THE VALUE OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS 2022

About the ISC

The ISC brings together seven associations and four affiliate associations to represent approximately 1,400 independent schools. These schools educate more than half-a-million children. Around half of UK independent schools are ISC schools, educating around 80% of all independent school children

The ISC ’ s seven constituent associations are: Association of Governing Bodies of I ndependent Schools (AGBIS), Girls' Schools Association (GSA), The Heads’ Conference (HMC ), I ndependent Association of Prep S chools (IAPS), I ndependent S chools Association (ISA), I ndependent S chools' Bursars Association (ISBA), The Society of Heads The ISC's four affiliate associations are: Boarding S chools’ Association (BSA), Council of Br itish I nter national S chools (COBIS), S cottish Council of I ndependent S chools (SCIS), Welsh I ndependent Schools Council ( WISC )

Suppor ting education for all

Ever y child deser ves an excellent education and a good star t in life.

I ndependent schools share this vision

The sector is a small par t of the school system - educating approximately 6% of children - yet independent schools make a valuable contribution to our nation’s education by providing choice, ex tra capacity, and innovation

I ndependent schools are aware of their social responsibility Our 2022 Census showed 936 ISC member schools under tak ing par tnerships with their statemaintained colleagues – with almost 7,000 par tnership projects between independent schools, state schools, and community groups These include teaching A-level subjects, suppor t for university applications, joint lessons in ar ts and drama and the sharing of spor ts facilities This covers a time period when schools still faced COVID restrictions, so not all schools had re - commenced their par tnership activities

I ndependent schools are suppor ting education recover y following the impact of COVID -19, work ing in par tnership to help disadvantaged pupils, recover lost learning, and share exper tise to benefit all children The sector is keen to work with government and political par ties to fur ther help young people We want to

develop education policies that suppor t the widest range of children across the countr y, help raise educational standards for all children, and suppor t those who have fallen behind during the pandemic

Schools are also work ing hard to widen access to their world- class education The last academic year (2021/22) saw ISC member schools provide £480 million in means-tested fee assistance, to those most in need of suppor t to access independent schools Across all ISC schools, one third of pupils receive some form of fee assistance

We invite ever yone to find out more about our schools and the role they play in local communities The Schools Together website (schoolstogether.org) provides thousands of examples of the work independent schools are doing

I ndependent schools are playing a positive role, and they want to do more By work ing together with our state par tners, independent schools can make the most of their combined capacity and specialisms for as many young people as possible inc

Julie Robinson ISC chief executive

Suppor ting the fight against COVID-19

Independent schools have been playing their par t in the national response since the star t of the pandemic. They suppor ted their local communities, working together with state schools and critical ser vices to continue education, protec t children, and limit infec tions:

• More than 10,000 beds in boarding schools were offered to NHS workers who needed accommodation near to their work , and away from family members to reduce the chance of passing on infections

• I ndependent schools donated their PPE from science and design labs, and in some cases used their resources to manufacture additional PPE for local NHS and care ser vices. Approximately 425,000 pieces of PPE were donated by independent schools in the first six months of 2020

• Online resources were shared to enable both state and independent schools to continue learning remotely These included teaching materials and curriculum resources, as well as guidance on safeguarding and resilience during home learning.

The sector used new and existing par tnerships with state colleagues to tack le learning loss, suppor t disadvantaged pupils, and bridge the digital divide:

• Schools donated laptops and digital devices to par tner schools and fundraised to buy more for local schools in need For example, ACS I nternational Schools donated 300 brandnew laptops to 20 par tner state primar y schools in and around Cobham to suppor t local children who do not have access to technology at home

• Summer schools have been run between par tner schools, suppor ting education recover y effor ts The Whitgift Community Summer School saw 200 pupils attend during the 2021 summer holidays – activities included lessons on maths, science, English, histor y, and philosophy, alongside spor t, coding, and drama

• Schools made online resources available to all state schools, whether local or across the countr y. More than 1,000 state schools have signed up to EtonX, granting 420,000 secondar y school students access to online resources on leadership sk ills and university preparation For the future, Eton College has committed to optimising its EtonX learning platform, and is expanding the range of courses on offer to include academic curriculum content, with continued free access for maintained schools.

