contact registered parents when it is time to sit the entrance exam.

WHEN A PLACE IS OFFERED

If a place is offered, many schools will require a substantial deposit to hold the place, even if your child is years away from school entry age. If your child sits the exam and fails to gain outright entry, you may be given the option of accepting a place on a reserve list. Any spare places that arise will then be offered to parents on the list.

SCHOOL FEES

Independent school fees are generally paid before the start of each term.

For information on school fees, scholarships and grants, a good starting point is to look at one of the independent education websites, such as the Independent Schools Council Information Service information on fees or Independent Schools UK (ISUK), which sets out approximate fee rates.

The most reliable way to learn the current cost of school fees is to contact the school directly. Some school’s fees can appear less expensive than others however this may just be due to the way in which the fees are structured. For example, some schools have 'all-in' fees whilst others tend to leave the extras, such as insurance, trips, and school meals as additional charges. Gabbitas has a school search facility, which includes the cost of school fees as part of the description they provide for each school.

SCHOOL FEES SERVICES

There are a number of companies which offer advice and services for school fees. These are often in association with a financial investment company or sponsored by a financial company offering endowment-backed or mortgage-backed packages. The Independent Schools Council Information Service lists school fee planning services and publishes leaflets on school fees and some ways of planning ahead to reduce costs', listing specialist school fee firms.

PAYMENT PLANS

If you would like to see what a possible payment structure might involve, try this online calculated payment plan from Edusol.

SCHOLARSHIPS, BURSARIES AND GRANTS

The best sources of information about scholarships and bursaries are the schools themselves and the Headmaster/Headmistress will have up-to-date knowledge of the current situation.

The Independent Schools Council Information Service offers advice about scholarships and bursaries, as does Independent Schools UK.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Competition for scholarships is strong and they can be awarded for several reasons, ranging from academic ability to talents in arts or sports. Many scholarships areto anyone, but some are specifically available to those pupils in the state sector. They may be awarded at age 11 or 13 or at sixth form but again the individual schools have varying policies. Nearly one in three pupils in independent education receives help with fees, either through scholarships, bursaries or grants. There tend to be fewer and less valuable scholarships at girls schools, although some do exist, particularly for the move into the sixth form.

BURSARIES

These are usually grants from schools to parents who cannot afford to pay full fees and in order to qualify you may have to undergo a means test of the family income. Other reasons for a bursary to be awarded include ability, particular family circumstances - if the child comes from a single-parent family or has been orphaned - or where parents of current pupils are experiencing financial problems. As ever, individual schools will be the best source of information about their particular policies.

CHARITABLE GRANTS

The Educational Trusts’ Forum lists charity organisations that hand out educational grants to parents who fulfil certain financial criteria. For example, the School Fees Charitable Trust assists parents who have suffered a change of circumstances and now find themselves unable to continue paying school fees as a result of their present financial situation.

STATE GRANTS

Local Education Authorities may offer grants to allow students to take up places at independent schools, although their funds are limited and have strict qualifying criteria. Authorities may also provide grants to send certain children to boarding schools if the authority cannot meet the needs of the child at one of its own schools.

Parents serving overseas in the Diplomatic Service are eligible for grants covering a significant proportion of their children’s school fees. More information is available from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Similarly, parents serving with Her Majesty’s Forces are eligible for an allowance towards boarding education. To find out more contact:

If you feel that you may qualify for an educational grant write to:

ASSISTED PLACES

At present, approximately 7% of independent pupils are supported by the government’s assisted places scheme. The scheme is in the process of being phased out and there are no current plans to introduce an alternative scheme.

The Education (Schools) Act 1997 prevented further intakes on the assisted places scheme after the start of the 1997-1998 school year. Children already on the scheme hold their assisted places until the completion of their current phase of education, be it primary or secondary. In addition, there is a discretionary power under the Act to allow some pupils to hold their assisted places for a further period in which they receive their secondary education.

FURTHER INFORMATION ON WALES AND SCOTLAND

Wales

ISC Wales is the Welsh arm of the Independent Schools Council Information Service.

Scotland

Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS) contains a helpful summary of the Scottish Independent school sector and covers statistics and common questions.

USEFUL ORGANISATIONS

The Good Schools Guide compiles a list of what it considers to be the best independent and state schools, available on its website. Furthermore if you subscribe you can access the independent reviews of each school and useful advice for parents applying for places at these schools.

Independent School Council Information Service (ISCis) has the details of the 1,296 independent ISC member schools, which account for over 50% of all independent schools.

Independent Schools UK (ISUK) provides a good overview and contains a step-by-step guide to the independent school system. It has explanatory sections on choosing a school, the selection process, curriculum, fees, scholarships and bursaries.

Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS) is designed for heads of preparatory schools. However, they do publish a magazine called “Prep School” which covers the issues and might provide useful insights.

FURTHER READING

You can ask for information leaflets from ISCis and browse the Good Schools Guide bookshop section online.