What does a bespoke education actually mean?

Almost all independent schools proudly assert that they offer a ‘bespoke education’. As the Principal of a girls’ boarding and day school, I am often asked what this means in practice.

Small class sizes are of course a crucial factor. Many parents are justifiably alarmed by the ever-increasing class sizes in state schools. An article in the June 2019 edition of Schools Week revealed that the number of classes of over 30 (some as high as 35) has almost doubled in five years. So it’s no wonder that the considerably smaller class sizes in independent schools are a real attraction. Consider just how far-reaching those benefits are. In an average class of around 15, a child will receive twice as much individual attention from the teacher, who will soon develop an understanding of how he or she learns best.

There will be greater support for children with special educational needs, and further opportunities to stretch the gifted and talented.

TAILORED TO PUPILS’ INTERESTS AND PASSIONS

Freedom from the constraints of the National Curriculum in the independent sector means that at Key Stage 3, the range of subjects on offer – and the schemes of work and syllabuses delivered within those subjects – can be tailored to the genuine interests and passions of the pupils themselves. The range of modern foreign and classical languages taught in independent schools is a case in point –while language learning is in decline in the state sector, Japanese, Arabic, Latin and Ancient Greek are all thriving in p rivate schools.