At the same time, teachers and senior leaders in the independent sector were equally affected by the work and emotional strain of keeping schools running during the pandemic, while schools themselves faced financial challenges Maintaining physical teaching and online provision put a squeeze on many schools – with a number closing during the pandemic

About independent schools

Parents who choose independent schools do so because they believe it is best for their child. The money spent on fees comes from taxed income – with many families stretching resources to suppor t their children in this way.

We k now that parents strongly value school choice – and the ability to access independent schools As the UN Declaration of Human Rights states: “Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.”

Views of independent schools are often based on stereotypes that mask the true diversity of a sector which encompasses a wide range of schools and approaches Parents might choose independent education for some or all of their child’s education, or in order to meet par ticular needs I ndependent schools

offer specialisms in SEND, single -sex education, music, drama, dance, or boarding, which are not always available in state -funded schools

ISC schools var y significantly in size from fewer than 20 pupils to over 2,400, although half of all schools have fewer than 300 pupils. I n reality, many independent schools are small and not as wealthy as people may imagine. Fewer than 100 schools have more than 1,000 pupils.

Data from our annual school Census also show that:

• Selec tion: More than half of our schools are not selective.

• SEND: 18% of pupils at our schools have SEND

• Diversity: More than a third of pupils at ISC schools are from ethnic minority backgrounds – about the same propor tion as in the state sector

• New pupils: Almost 30% of new pupils to ISC schools joined from the state -funded sector.

The impac t of independent schools on the UK economy

Delivering value to society

Independent schools recognise their social duties. Through widening access, and par tnerships with colleagues in the state sec tor, they make a significant contribution to the whole education system and to their local communities.

Just over half of all independent schools are charities that advance education

Like all charities, these schools are regulated by the Charity Commission and must repor t on public benefit in their trustees’ annual repor t

I ndependent schools will primarily provide public benefit through par tnerships with state schools or by offering bursaries, and this ex tends beyond those schools that are registered charities

Par tnerships

Schools of all sizes are work ing together in par tnership – showing that together they can achieve more and bring educational experiences to a greater number of children

Educational par tnerships between independent and state schools are an impor tant aspect of school life, benefiting both schools and local communities. I n Januar y 2020, before COVID restricted activities, ISC schools were involved in 11,700 par tnership projects including subject suppor t in maths, science, and modern foreign languages; teacher training; and careers and higher education advice and suppor t. We k now that this work is now resuming. I n our last Census –

which included a time period when COVID restrictions were still in place – almost 7,000 of these par tnership projects had begun again

Larger independent schools have forged par tnerships through the sponsorship and co -sponsorship of schools as par t of the Government ’ s academies and free schools programme. Schools such as the London Academies of Excellence in Tottenham and Stratford benefit from independent school sponsorship and achieve high rates of Oxbridge entr y.

When the COVID pandemic struck , independent schools joined their local communities to help the vulnerable and suppor t our frontline ser vices These effor ts included:

• 639 schools donating to their local foodbanks, becoming collection centres, or having staff and students act as volunteer deliverers

• 477 schools donating PPE from their food, science, and technology depar tments to local NHS trusts and key workers

• 360 schools using their own facilities to manufacture additional PPE.

The relationships between staff and pupils across the school system provide a strong base on which to build recover y.

I ndependent schools can provide academic suppor t and oppor tunities for enrichment in areas such as spor t, music and drama. Fur thermore, with schools increasingly using remote technology,

there is the potential for par tnerships to reach across larger distances and into communities where needs are greatest.

The sector is keen to do more and has signed a Joint Understanding with the Depar tment for Education to grow stateindependent school par tnerships to “suppor t the raising of educational standards in state schools” The ISC publishes an annual repor t on par tnership work ing

“A professional community like this [East Kent Schools Together], especially in education, is an invaluable resource for teachers and professionals in this field”

Melanie Judi, head of modern foreign languages and careers at St Edmund’s School, Canterbur y

Widening access

I ndependent schools are work ing to widen access through bursar y provision and recognise the benefits this brings both to bursar y pupils and the wider school community Our latest data shows:

• ISC schools currently provide £480m in means-tested fee assistance.

• 30% of all pupils on a means-tested bursar y receive remission of 75% or more of their fees, and 47% of all pupils on means-tested bursaries receive remission of 50% or more.

• One in 14 pupils at ISC schools is on a means-tested bursar y or scholarship Schools seek to do more whenever possible - but most schools do not have large endowments and must fundraise to provide bursaries

• Royal SpringBoard has worked with over 120 independent schools in the last five years to secure fully-funded bursar y placements for more than 800 looked-after children, children on the edge of care, and children from areas of socio - economic deprivation. The charity is work ing with a number of local authorities to significantly expand the oppor tunities available for looked-after children and children identified by their local authorities as being in need to attend boarding and independent day schools

Trends in means-tested bursaries and scholarships versus non-means-tested scholarships at ISC schools (2011-2022)1

1 Trends are only shown from 2011 onwards due to changes in methods of data collection relating to fee assistance Note, due to the change in methodology we should be cautious about drawing too many conclusions in trend data between 2015 and 2016

Benefits of independent schools

Independent schools make an impor tant and positive contribution to the education system, their local communities, and national produc tivity. In par ticular:

Specialist SEND provision

ISC schools educate more than 95,000 pupils recorded as having SEND, representing 18% of all pupils at ISC schools The high propor tion of pupils with SEND in the independent sector reflects the existence of a number of specialised schools, dedicated to giving education and care to children with serious and complex SEND requirements that is tailored around the needs of the individual young person These schools provide vital additional capacity for local authorities and often provide SEND suppor t that is not available elsewhere in the local area

I ndependent schools also provide a suppor tive, nur turing environment for pupils with less severe needs in mainstream settings The independence these schools have allows them to personalise learning and build assessments around pupils’ individual sk ill sets

Boosting global competitiveness

I ndependent schools also provide excellence in subjects vital to global competitiveness Advanced maths and science study is key for technological innovation and countering climate change While as global influence shifts, modern foreign languages will be vital for trade and international co - operation

I n the last year for which data are available (2019), independent schools accounted for :

• Almost 30% of entries for A-levels in French and Spanish.

• 30% of fur ther maths A-level entries.

• 21% of physics A-level entries

An international asset

The strong global reputation of British education attracts overseas companies and international students to the UK These students bring a global perspective to our schools, enrich the community, and are a vital pipeline to British universities

“Learning a foreign language can greatly benefit young people by introducing them to new cultures and dramatically expanding their horizon.”

Confederation of British Industr y (CBI/Pearson Sk ills Sur vey 2019)

I ndependent schools are proud of the role they are playing in meeting the ambitions of the Government ’ s I nternational Education Strategy and the target of attracting 600,000 international students to the UK ever y year Not only do international students choose UK independent schools – many opt to study at UK universities, having been immersed in British life

• Our last Census found there were more than 56,000 non-British pupils enrolled in ISC schools – of these, 25,000 had parents overseas, with 31,000 having parents in the UK Although COVID had impacted enrolments, independent schools have worked hard to welcome students back and reassure them that Britain is a safe and welcoming place to learn

• Non-British pupils at ISC schools account for £2bn of GDP per year, generating £600m in annual tax revenues

• I ndependent schools contribute £1bn annually to education expor ts

• British independent schools are also active internationally, with 93 campuses of ISC member schools operating overseas.

• I n addition, British orientated international schools (the majority of which are not directly linked to UK independent schools) are par t of the fast- growing international schools market, with almost 7,000 British orientated schools mak ing up 42% of the global market, according to analysts ISC Research.

Suppor ting our economy

I ndependent schools are often integral to communities, suppor ting economic prosperity both locally and nationally Research from Oxford Economics shows that for the UK as a whole, independent schools:

• Contribute £16.5bn annually to GDP

• Suppor t 328,000 jobs

• Provide £5.1bn in tax revenue

• Save the state sector £4.4bn per year through parents not tak ing up state school places.

“ The UK has a global reputation for education, characterised by excellence and qualit y. Our global education offer encompasses the full range of the education spectrum, including early years, independent schools...[and] higher education.”

International Education Strategy 2019, HM Government

Constituent Associations

Girls’ Schools Association, The Heads’ Conference

I ndependent Association of Prep Schools, I ndependent Schools Association

The Society of Heads, Association of Governing Bodies of I ndependent Schools

The I ndependent Schools’ Bursars Association

Affiliated Associations

Boarding Schools’ Association, Council of British I nternational Schools

Scottish Council of I ndependent Schools, Welsh I ndependent Schools Council

Independent Schools Council

First Floor, 27 Queen Anne’s Gate, London SW1H 9BU 020 7766 7070

www.isc.co.uk